Welcome to your first-of-many Tuesday newsletter! Practices have been coming along and we are speeding into our first regatta this weekend! There are lots of things to do in support of and leading up to competition season. Check out the info below to learn more.

1. *REQUIRED* VASRA WAIVER, COMPLETE NLT WED, MAR 19
2. *RSVP NOW* PARENT SOCIAL: FRI, MARCH 21
3. SPRING SPORT PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!
4. POLAR BEAR REGATTA INFO
5. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
6. SHOW YOUR SPIRIT!
7. *SAVE THE DATE* SENIOR NIGHT – FRI, APRIL 25, 7p
8. *SAVE THE DATE* END-OF-YEAR AWARDS BANQUET, WED, MAY 28, 7p
9. CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE

SUPPORT THE TEAM

ACTION ITEMS FOR THIS WEEK

Fill out VASRA waiver for your athlete
RSVP to parent social (Friday, March 21)

1. *REQUIRED* VASRA WAIVER, COMPLETE NLT WED, MAR 19
For our athletes to attend VASRA regattas, a waiver form must be completed before they will be allowed to compete. This process will take you about 3-5 minutes per athlete, so please complete these steps NO LATER THAN COB on Wednesday, March 19. NO ATHLETE will be allowed to compete without this waiver being completed. NO EXCEPTIONS.

(1) Visit https://waivers.regattacentral.com/VASRA2025

(2) Search for and select “Woodson High School Rowing”

(3) Fill in your athlete’s last name and birthdate. Then click “Next”

(4) Your student’s name should appear. Select their name and click “Next”

(5) The next page calls for your athlete’s information. After filling out the info and selecting “Next” you will find the waiver in its entirety. Check the acknowledgement on the bottom left and submit. You will receive a copy of the waiver at the email address provided..

Please note, if your athlete is 18 or older, the waiver should be filled out and acknowledged by the athlete. If they are under 18, then a parent/guardian must complete the waiver.

2. *RSVP NOW* PARENT SOCIAL: FRI, MARCH 21
We hope you can join us at a Parent/Guardian Social on Saturday, March 21 at the home of Maz and Fredy Chinoy from 6-9p. This is an opportunity to get to know other parents, meet some coaches and members of the board and learn more about the sport and season. This gathering is a potluck! Please RSVP and bring something to share. Wine will be provided by our hosts, but feel free to bring any other beverage of choice. The RSVP Sign Up Genius lists the location and directions, so make sure you check it out!

3. SPRING SPORT PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!
The spring sports photos that our athletes took on March 6 are now available for purchase. Follow the links below:

BOYS TEAM: https://shop.imagequix.com/s1740266205

GIRLS TEAM: https://shop.imagequix.com/s1516150167

Any questions re: these photos should be directed to the Victor O’Neill Studios customer service team at [email protected]

4. POLAR BEAR REGATTA INFO
Your next newsletter will be chock full of ALL you need to know about the Polar Bear Regatta this weekend. Specific details (such as parking, timing and line ups) will be sent out by this Friday. Please note that while no novice boats row at this regatta, novice athletes are highly encouraged to attend. Regattas are a unique experience and familiarity with how they run will help the athletes as they prepare for their first regatta, next weekend. Learning the mechanics and rhythms of a regatta before they participate builds confidence and experience. Plus, it’s fun to watch your teammates race without dealing with your own nerves! For spectators, it’s a great way to get a feel for the off-site parking, the walk to the grandstands and to just get into the energy at a regatta.

Generally speaking, this regatta is shorter than others since it is only varsity boats racing. So, please plan to set aside your Saturday morning (or arrange carpools now) to get athletes and spectators to Sandy Run!

If you’re interested and brand new to the sport of rowing, we have a lot of resources on our website to help you feel “in-the-know” once you get to the grandstands. Some suggested reading:

Novice Tips from a parent
Regatta Spectator Tips: How to dress, what to expect and more!
Regatta Viewer’s Guide: General information about rowing and rowing parlance

Regatta Information: General info on the types of regattas we attend as a team
Sandy Run Park: info on the world-class facility where we get to train and race!

5. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
VOLUNTEER CREDIT REMINDER: Each family is required to do 5 volunteer shifts/credits, one of which should be a VASRA task. 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, sign up to participate or just keep up with the current volunteering opportunities, visit our website: www.woodsonrowing.org/volunteering.

A. TEAM PHOTOGRAPHER
Have you seen our collection of team photos on SmugMug? Wonder how you can get those cool racing photos of your kids at regattas? Whether you’re a professional, hobbyist or amateur photographer, we want your help in turning this season’s events into memories. The team photographer will work with the VP Communications to take photos at events they attend as well as collect photos from parents and athletes to post to the team SmugMug. Contact Jenn McRobbie, VP Communications, via Slack if you are interested in taking up this role. P.S.: This role will fulfill your volunteer requirements for the year.

B. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
We are seeking volunteers to serve on this year’s nominating committee. The nominating committee will identify parents with interest in serving on the Board in the 2025/26 school year and beyond! The nominating committee would submit recommendations for future Board members by mid-May 2025. This is a great opportunity to get to know your fellow parents and to also get a feel for what each Board member does. Ideally, we would have a MINIMUM of 2 parents step up for this role, one from the boys’ team and one from the girls’ team. But, the more the merrier. If you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, please contact Catherine Backmeyer on Slack to find out more on what the responsibilities entail.

C. SHADOW CURRENT BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS
While the Board is, thankfully, fully staffed this season, there will be several roles available next year due to term limitations and graduating athletes! If you are at all interested in any of these roles, please contact the current committee member (just search the role on Slack and the current member’s name will pop up). All would love a “shadow” to help learn the ropes so that there can be a smooth transfer of information throughout the season! Roles that we already know will be available next year (with others potentially arising) are:

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Treasurer
Secretary
Senior VP (non-voting, has interest in potentially becoming the Board President in 2 years)

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON:

Membership
Fundraising
Sportswear/Uniforms
Booster Liaison

KEP SUPPORT ROLES:

Craft Show Coordinator (shadow needed ASAP for this role. This person would start right away shadowing Gail Lee, who has several years of experience with one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. The Craft Show takes place at Woodson in early November.)
RAFT Coordinator
Restaurant Night Coordinator

6. SHOW YOUR SPIRIT!
We have a limited number of 2025 sponsor t-shirts and tank tops available to purchase for $20 a piece! Check out these options and more on our website at Woodson Rowing Spirit Wear! Share the website and links with family members so that they can also sport their support near or far!

7. *SAVE THE DATE* SENIOR NIGHT – FRI, APRIL 25, 7p
It seems so early to be talking about how our very large group of seniors (16!!!) will be moving on from the team next year! Plans are clearly in the very early stages, but parents of seniors – mark your calendars now! Senior night will take place at the team dinner on Fri., April 25 at 7p.

8. *SAVE THE DATE* END-OF-YEAR AWARDS BANQUET, WED, MAY 28, 7p
RSVP and help out at the End-of-the-Season Banquet on Wednesday, May 28, 7p at Woodson Cafeteria A. Please join us in celebrating all the whole team; athletes, coaches AND parents/guardians! This is more than just an end-of-season celebration. Coaches will present awards, we will recognize our seniors and attending parents will have an introduction/vote for next year’s new board members!

9. 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)

Important dates:

MARCH: