Overview

YOUTH PROGRAM

Overview

Choices
At Sammamish, there are many ways to be involved with rowing. Athletes can choose any combination of seasons and programs that works for their interests and schedules. Athletes can participate in one, two, or each rowing season per year. Many choose to row in both the spring and the fall while others just row each summer. The choice is yours.

Seasons
There are four rowing seasons per year.

Summer: A great time to learn to row, and for experienced rowers to further develop their skills. Three-week long sessions are shorter to fit around family vacations and other summer activities. Classes are in the morning.

Fall: One of two competitive racing seasons, focused on longer distance endurance races to develop an aerobic base for the spring. Races are between 3 and 5 miles long. Weekday classes are after school while weekend classes are held mid-morning. Friends can start rowing through Learn To Row and Novice classes.

Winter: A training session to maintain physical fitness and conditioning. There is no racing during winter, and classes are held after school during the week.

Spring: This is the other competitive season which culminates with Regional Championships. This is the sprint season, with races ranging between 1000 and 2000 meters. As with fall, friends can start rowing through Learn To Row and Novice classes. Weekday classes are after school while weekend classes are held mid-morning.

Programs
Individuals trying rowing for the first time participate in one of our Learn to Row or Novice programs offered at different times throughout the year. Once they have completed either of these classes, they can join one of our Experienced classes. Participants can also repeat a Learn To Row or Novice program to develop further before enrolling in an Experienced class.

We offer Weekend or Weekday classes at certain times of year. The fall and spring Weekend classes focus on learning to row better without participating in races. Athletes who want to race join the Sammamish racing team by enrolling in one of the fall and/or spring Weekday classes as either a Novice or Experienced rower. You can switch between weekend and weekday rowing season by season depending on what works best for you.

The Sammamish Racing Team
Joining the team is easy. If you have a good attitude and commitment, you'll be on the team. It's the foundation of successful athletes in general, and specifically those here at Sammamish.

The fall and spring are the two competitive seasons, with the spring being our championship season. Just like other sports, practice occurs after school 5 days a week. Carpools can be arranged as Sammamish has athletes from across the Eastside. We facilitate setting up carpools during the first week of practice.

What's a Novice?
The sport of rowing has a Novice category so that athletes new to the sport can race against others of similar ability. This is largely unique to the sport of rowing. An athlete is allowed to race Novice through June of their first year of rowing. Because of this, many athletes who are new to rowing go through our Novice program which enables them to learn the sport with others of similar experience. They can start brand new in one of our Novice programs, or join after they have completed a Learn To Row session. As they progress, they will move up to the Experienced Team. The Novice team participates in regattas just like the Experienced team, gaining racing experience.

What if I also play another sport?
We respect your commitment. It's part of what makes you a successful athlete. We have athletes who play other sports, and they select sessions where rowing does not conflict.

Sammamish has many successful basketball players on the team. The sport does not overlap with either the fall or spring competitive rowing seasons, and is a great way to maintain conditioning through the winter. We also have athletes who play soccer or swim in the fall, but join us in the spring. Some athletes also participate in another sport during the week, and then row with us in one of our weekend programs.

Sammamish does not pressure an athlete to choose rowing over another sport. Instead, we encourage them to add rowing. Sammamish offers flexible ways for you to remain involved with rowing to become a better rower over time, as well as a more versatile athlete. Athletes choose their level of involvement, and the level they wish to attain.