Have you ever wondered what crew is? Maybe you’ve watched the olympics and wondered why there are small people (coxswains) sitting in the boats yelling seemingly incomprehensible commands at rowers? If you’ve ever been a little curious about the sport or how to get involved, read on!
The Mountain Lakes Rowing Club (MLRC) is a boys and girls team “devoted to developing the strength, character and confidence of high school students (grade 8-12) through the discipline and teamwork of rowing,” according to the MLRC website. The team practices on the scenic Lake Hopatcong in Mount Arlington, the largest lake in New Jersey.
A highly competitive team, MLRC recently raced in the Mid-Atlantic Chamionship Regatta (regionals) on the weekend of May 12 and is sending a handful of qualified boats to nationals in California in June, which is a huge accomplishment for the team!
Rowers are high school students from the counties of Morris, Somerset, Union, Essex, Passaic, Warren, Hunterdon, and beyond. Joining the team is a chance to not only be physically fit, but it is also an opportunity to make friends from all over.
I have been on the team since the fall of 2017, and I highly recommend joining. Whether you are looking for a sport to try or you have just always been curious about rowing, try it! You will not regret it. I asked a couple of other rowers and a coach on the team to discuss their experiences as a part of the team.
Co-Captain Ellie Thomson (MLHS ‘18), a senior, has rowed for MLRC all four years of high school. She describes her time on the team as “the best decision I have ever made” because “[the sport] has taught me so many invaluable lessons about perseverance and how to be a good teammate and leader.” She advises anyone considering joining to go for it! According to Ellie, “the more you put in, the more you will get out of it.” Ellie notes that another great part about MLRC is that rowers and coxswains can make friends from several different towns and school districts.
Varsity Girls Coach Zach Spitzer just joined the MLRC coaching crew (no pun intended) this spring. He describes the dynamic of the team: “On both Novice and Varsity [levels] we are learning what it means to compete and how to be part of something bigger than [oneself].” Coach Zach also says that the girls team has made a lot of progress this season, and he is hoping that “the team can continue to expand… [and become] nationally competitive.” He, too, encourages new members to join the team in the coming seasons.
Nicole Collins (MLHS ‘21), a varsity rower who has been on the team for the past two years, says that the team is “such a great group of athletes [who are] not only having fun, but [are] always pushing each other to be [his or her] best.” She exclaims that anyone thinking about joining the team should definitely give it a shot. Nicole knows that you won’t regret it. She describes rowing with MLRC as “truly my happy place.”
Another freshman on the girls novice team, Alex Eversfield (MLHS ‘21), went to Learn to Row Day in 2017 and says that there she “had a really great time.” From there, she attended the Learn to Row Camps during the summer of 2017 and learned “how the boat works and the basic drills.” Since officially joining the team in February of 2018 for the spring season, she has had “such an awesome experience.” Alex also told me that she has made many new friends because the team is a very close group. She recommends attending Learn to Row Day on June 2nd and the Learn to Row Camps this summer. Rowing has “truly taught me what it means to be part of a team.”
If you’re interested in learning how to row, come to Learn to Row Day on Saturday, June 2nd at Lee’s County Park Marina at Lake Hopatcong. Click here for more information about Learn to Row Day.
If you’re unable to attend Learn to Row Day and would still like to learn about crew, sign up for MLRC’s Learn to Row Camps in summer 2018. Click here for more information about Learn to Row camps.
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