Hollis/Brookline area students in grade 9 through 12 are eligible to tryout for the HB Crew team.  We row competitively in the Fall and Spring seasons, with Winter Training and Summer Learn to Row programs also available.  Although the majority of our crew team members row in both spring and fall seasons, you do not need to row in both in order to join the team.  Whenever possible, we practice at Lone Pine Hunters Club on the Nashua River at 114 Rideout Road in Hollis.  At the beginning of the spring season, we will have practice at Hollis Brookline High School until the snow/cold allow us on the water.  

 

Tryout

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All rowers must tryout for the team and meet the coach’s requirements for participation.  The tryout is an evaluation of physical fitness, not just rowing skill.  So, all are welcome!  Tryouts are the first week of school for the fall season and around the first week of March for the spring season.  Specific dates and times will be announced in school and be published on our website.  

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Sample tryout for non rowers, or those new to HB Crew

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• 1000 meter ergometer (rowing machine) evaluation

• 500 meter sprint on the ergometer

• Running laps around the school

 

Sample tryout for experienced rowers

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• 2000 meter ergometer score

• Ongoing Winter/Summer training, either with crew or through other sports/activities

• Coach’s ongoing assessment of your attitude, aptitude and commitment

 

Swim Test

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Safety is a top priority at HB Crew.  We need to be 100% comfortable that each team member has the ability to stay afloat, in the unlikely event that their boat tips over, until a safety launch arrives with lifejackets.  To this end, all new (novice) crew members are required to pass a swim test before getting in a boat. Passing the test covers you for your entire time on the HB Crew team.  To pass the test, you must be able to:

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1. Enter the water, wearing a full set of crew workout clothes (i.e. long pants with jacket/sweatshirt), and swim 50 meters (any stroke)

2. Tread water for 10 minutes while still wearing clothes

3. Demonstrate the ability to place a life jacket on while treading water

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Registration Costs

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If you are invited to register, tuition is $550 ($50 boat replacement/maintenance fee included) per season, to be paid during online registration at Regatta Central. A link will be provided with your invitation to be on the team.  Your registration fee pays for the many expenses associated with crew: launch registration & fuel, regatta registration fees, trailer transportation expenses, equipment maintenance, coaching compensation and day to day supplies.  

 

Many of our regattas require that all participants be members of US Rowing, the National governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States.  At HB Crew, we pay the annual $7.75 US Rowing individual membership cost for each of our athletes.   When you join HB Crew, you will need to join US Rowing at www.usrowing.org, pick Hollis/Brookline Cavaliers Crew as your club affiliation and sign their waiver electronically.

 

Uniforms

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For Varsity rowers uniforms consist of a unisex trou and tank/unisuit for girls or a  unisuit for boys.   More information on uniforms, other custom clothing, spirit wear and our online stores is available on our website under the Team tab, Uniforms.

 

Fall Season

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If you are a new rower interested in rowing in the fall for HB Crew, the summer rowing programs (see below for details) are a terrific way to learn the basics.  The fall HB crew season begins a week before school starts, with returning rowers water practice at Lone Pine, and ends the first weekend in November with storing everything away for the winter.   Practice is Monday through Thursday from 2:45 - 5:15 and Saturday mornings from 7:30am - 10:00am.  Regattas (competitions) usually start toward the end of September and will be almost every weekend until the end of October.  They are held on Saturdays or Sundays and will generally be within 2 hours of Hollis and Brookline, with the exception of a possible overnight trip to Saratoga Springs, NY for the Head of the Fish.  The regatta schedule is determined toward the end of August and will be published on the website.  

 

In the fall, racing is “head style”, where each boat races serially, one after the other, against the clock.  The races are longer than the spring, generally 2.5 to 3.1 miles.  Locations where we typically race are Lowell MA, Westford MA, Concord NH and Worcester MA.  In 2016, we made our first trip to the Head of the Fish regatta in Saratoga Springs NY and anticipate doing it again!  

 

Spring Season

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If you are new to HB Crew and interested in rowing in the spring, contact our head coach about participating in some of the winter training.  This allows you to start the spring season with some instruction and fitness under your belt.  The spring season begins in mid March with indoor practices (if it’s still too cold/snowy to get on the water) and ends the first weekend in June with packing up for the summer.  Practice is Monday through Thursday from 2:45 - 5:15 and Saturday mornings from 7:30am - 10:00am.  Regattas (competitions) usually start at the end of April and continue until the end of May or first week in June.  HB Crew will be racing almost every weekend.  As in the fall, the regatta schedule is determined around the first of March.  

 

The spring season features “sprint style” racing, where the races are short (1500m or 2000), and the boats race beside each other with the same start.  Typical locations for our spring races are Hanover NH, Westford MA, Lowell MA, Worcester MA and Lebanon NH.