The Fairfax High School (FHS) Crew Club is a Virginia High School League (VHSL) sponsored interscholastic club activity. Club sports do not receive financial aid from the school or the county. The Fairfax Crew Boosters promote and support the rowing program at Fairfax. To qualify as an official interscholastic sport, the athletic activity must be VHSL sponsored and have participation of greater than fifty per cent of the high schools in the county. However, even if more than half the county's high schools were to offer crew, the club status would likely not change due to the costs and the limited facilities available for the sport.
Yes. Varsity letters are awarded for the Spring Competition at the end of the school year. You earn a letter by faithfully attending practices and participating in regattas.
Most students who join the team have no previous rowing experience. If you are willing to work hard, then Fairfax Crew is for you. The crew program provides opportunities for a wide range of athletic abilities and can help a non-athlete become highly trained and competitive over four years of high school participation.
No. Rowing is a very serious sport and takes a lot of dedication. You do need strength, endurance and technique, all of which you will develop through the Crew Program. Each boat has four or eight rowers and the coxswain. The coxswain steers the boat and gives instructions to the crew. During a race, the coxswain is also a motivator and tactician. For rowers, height is an advantage, but not a prerequisite. Coxswain are usually small and light. The best coxswains are smart, light, verbal and confident.
Fairfax Crew accepts all students. No previous athletic, rowing experience or tryouts are necessary. There are no tryouts to become a member of the crew club; however:
All new team members are required to pass a swim test to show they can tread water for 2 minutes and swim 100 meters--life vests are not worn in the shells.
Rowers must complete a paperwork packet and a physical prior to being allowed to row. If you have not turned in a completed physical form for another sport during the school year, please make an appointment with your doctor to schedule one an exam; turn in the form to the FHS athletic department.
Rowers are also required to maintain academic eligibility under the Virginia High School League rule and be responsible for dues.
The FHS Booster club supplies most of the needed equipment. The crew team members are responsible for their personal clothing including the racing uniforms, which are ordered through the clothing coordinator prior to the spring rowing season. For practices and warm-ups, rowers are recommended to have running shoes, comfortable but not loose pants or shorts, polypropylene undershirt, fleece hat, wool socks and a fleece jacket plus the usual tee shirts and sweats. Rowers may purchase optional team jackets, sweats, rain wear, gear bags, caps and more from our team clothing coordinator. Because crew regattas are from March to May, weather may be very cold to very hot. Rowers are encouraged to purchase uniforms accordingly.
Crew is a spring sport. Conditioning begins in November using the rowing machines (ergs). Land training begins in mid-January, with water practice starting on the Occoquan, at Sandy Run Park, in late February for experienced rowers and early March for novice rowers. Practice is after school, five days a week, depending on the weather. Rowing competitions (regattas) begin in March; see season's schedule. The regattas are held on Saturdays, and most of Fairfax competitions are at the Occoquan. The season culminates in May with select competitive boats entering the prestigious Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia and the Scholastic Rowing Association National Championships held at different locales each year.
During the off-season (Nov - Feb) team members condition at the high school doing land training; in the winter, voluntary workouts take place at the weight room in school three days a week. Winter training is an unofficial part of crew. Winter training is not required but is highly recommended for anyone who is not doing a winter sport. It is open to all students, not just rowers. Workouts consist of weight work, running and "erging". During spring sport season, we practice after school each day at Sandy Run Park on the Occoquan River. The Sandy Run boathouse is about a 25-minute drive from Fairfax High. While every reasonable attempt is made to transport the students to Sandy Run through car pooling, ultimately it is up to the individual student to find a means of transportation.
Yes! The membership system in crew is comprised of dues and volunteer work. The annual rowing fee varies based upon the number of rowers per year. In 2007 the fee was approximately $1000. The club sponsors numerous fund raisers throughout the year of which both the students and parents can participate. These fundraising efforts are for the student's benefit to help offset the costs. All money earned from a fundraiser, minus the expenses, are credited directly to the rower's account. The more you participate in the fundraisers, the less your fees. It was not uncommon to have parents not pay any fees due to the number of fundraisers they participated in. We will make all efforts not to exclude any rower due to financial need. Contact the Booster President for details.
Most of the expense of crew is attributable to the equipment and maintenance costs. An 8-person shell (boat) costs between $20,000 and $30,000. Oars cost over $250 apiece, Ergs over $400, a voice amplification system (“Cox Box”) for the coxswain is $500, and we also use small boats with outboard motors to follow the shells during coaching and races. All of the equipment requires maintenance and ultimately needs to be replaced. There are also fees for boat storage, insurance, equipment maintenance fees, coaches' salaries and administrative expenses. The rowers' dues cover some of the costs, primarily our administrative, insurance and maintenance costs. The rest of the funds needed to run the program must be raised by the rowers and the boosters club in a series of fundraising events. Our fundraisers include car washes, canvassing for donations, and signing up corporate or individual sponsors. Fundraising is a necessity but it's easier than you think.
