Updates for athletes, parents, and supporters of Woodson Rowing.
Questions, ideas or feedback? Just reply to this newsletter!
What matters this week:
- 🚣 On the water. Check Slack before every practice.
- 📝 Allergy form due ASAP
- 🧥 Team jacket order closes 2/28
- 🙋 Volunteer sign-ups are live
🛑 ACTION REQUIRED: ALLERGY FORM
Please provide information about any food allergies, intolerances, or religious dietary restrictions so all athletes can safely participate in Friday Night Team Dinners.
If your athlete has no restrictions, you do NOT need to complete the form.
❓Contact Gloria Totten via Slack
👉 Fill out form: Team Dinner Dietary Restrictions & Allergies Form
🧥ORDER YOUR TEAM JACKET BY SAT, 2/28
Deadline extended. We need a minimum to be able to place the order. Don’t delay!
👉Order here: https://woodsoncrew2026.itemorder.com/shop/home/
🔗 QUICK LINKS
👉 Parent on the water meeting slides
🌦️WEATHER QUESTIONS
We are officially in season and on the water!
Re: weather, Coach Ty says:
“While weather forecasts have gotten quite good, they do not have the level of granularity to tell us exactly what is going to occur at the exact location we are rowing.
So, more times than not, we will go down to the boathouse and see how it goes. We will sometimes cancel when the forecast calls for sustained Gale Force winds in the afternoons because those forecasts are more reliable.
Any decision we make will be put on Slack as soon as possible, as well as on social media, and announcements over the PA system at school.
If we need to delay launching until conditions are safe we will do that. If conditions look like they will continue to stay dangerous during practice time we will stay on shore and work out on land.”
Your takeaway:
Slack is the single source of truth for weather updates. If you’re not on Slack, you’re missing real-time decisions.
Parents: email [email protected] to be added to the Adult Slack.
Athletes: talk to your coaches if you are not on the Athlete Slack.
🙋 VOLUNTEERISM IS KEY
This program runs on parent volunteers. If each available adult completes 5 credits (or more), no one gets burned out.
Volunteer Credit Requirements:
- Each family must complete 5 volunteer credits
- One shift = one credit
- At least 1 credit must be a VASRA Workday or regatta-day shift
🚨CRITICAL NEEDS
- Future Tag Day Coordinator
Help Patrick next season, then take over in 2027
📩 Contact Patrick via Slack - Launch Boat Drivers!
A fun but critical task for VASRA regattas.
Prior experience not required. Get trained on 3/14.
👉Sign up here
🛸Prior trained drivers, join the #launch-boat-drivers on Slack
📝 SIGN UPS STILL LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
- Chuckwagon Workday, 3/15
👉Sign up here
- VASRA Regatta Jobs: 3/21, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9
👉Sign up here - St. Andrews Regatta, 3/28
👉Sign up here - Friday Night Dinners: 4/10 – 5/8
👉Sign up here
Visit the Volunteer Hub to learn more about the roles above.
📅 CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE
✅ Bookmark these dates–your quick reference for the season.
FEBRUARY
Feb 28: VASRA Workday.
MARCH
Mar 7: VASRA Workday.
Mar 14: VASRA Workday.
Mar 15: Chuckwagon Workday.
Mar 21: Polar Bear Regatta (varsity), Sandy Run – Volunteer HERE
Mar 28: St. Andrews Regatta, Middletown, DE – Volunteer HERE
SPRING BREAK (March 30 – April 3)
Plan for daily practice during break.
From a physiology training perspective, ideally there would be 2 practices per day over spring break. However, from a logistics perspective, coaches understand that one extended practice block may be easier to manage for families. The final schedule will be a balance between these two considerations.
Practice formats may include:
- One extended practice (~4 hours)
OR - Two practices per day (~2.5 hours AM + ~2.5 hours PM)
The schedule will be released as soon as it is finalized.
APRIL
Apr 10, 17, 24: Athlete team dinners (Cafe B)
Apr 11: Tri-Meet Scrimmage, Anacostia Boathouse, DC
Apr 18: Ryz Obuchowicz Regatta, Sandy Run – Volunteer HERE.
Apr 24: Senior night at team dinner
Apr 25: Al Urquia Regatta, Sandy Run – Volunteer HERE.
MAY
May 1 & 8: Athlete team dinners (Cafe B)
May 2: Virginia State Champs, Day 1, Sandy Run – Volunteer HERE.
May 9: Virginia State Champs, Day 2, Sandy Run – Volunteer HERE.
May 15: Stotesbury (select boats), Philadelphia, PA
May 22: Nationals (qualifiers only), Oak Ridge, TN
🌊 STAY INVOLVED
Recruitment • Sponsors • Spirit Wear • Photos
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🧠“Row with your heart, and the river will echo your soul’s song.” — Herman Melville