About Rowing
Rowing is not only the oldest collegiate sport in America (1854), it is also among the fastest growing and most popular sports in the country. UMBC Crew began in 1992 in an affiliated relationship with the University of Baltimore, and became a single program in its own right in 1994. Now entering its twelfth year, UMBC Crew has continued to expand in size and strength.
Rowers come in all shapes and sizes, as do the boats they row. There are two types of rowing: sweep rowing and sculling. Sweep rowers use both hands for one long oar, and their boats have equal numbers of rowers on both sides. Scullers row with a shorter, lighter oar in each hand. Sweep rowers compete in pairs, with a coxswain (2+) and without (2-); by fours, with a coxswain (4+) and without (4-, also called a "straight four"); and in eights (8+), which always carry a coxswain. At UMBC, we deal primarily in sweep rowing. We compete in fours and eights, although we sometimes use a pair and a double. Scullers compete alone in singles (1x), and together in both doubles (2x), and quads (4x). Shells used for sculling never carry a coxswain. A coxswain is the captain of the boat; they are responsible for steering as well as running practices and keeping the rowers and the equipment safe. A coxswain's job is to get the most out of the boat and the rowers; in a race a good coxswain and disciplined rowers are the differences between winning and losing.
UMBC competes in 8-10 local, regional, and even international races (regattas) during our fall (September-November) and spring (February-May) seasons. In the fall, we compete in longer 5K (~3 miles) "head" races down a winding course for the best time possible. The most well known of these races is the "Head of the Charles" in Boston, Massachusetts, which attracts thousands or rowers and many thousands of spectators to the Charles River each October. The spring brings "sprint" races, which pit up to six boats against each other over a straight 2000-meter course (about 1.25 miles). During spring break in March the team trains hard in Georgia to prepare for the spring season. UMBC is making a habit of success, and we welcome anyone who is willing to help the team move forward.
Be a Rower
The UMBC Crew team is open to all registered students who are willing and able to support the team by participating in all team activities, including training, practices, and races. Team members who fully commit to the team through their attendance and effort assure themselves of the opportunity to practice and compete. Rowing means commitment. Give yourself the opportunity to row and learn what you are capable of.
The first thing many people hear about rowers are the hours we keep. The answer is yes, you do have to wake up early. We practice every weekday from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. Yes this is early, but easy to get used to. Attendance at every practice is mandatory. To get better, we need athletes who want to be at practice on time every day, ready to work hard and improve. Rowing is just about the most physically demanding sport around. The workouts will be challenging. You will probably end up in the best shape of your life. We try to have plenty of variety in our workouts: outside of rowing you can expect running, circuit training, some weight training, and more. If you have any physical limitations (i.e. asthma, recent surgery, knee problems, etc.), you need to inform your coach right away. A Crew with Honors Team members are expected to put academics ahead of rowing. The mean grade point average stays well above 3.0. Rowing is a sport for over-achievers, plain and simple, and UMBC Crew has a tradition of over-achievement on the water and in the classroom. This team has made academic success a point of pride over the years, and it is a tradition that's bound to continue. UMBC Crew counts lawyers, alpine climbers, engineers, writers, and doctoral candidates among our alumni. Current team members also participate in the UMBC Honors College and the prestigious Meyerhoff Scholarship Program.
Coaches
Head Coach Renee Foard was a medal-winning rower with UMBC in the late 1990s, including excellent finishes at the Head of the Charles and a victory at the Philadelphia Navy Day Regatta.
Assistant Coach Becca Cluster is a UMBC alumna with a degree in Environmental Science. She rowed for UMBC for three years and attained a few medals in the Women's Varsity 4+ category. Becca has rowed in such regattas as the Head of the Charles and the Dad Vail Regatta.
Boathouse and Equipment
UMBC Crew shares the Baltimore Rowing Center with the Baltimore Rowing Club and the collegiate crews of Loyola College and Johns Hopkins University. The three-bay boathouse has an erg room, locker rooms, and a banquet hall upstairs. Located about fifteen minutes from the UMBC campus in South Baltimore, the boathouse is located in Baltimore's Middle Branch Park. From the boathouse there are miles of open, rowable water out to historic Fort McHenry and the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
UMBC operates a fleet of eight racing shells: three eights, four fours and a pair/double. Our eights include a Pocock and two Dirigos: a men's heavyweight SL and a women's midweight SLX. We also row four fours: a Pocock women's midweight, a Pocock men's midweight, a Dirigo women's lightweight, and a Dirigo bowloaded men's midweight. The team also races a Kaschper pair/double. There is a full complement of Concept II oars, all of the big blade or "hatchet" design. We have regular use of our own shell trailer and a truck provided by the university's Auto Shop. Four well-outfitted coaching launches complete the equipment. When off the water, the team trains on eight Concept II model C ergometers on campus at the Retriever Activities Center (RAC).