E. O. Smith Panther Crew General Information

Crew Team & Coaches and Friends of E. O. Smith Crew (FoEOSC)

The E. O. Smith Crew program includes two distinct but closely related groups—the team that includes the rowers, coxswains, and coaches and the Friends of E. O. Smith Crew (FoEOSC), that includes parents, friends, and supporters of Crew. The daily operations of team are the responsibility of the coaches, and FoEOSC provides on-going program support, vision, oversight, financial support, advocacy with the school administration, and volunteers. The head coach and assistant coaches are selected by the E. O. Smith High School and are employees of Region 19 School system. E. O. Smith Crew had approximately 40 rowers during the 2007 season.

The head coach is responsible for both girl’s and boy’s crew and is supported by two assistant coaches. The head coach for the 2008 season is Sean Fisher, an alumnus of E. O. Smith Panther Crew program. We race eights and fours, i.e., shells with eight (or four) rowers, each rower holding a single oar, and a coxswain. A winter land training program is conducted to help rowers and coxswains get into shape. Workouts (running, weight training, calisthenics, and ergometer work) are conducted at E. O. Smith after school Monday through Thursday starting in November running through February under the direction of the crew captains. All rowers not participating in a winter sport are encouraged to participate in land training.

Spring Season Requirements

At the start of the spring season the following documentation submitted:

• E. O. Smith Health Clearance form (due March 17, 2008)
• US Rowing Clearance form (due March 17, 2008)
• Student Athlete Permission Form (due March 17, 2008)--you need to ask the school for this form
• Crew Family Contact Form
• Administration of Medicine by School Personnel (optional--only if needed)

All paperwork must be completed by the first day of spring practice. These forms are also available from the coaches. Spring practice begins March 17, 2008 and you should expect practice or a regatta six days a week until early June including Spring Break. A mandatory swim test is conducted the first week of practice. Rowers and coxswains are required to swim 300 meters and keep themselves afloat for 20 minutes. Crew participants also watch the U.S. Rowing Safety Video during the first week of practice..

Communications

• FoEOSC (Friends of E. O. Smith Crew): A list of Friends, their responsibilities, and contact information is posted on the Friends page of this website.
• Email: Periodically, announcements, and information regarding the crew and upcoming events will be sent out by email to ensure everyone is well informed of planned activities and schedules. Rower and parent email addresses will be taken from the Registration form. Since we can’t contact you if your information is not current, please visit our Contact page and send updates and changes to the FoEOSC President.
• Web Page: The E. O. Smith Crew web page is a great source of information about the crew program. The web page address is: www.eosmithcrew.org.
• Coaches: All contact with coaches should be made through the Head Coach, Sean Fisher, who may be contacted by email (see the Contact page) or in person at the boathouse at the end of practice.

Requirements for Participation

• Required Forms: See above for the forms that need to be completed.
• Physical Examination: A yearly physical examination is required and each athlete must obtain clearance from the Health Office prior to participation.
• Scholastic Eligibility: In order to participate on an E. O. Smith athletic team, each athlete must have satisfied all of the scholastic eligibility requirements prior to participation.

Basic Crew Policies

• Missing Practice: An athlete should always consult his/her coach before missing practice. Missing practice or a regatta without good reason will be dealt with severely and may result in demotion, suspension, or being dropped from the team.
• School Attendance: Student athletes are students first. No student should use athletics as a reason to miss class. A student must attend a minimum of three periods to participate in an athletic event scheduled for that particular day unless the absence is pre-arranged or there is written permission from a doctor to participate.
• Release from Class: It is the responsibility of the athletes to see their teacher the day before classes they miss because of an athletic event. All work shall be made up at the convenience of the teacher.
• Vacations Policy: Vacations by athletes during a sport season are discouraged. Parents/athletes wishing to do so may wish to reassess their commitment to being an athlete. In the event of an absence due to a vacation is unavoidable, an athlete must:
  • Contact the head coach prior to the vacation, the sooner the better;
  • Be willing to assume the consequences related to his/her status on the team regarding boat assignment and regatta participation

Team Rules and Regulations

Practices

• Only seniors are allowed to drive to and from practice. Written permission from a parent/guardian is required. No other students may ride with a senior unless they are a direct family member.
• Spring season practice will be held each day after school. Practices are held Monday through Friday. There will be a bus down to Coventry Lake that leaves in front of E. O. Smith at 2:30 SHARP. The bus will leave whether the athlete is there or not and missing the bus is NOT an excuse to miss practice. The bus will generally return to school between 5:45 and 6 pm. Please be flexible in the first few weeks as we are learning the “flow” of getting off the water and back to school.
• There will be practices during spring break. All rowers/coxswains are expected to be present. Speak to your coach in advance if you have a conflict that cannot be avoided.
• All rowers/coxswains are expected to be at each practice. Unexcused absences are unacceptable. Excused absences are determined on a case-by case basis by the coaches and must be minimized.
• Practices will be planned to maximize boat time. When not assigned a team activity, rowers must show initiative and dedication to self-improvement. Aerobic conditioning is a key to successful rowers. As with all varsity sports, the most successful rowers that work the hardest to improve themselves will see the most on-water time.

Basic Practice Schedule

• 2:08: Students released from school
• 2:30: Bus leaves school for Coventry Lake
• 2:45: Bus arrives at lake
• 2:45-3:15: Attendance taken, boats taken out of house, warm-up/stretch
• 3:15-3:30: Boats launch
• 4:30-5: Water warm-up drills, workout pieces and/or more drills
• 5:00: First boat on dock
• 5-5:30: Boats back in boathouse
• 5:30-5:45: Boat meeting stretch and team meeting
• 5:45: Bus leaves for school
• 6:00: Bus at school

Races

• There will be bus transport to all regattas and ALL athletes must ride the bus to competition. Athletes may be released to their parents following competition.
• All rowers will wear the same designated racing attire.
• E. O. Smith rowers are expected to exhibit the highest standard of sportsmanship and support for the team at competitions.

School

E. O. Smith Crew members traditionally are excellent students with more than 75% of varsity athletes also receiving scholar athlete awards.

• Be on time for all classes. If you have an unexcused tardy or are absent, you will not be allowed to practice.
• Keep things in perspective. School and family come before crew. At the same time, you have an important commitment to your crew teammates that will require discipline and sacrifices on your part. Contact your coach as soon as possible if you need time away from crew.
• Crew is not an excuse for neglecting school. However, optional activities should be scheduled around crew.

At the Boathouse

• The boathouse is the property of the Town of Coventry. Crewmembers are expected to exhibit mature behavior at all times. Swimming is NOT permitted and horseplay is inappropriate.
• Personal duffle bags and personal equipment/clothing is private property. Do not open another rower’s bag or borrow their equipment/clothing without permission. Security is not guaranteed.
• When land training, stay in groups.
• Trash must be placed in receptacles--including tape, pre-wrap, and water bottles.

Safety Rules

• Everyone must take a swim test before going on the water for the first time.
• All boats will be accompanied by a coaching launch after moving out of the designated launching and docking area. It is the coxswain’s responsibility to ensure a coach is in sight at all times.
• If a boat swamps or turns over, stay with the boat. It will keep afloat until you can be picked up by the coach’s launch. NEVER LEAVE THE BOAT.
• When the boat is being moved on land or is in the water, follow the directions of the coxswain and the coach. Once in the boat only the coxswain talks.
• If you or someone else is injured, notify the coach immediately.

Equipment Rules

• Rowing equipment is very expensive and must be handled with care. Boats and oars are very long--watch their swing while moving them. Follow all directions regarding the handling of equipment.
• Unnecessary talking and horseplay is not permitted when handling equipment. Always focus on the task.
• All rowers/coxswains are responsible for ensuring that the boathouse and immediate surrounding are litter free.
• Report any equipment problems to a coach immediately.

Boat Selection

Varsity Boats are the top of our program. Athletes who reach this status are experienced rowers with the talent and dedication to train and race at a high level. First priority is selection of the First Fours for Boys and Girls. After that, boats are assigned based on availability of athletes.

Success in upper boats requires year around training. Varsity Rowers must earn their seat, and they must do so every day. This is a competitive selection process. Novice boats are the starting point for all rowers. This is a developmental level where the basics are learned. There may not be events for these crews at all regattas.

Each year the coaches struggle with the difficult decisions of which athletes to put into which boats. Here are some of the assessments that coaches make in the selection process:

Rowers

• Attitude
• Consistency
• Attendance
• Ergometer scores
• Racing experience and past performance
• Seat racing results
• Subjective analysis of boat moving ability

Coxswains

• Attitude
• Consistency
• Attendance
• Leadership, motivation, and ability to motive rowers to top performance
• Racing performance and past performance
• Steering
• Technical knowledge of racing

Coaches are expected to:

• Develop and discuss the selection plan with rowers by the end of the second week of practice. Rowers must understand that circumstances may make it necessary for the coach to alter this initial plan.
• Provide feedback to the athletes so they know their areas of strength and areas needing further development.
• Make fair assessments in order to achieve the fastest lineups.
• When selections are made, hold individual conferences to explain decisions.
• Communicate the need for any subsequent lineup changes.
• Keep rowers safe.
• Be respectful to rowers.
• Structure practice to efficiency.
• Be available to parents and rowers for assistance and questions.
• Maintain a positive attitude with the team.
• Communicate and share love of the sport with the athletes.
• Establish good technical base.

Athletes are expected to:

• Work hard in order to improve and strive to achieve individual goals.
• Be supportive of the team by accepting coaching decisions.
• Seek feedback. If a rower doesn’t know where they stand, ask.
• Realize team goals come before the needs or desires of any individual.
• Treat all teammates, opponents, coaches, officials, and FoEOSC members with respect.
• Arrive everyday prepared to work mentally and physically.
• Take responsibility for one's physical well-being and share health concerns with coaches.

Parents are expected to:

• Organize and support fundraising activities.
• Partake in equipment maintenance.
• Partake in team support during racing.
• Respect the coaches as the final authorities on boat selection and rowing matters.
• Remember, coaches seek only to create the fastest possible lineups. While decisions are subjective, they are not personal. The ergometer is the principal crew land training apparatus. Rowers must know (and parents should know) their 2000 meter (2K) ERG time.

Commitment and Participation

Commitment is a very important part of Crew at E. O. Smith. Commitment is required to withstand the grueling physical demands of the sport, to raise the large amounts of money needed to sustain the team, and to keep the team competitive. E. O. Smith Crew exists not only because the coaches and athletes are committed to their sport, but also because the parents are committed to their rowers and work together to support the crew. The level of commitment demanded reaps rewards far beyond the medals and ribbons. Crew members, coaches, and parents know one another at a depth that is unusual in our society. Working together to help each athlete achieve at the highest level capable, is fulfilling in ways that are difficult to put into words, but all rowers know.

Congratulations, you have a rower in the family!

Welcome to the web home of E. O. Smith High School Crew