Below we have compiled lots of resources ranging from nutrition to summer camps. Please know that this is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather a place to begin research and learn about rowing as a sport, yourself as an athlete, and the rowing community as a whole.
Nutrition For Rowers
On Friday, January 17, 2025, Estela Schnelle, MS RD visited the team to speak about the unique nutritional needs of high school rowers. Please find a link to her presentation below. Should you have any questions, please reach out to Estela on Slack!
Please note that nutrition is a sticky subject because individual nutrition needs vary from person to person. All athletes need quality nutrition to fuel the work that they must put in to get stronger and better at their sport. This is as true for rowing as it is for basketball, football, swimming or any other high demand sport. We urge you to use your best judgment while also emphasizing that you MUST eat enough to fuel the difficult training it takes to become good at this sport! Below are some additional articles you might find interesting.
❖ Precision Nutrition Guide for Rowers (this is pretty comprehensive and not teen specific like Estela’s presentation above)
❖ 8 Healthy Eating Habits for Teenage Rowers
❖ Nutrition for Young Rowers
❖ 1 Week Meal Plan For Rowers
Self-Care for Rowers
MANAGING BLISTERS AND CALLUSES
❖ The Blister Dilemma & How to Care for Them
❖ Rowers hands
INCREASE FLEXIBILITY
❖ Yoga for Rowers: Focus on Catch and Drive, Focus on Finish and Recovery
❖ Stretching for Rowers
ENSURE YOU RECOVER FROM YOUR HARD WORK
❖ Rest Refuelling & Recovery for Rowers
❖ The Rowers Way: 4 Recovery Strategies/
Staying Fit
Once you’ve finished the season, staying fit is important to maintaining the progress you’ve achieved throughout the season. It’s also vital to your long term health! Below are some resources recommended by our coaches to help you maintain your fitness over the summer (or any time you can’t be rowing)!
Coach Tylander’s recommended summer erg plan:
❖ https://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/
Coach Joe’s recommendation for building cardio vascular endurance:
❖ Running or riding your bicycle hard for 30-60 minutes is a good way to maintain cardiovascular growth
Coach Mickey’s Alabama Rowing Resource (Winter or Summer!)
Words of Wisdom (and encouragement) from Coach Ron:
Talent matters. But effort is worth twice as much as talent. Hard work, grit, consistency surpasses talent if talent doesn’t work hard. And you must be grateful. When you have gratitude, complaining and excuses stop. Be grateful that you have the opportunity to compete and enjoy. Be grateful that your parents enable you with the food, clothing, transportation, and money to do this activity. Attitude, effort, hustle, heart matters. These things come from you. Preparation for next season starts now. My definition of a champion, Bent over from exhaustion, dripping with sweat, and no one is watching.
OTHER RESOURCES
❖ Training info from Concept2
❖ The Woodson Rowing Training and Conditioning Manual was first created in 2016. We are in the process of updating some of the materials, but it is an excellent source of all things rowing to get you started!
Crew/Rowing Organizations
Local Rowing Clubs for Fall and Summer Programs
❖ Resilient Rowing (on the Occoquan)
❖ TBC Racing (on the Potomac)
❖ Northern Virginia Rowing Club
❖ Occoquan Boat Club (on the Occoquan)
❖ Other Rowing Clubs for Fall and Summer Programs
2025: District Training Center Boys U19 and U17 Summer Competitive Rowing Program
State-Specific Information
❖ Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA)
❖ VASRA Regatta Ranking and Seeding Details
❖ Regatta Central – Heat Sheets, Lineups, Results
Miscellaneous Resources
❖ Oarspotter – Blade designs for thousands of rowing clubs
❖ U.S. Rowing Website
❖ Row2K
Well Known Large Scale Regattas (that Woodson athletes have competed at)
❖ Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) Regatta
❖ Stotesbury Cup Regatta
❖ Head of the Charles Regatta
Recommended Reading/Viewing
❖ The Boys in the Boat: The book & The movie
❖ American Experience: The Boys of ’36 (PBS Documentary based on the book)
Info on Rowing in College & Scholarship Opportunities
❖ Row2k College Rowing Teams List
❖ Rowing Scholarships & Chances of Competing in College Rowing
❖ Rowing Scholarships
❖ Scholarships for Rowing in College
❖ Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Scholarships