We are heading to the Stotesbury Cup Regatta this week! This is an exciting time with lots of logistics required to transport over 60 students, boats, gear, and more. As always, your help and patience are welcome as we take on this monumental task. It is an event that, as you can see from the many mentions during Senior Spotlights, our athletes will remember for years to come.
1. PRACTICES FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON
2. THE BOARD NEEDS YOU!
A. Senior Vice President
B. Vice President of Activities
C. RAFT Coordinator
3. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (AS ALWAYS)
A. Stotesbury Cup volunteer jobs – at home and on site!
B. Last Boathouse Workday
C. End-of-Season Awards Banquet
4. STOTESBURY CUP: LUGGAGE DROP-OFF AND MORE
A. Luggage Drop Off Details
B. Volunteers are CRITICAL
C. Need more information?
5. SRAA NATIONALS
6. SCHOOL PHYSICALS FOR NEXT YEAR
7. AT-A-GLANCE AND OTHER LINKS
1. PRACTICES FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON
Practices will be focused for Stotesbury participants and those going to Nationals. If you are unsure if you should come to practice this week, please double check with your coaches.
2. THE BOARD NEEDS YOU!
We are looking to fill the following crucial roles for next year. Teamwork truly makes the dreamwork here. If you want to be part of an active team that works together to make the best experience for our athletes every season, please contact the board member listed under each option below:
A. Senior Vice President: This position is designed to give someone who wants to be the President of the Rowing Booster Board a year of training before taking over the Presidency. This is a non-voting position with a fantastic opportunity to spend a year learning how the board and President position works. Bill Westman will train this person as his successor. Questions: Contact Bill Westman.
B. Vice President of Activities: Oversee and support the Team Dinner and RAFT Coordinators. With guidance from the President and other Board Members, the VP Activities coordinates all away regattas, including transportation, lodging and food. Will also coordinate events such as swim qualifications. Represents all activities on the Rowing Booster Board and attends Rowing Booster Board Meetings. Questions: Contact Eleanor Jones or Helen Burvis.
C. RAFT Coordinator: Organize and oversee the food and drink provided to the athletes during home regattas. Non-voting position that falls under the VP of Activities. Questions: Contact Helen Burvis.
3. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (AS ALWAYS)
Each family has a volunteer commitment as part of their student’s role on the Woodson Rowing team. Several families have incomplete volunteer hours this season. If you haven’t volunteered yet this season, please check out the opportunities below and sign up now. Thank you!
A. Stotesbury Cup volunteer jobs – at home and on site: We still have several critical volunteer positions to be filled while at Stotesbury. Primarily, we still need a boat parent for the W1V, Coxswains/Alternates, M1V and MJr4+. Ideally this will be a parent staying at the team hotel, but that isn’t required. Please visit the Stotesbury Volunteer Sign Up Genuis for the long list of volunteering opportunities available, both at home and at the race site.
B. Last Boathouse Workday: Help winterize the boathouse so that we can hit the ground running next season! Plan for 9a-12p on Sat, June 1. Remember that many hands make light work, so sign up as soon as you can. Athletes can get volunteer credit for helping out. Sign up here: Boathouse Workday.
C. End-of-Season Awards Banquet: RSVP and sign up to help out at the End-of-the-Season Banquet on Tue, June 4, 7p at Woodson Cafeteria A. Tentative plans are to have a potluck. 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!
4. STOTESBURY CUP: LUGGAGE DROP-OFF AND MORE
A. Luggage Drop Off Details
Luggage drop-off is tomorrow (5/15), 7-8 PM at Woodson. Please bring your athlete’s bags and any medicine (this includes over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen). Enter through Door 3 (the door by the big rock out front) and you’ll see volunteers on hand to check luggage.
All bags except carry-ons must be turned in at this time; this baggage will be inaccessible during bus travel. Students must accompany their own bags for this search, which is supervised by the coaching staff. This expedites the team’s departure on Thursday and leaves only carry-on bags to be searched before boarding the bus. All bags will be secured in a locked room until the bus is loaded on May 16.
There are two options on the Luggage Check-in form:
- You may search the bags for prohibited items (alcohol, duct tape, cigarettes, etc) and sign the lower portion of the form attesting that you have done so. If you choose this option, a parent must bring the bags to Woodson Wednesday night with Part II of the form signed so we can confirm the luggage contains no prohibited items. Please be aware that coaches/volunteers will still likely do a perfunctory search of the bag. That is often because parents are unaware of things that are “not recommended” items to bring, such as a toy lightsaber (yes – someone tried to bring one of those).
- If athletes are bringing their luggage without a parent, parents must sign Part I of this form consenting to have the bags searched by volunteers under the supervision of coaching staff.
If you need assistance deciding what to pack, visit our Stotesbury webpage and scroll down to the “PACKING” section to learn more.
IF YOUR ATHLETE REQUIRES MEDICATION OF ANY KIND:
If your athletes will be traveling with any medications, prescription or over-the-counter, please provide a hard copy of the Medication Form at the luggage check-in on May 15. Please complete the form with as much information as you are comfortable sharing. The form, along with all medications in their original containers, must be placed in a sealable plastic bag, labeled with the crew member’s name. This will be reviewed and checked-in Wednesday evening during the baggage search. Please just send enough for your student for just the trip. Questions? Visit our Stotesbury webpage and scroll down to the “TRANSPORT OF MEDICATIONS” section to learn more.
B. Volunteers are CRITICAL
We still have several critical volunteer positions to be filled while at Stotesbury. Primarily, we still need a boat parent for the W1V, Coxswains/Alternates, M1V and MJr4+. Ideally this will be a parent staying at the team hotel, but that isn’t required. Please visit the Stotesbury Volunteer Sign Up Genius for the long list of volunteering opportunities available, both at home and at the race site.
C. Need more information?
Do you have other questions about the upcoming Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, PA? Tons of information is located on the Stotesbury webpage. A PARENT Q&A section has been added – just scroll to the bottom of the page to find it!
Also, posting on the #2024-stotesbury channel on Slack will get you the quickest answers to your burning questions. Make sure you join the channel to stay abreast of all updates including mission critical information that will be posted DURING the trip.
The race schedule has also been posted. You can find that here.
5. SRAA NATIONALS
If you haven’t signed up for our Nationals Slack Channel, please do so right away: #2024-nationals. Lots of chatter has already begun. Expect things to move quickly since our time to plan is limited. For extra information or just to follow along, feel free to visit our website for more information: https://woodsonrowing.org/sraa/.
6. SCHOOL PHYSICALS FOR NEXT YEAR
Each year, it is required that all student athletes have a completed VHSL physical on file before participating in sports. Completing that physical at the end of the school year means that you won’t run into rushing to get a physical at the start of the crew season next year!
To aid in that end, the Athletic Training Programs at various high schools in NoVA hold a Sports Physical Night. The goal of Sports Physical Night is to provide a complete pre-participation examination screening that will leave student athletes with a valid VHSL physical for the entirety of the 202-25 school year. The cost for the physical is $50.
The Athletic Training Program receives no funding from FCPS, and this event is their ONLY fundraiser for the year. ALL proceeds go towards helping the program purchase supplies.
Sign up for an appointment for a physical here. Even If you cannot make the Woodson event on June 10, sign up for another school’s event using the same form.
7. AT-A-GLANCE AND OTHER LINKS
On-the-water practice – click the link for schedule, logistics and more!
2024 Racing Schedule
MAY
- Wed. 5/15: Luggage Drop-off for Stotesbury. Details TBD.
- Thu. 5/16: Stotesbury bus departs at approx 10am from school
- Fri-Sat. 5/17-18: Stotesbury Cup Regatta, Philadelphia, PA
- Fri-Sat. 5/24-25: SRAA National Championships Regatta, Pennasauken, NJ
(Only qualifying boats attend.)
JUNE
- Sat. 6/1: Last Boathouse Workday, 9a-12p, Sandy Run
- Tue. 6/4: End of Season Awards Banquet, 7p, Woodson Cafe A