Posted on by VP Communications

February 13, 2025 Newsletter

If you’re participating in our 2nd Maverick Rowing event this Saturday, please see links for payment below!

1. MAVERICK ROWING THIS WEEKEND
2. *CRITICAL* BOATHOUSE OPTIONAL APPAREL, MINIMUMS NOT MET
3. LAST SWIM TEST OPPORTUNITY ON FEB 15
4. *RESCHEDULED* ON-THE-WATER MEETING, WED, FEB 19, 7p IN CAFE B
5. *NEW* LAUNCH BOAT DRIVER TRAINING, 3/8, 11a
6. *NEW FUNDRAISER* KING CAKES!
7. TEAM VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
8. VASRA VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
9. PLEASE REGISTER BEFORE WE GO ON-THE-WATER
10. CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE

WAIT – THERE’S MORE?

ACTION ITEMS
Order from optional apparel items from Boathouse (#2 below)

1. MAVERICK ROWING THIS WEEKEND, 2/15
There are 5 spots available for anyone interested in participating in this unique indoor rowing opportunity. It’s a great way to put all your winter conditioning to practice. We will accommodate up to 35 rowers for the full two hours: from 10am-12pm.

To participate, here are the steps you need to take BEFORE Saturday, February 15:

Please plan to be there by 9:45a. If you will not be participating in the entire 2 hour time slot, please coordinate with Coach Tylander.

2. *CRITICAL* BOATHOUSE OPTIONAL APPAREL ORDER BY 2/16

The non-required custom apparel that we order through Boathouse requires a minimum number of items for an order to be fulfilled. The following items cannot currently be fulfilled without additional purchases:  

Pro-Tech Stevenson, 1 more required

Mens Training tight, 2 more required

Cold weather half zip, 1 more required

GoreTex Stevenson, 3 more required

They will keep the shop open until Sunday, February 16th for any remaining orders. Please order ASAP at: https://cgwoodson2024.itemorder.com/.  (Choose the “bulk shipping” option at check out. Items will be delivered to our sportswear rep for distribution.)

Questions? Contact Cheryl, our Sportswear Chair via Slack or [email protected]

3. LAST SWIM TEST OPPORTUNITY ON 2/15
We currently have no athletes signed up for the February 15 swim test. If you’ve never done a swim test with us before, sign up here: Winter Swim Tests. A swim test is REQUIRED before you will be allowed to go on-the-water with the team. If this date does not work for you, please reach out to your coaches.

4. *RESCHEDULED* ON-THE-WATER MEETING, WED, 2/19, 7p IN CAFE B
Due to the school closure on Wednesday, The Board has rescheduled the in-person on-the-water meeting to Wednesday, February 19 at 7:00pm in Cafe B at Woodson. Join us to learn what to expect once the competitive regatta season starts. We will share important information for novice and returning parents alike. Athletes are welcome to attend. Board representatives and coaches will be on hand to answer questions. If you cannot attend, we will share a link to the slides following the meeting.

5. *NEW* LAUNCH BOAT DRIVER TRAINING, 3/8, 11a
One of the more exciting volunteer activities at regattas is to drive a launch boat. Launch boat drivers are responsible for ferrying spectators, officials and referees. Being a Launch Boat Driver fulfills your VASRA volunteer requirement and gets you the best seat in the house at regattas! All parents/guardians are welcome to learn how to perform this task from our very own Coach Joe. Attendance is limited due to space constraints. Sign up to attend training here: Launch Boat Driver Training.

If you have already completed launch boat driver training in a previous season and are willing to be a driver again this year, please join the #launch-boat-drivers channel on Slack.

6. *NEW FUNDRAISER* KING CAKES!
Celebrate Mardi Gras with a Gambino’s King Cake. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Woodson Rowing, so laissez les bons temps rouler and benefit the team at the same time! Note: if you normally order on your own, ordering through us saves you the $31 shipping charges!!! Reserve by emailing Emmy Obruba (mom to athlete Nathan) at [email protected]. Payment will be via PayPal or Venmo. TEXT ONLY (no calls, please) to 757-613-2862 if you have questions. Instructions for pick up will be provided upon payment.

7. TEAM VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Each family is required to do 5 volunteer shifts/credits, one of which should be a VASRA task. Athletes are also expected to volunteer (3 credits for novice athletes, 5 for returning athletes). Failure to meet your volunteer credits by the end of the season will result in a $200 per credit charge. If you want to learn more about volunteering with Woodson Rowing, please visit our website at: www.woodsonrowing.org/volunteering.

A. BOATHOUSE WORK DAY, 2/22, 9-11a
Let’s get the boathouse ready for the season! FYI: there will be no Green Day associated with this work day. Sign up or modify your sign up here: Boathouse Workday.

    B. FRIDAY NIGHT DINNERS
    The team enjoys pre-regatta dinners each Friday night during the season. This season, we will be holding all of our dinners at the Woodson high School Cafeteria. We need parents to help with picking up a meal order, setting up/serving dinner & cleaning up. This is a great time to see the camaraderie of our team grow! Sign up here: Friday Night Dinner Volunteering

      8. VASRA VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIE
      The Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) is our local governing body. They are responsible for all of our at-home regattas and more. Volunteering with them is a requirement of participation on our team and also a way to give back to this amazing community. Of your family’s 5 volunteer shifts/credits, AT LEAST one should be a VASRA task. See details about the available tasks below!

      A. PRE-SEASON WORKDAYS
      All slots are currently full! Thank you to the Woodson team members who already signed up. If you didn’t get a chance to sign up but would like to participate, keep an eye on the sign up genius for openings.

        B. REGATTA TASKS
        We are required to provide volunteers for the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) jobs at the Regattas in which we participate.  Each family should strive to do at least 1 shift per season. There are several dates, times, and locations within the park ~ all shifts on this signup take place before/during the regattas held at Sandy Run, 10450 Van Thompson Road, Fairfax Station. Many of these jobs are very exciting and give you a front row seat to all the action! Get the cream of the crop assignments by signing up early here: 2025 VASRA Regatta Tasks

          C. *NEW* LOC CANDIDATES NEEDED
          This season Woodson Rowing is required to fill two VASRA Local Organizing Committee (LOC) positions. We have already filled one but still need to fill one more. LOC members are part of the Regatta staff and work the same job for the entire day for every regatta and train the weekly volunteers who assist them on how to perform their duties. The candidate for this position can serve as a Referee Candidate or as a River Rat. No prior experience is required and training will be provided.

          If you are interested in volunteering for either of these positions, please contact Woodson Rowing’s VASRA Representative, Michael Chase, at [email protected], or in person at the February 19 On-The-Water meeting.

            REFEREE CANDIDATE DUTIES: This position provides the additional benefit of being able to ride in a launch that follows alongside the rowers during races, which is literally the best seat in the house to enjoy a regatta. Referee Candidates have to attend a minimum of five regattas during the season, which do not all have to be at the Occoquan. No advance study, knowledge, or experience is required to volunteer for this position, and a training clinic will be held in the spring. Must be comfortable riding in launches.

            RIVER RAT DUTIES: Dedicated course workers who are responsible for the installation and maintenance of the course during the season and the deployment of the platforms for racing. Must be comfortable riding in launches and handling course equipment.

            BENEFITS OF BECOMING PART OF THE LOC: Filling one of these LOC positions satisfies ALL Woodson Rowing volunteer requirements for your family (team and VASRA), you are given a parking pass to park for free and are allowed to park in the “B” lot if space is available, and VASRA Management works with you to cover for you so you can go to the Finish Line or Grandstand area via a quick ride in a launch instead of hiking through the woods to watch your athlete’s race. Perhaps best of all, you get to see the regatta and student-athletes up close in a way that is not possible from the Grandstand area.

            9. PLEASE REGISTER BEFORE WE GO ON-THE-WATER
            If you haven’t yet, please register now! Review the registration portion of the website to learn more. Still have questions? Reach out to our membership team at [email protected].

            10. CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE
            This calendar is constantly updated as events are added. Scroll here for a quick rundown of what’s up and coming. Where relevant and/or available, links are provided for more information. You can also see a visual representation of our calendar on our website: https://woodsonrowing.org/calendar/

            Graphics of our various schedules can be found at the links below:
            Winter Conditioning (October through February)
            On-The-Water Practice (late February through May)
            2025 Regatta Schedule (March through May)

            Other important dates: 

            FEBRUARY:

                 Swim test for new recruits, 11a-12p, Audrey Moore Rec

            MARCH:

            APRIL

            MAY

            WAIT – THERE’S MORE?

            RECRUITMENT:

            Direct interested athletes and their parents to our interest form or have them send an email to our membership team at: [email protected].

            STAY UP TO DATE: Join the newsletter by sending an email to [email protected] or view the newsletter archives on our website.

            INTERESTED IN SPONSORING WOODSON ROWING?

            Visit our Sponsorship Page or contact Woodson Rowing Fundraising.

            Can’t sponsor but want to donate?Check out our Donors page for instructions and information on how your donations benefit our team!

            NEED SWAG?

            There are many ways for you to shop and benefit the team all while sporting your support! See our Spirit Wear Page for more info!

            VIEW AND UPLOAD PHOTOS: Visit our Woodson Rowing photos page for more information on how you can help protect our legacy with photographs!

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