Thank you for all of the feedback and support we received following the varsity and novice parent meetings on September 1st and 2nd. You confirmed there is a strong desire from across our rowing community to maintain the Whitman Crew program going forward. While we are currently focused on healing our community, we understand that many of you feel that one path to healing is to get our children back on the water and the board is committed to making that happen.

At present, there are several uncertainties that need to be addressed and the board is working to address each of them. The primary issue is that we must obtain sponsorship and approval from MCPS before our children can row as Whitman Crew. In the interim we are exploring every option that is available and will convey those options to you as we finalize them. 

Many of you have stepped forward and asked what you can do to help and we are deeply grateful for your support. As we plan, we ask that anyone interested in being part of Whitman Crew in the coming year register to become a member of the program. Any family with a student enrolled at Walt Whitman High School for the 2021-22 school year is eligible to become a member. Registration does not obligate you in any way. Rather, membership will provide you with a voice in shaping the future of the program. It will allow the Whitman Crew Board to understand and represent the size of the interest in the program to MCPS and it will allow us to communicate with you as we develop proposals for winter training and spring rowing. Not registering now will not preclude anyone from joining the team later. However, having an accurate gauge of the demand will greatly enhance our planning capacity and help with our discussions with MCPS. 

We are asking for a registration fee of $50 which will help cover ongoing costs of the team which include things such as the storage and maintenance of the club's boats, ergs, and other equipment.

As an additional, optional benefit, registered members will be able to rent an erg from the club for the fall for $100 while supplies last. If you would like to rent an erg, please note that in your registration. Details about the erg distribution process will be provided in the coming week. 

Financial assistance is available if needed.

If you have specific questions, please contact Dave Charlton (crewdad@davecharlton.com), Jenni Main (jennimain@gmail.com), Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew (jbronte68@gmail.com), or Yogesh.Joshi@gmail.com.

To help members of our community cope with the impact of recent events, the club is assisting with counseling sessions.

The following are therapy practices with clinicians trained and experienced in supporting adolescents impacted by trauma. Parents can contact them confidentially to schedule appointments and should mention Whitman Crew to make sure they can get a timely appointment. This is not an exclusive list, as there are a variety of resources in the DC area, but many are not accepting new clients due to ongoing Covid19 demands on the mental health industry. We have identified these options in case families are in need of referrals. Zencare and PsychologyToday are additional tools for researching resources.

Mental health support can be quite expensive and families have varying degrees of mental health coverage via insurance. Additionally, many area clinicians are Out-of-Network for most insurance programs, so families have to pay up front and submit receipts to their insurance company for partial reimbursement. The Crew Board can assist with fees on a case by case basis, for up to four sessions. 

Gavin W. Behrens & Associates - Bethesda

Rathbone & Associates - Bethesda/Rockville 
Britt Rathbone or John Dunn, specifically

Julie Baron & Associates - Rockville

The Sibley Group - DC

Additionally, Georgette Saad from the Sibley Group has provided group sessions for athletes and separate sessions for parents. Additional sessions could be offered periodically, or arranged as requested by the Crew community.

We are paying for these sessions from donated funds and welcome anyone who wants to contribute to support the athletes. 

Please contact Eileen Vermilye at aevermilye@aol.com if we can assist you in supporting your athlete.

While we are unable to offer a Whitman Crew program this fall, athletes and families who want to row should consider the following local programs.  

TBC Racing:  TBC Racing is accepting athletes and has capacity to accept our women and men athletes. 

• Program information and registration can be found here.
• Registration is now open for their fall Learn-to-Row program.
• If parents have questions, contact TBC Racing Head Coach, Matt Russell at: info@tbcracing.org or 703-597-7690.

DC National Rowing Club: The club rows out of Riley’s Lock, Poolesville

• Program Information and Registration: can be found here.
• If parents have question, contact DC National Rowing Club Head Coach, Julian Canha at dcnationalrowing@gmail.com  or 973-204-9957

Whitman Crew is excited to announce the launch of Access to Crew, a new program designed to support the sport of rowing--both at Whitman and beyond in our local community. The program will:

• provide scholarships to Whitman kids from economically diverse backgrounds;
• support the excellent work of Baltimore Community Rowing's Reach High Rowing Program; and
• create opportunities for our athletes to get involved with volunteering.

Please donate now to give economically diverse students a chance to experience the life-changing impact of crew. Our goal is to raise $20,000 and we're already half-way there! Donations are entirely voluntary.

To learn more, visit the Access-to-Crew page.