Besides the many National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports at Lawrence, there are also a number of athletically-aligned extracurricular organizations on campus. One such group is the LU Rowing Club (LURC).
The club’s volunteer coach (as well as Chemistry Lab Supervisor and assistant Swim and Dive coach) alumnus Daniel Martin ‘07 described the non-NCAA club status as facilitating a more relaxed practice atmosphere. “My goal is not to achieve certain rankings among a conference or placing at a competition, but [to] have fun,” he said.
Martin, who was a rower during his time as a Lawrence student, assists the club by planning practices and teaching rowing skills and form. In his volunteer capacity, he said that he aims to provide instruction and direction for practice, ranging from indoor training using rowing machines to outdoor practices on the river. However, he also emphasized that he defers to club leadership for many decisions.
Junior Evy Best described her appreciation for club athletics offerings. “I love that I can be a complete novice at rowing and still go out on the water with others who really enjoy it,” she said. “It’s nice to participate in such a technical sport in an environment that encourages you to learn it and enjoy it rather than push yourself too hard.”
Fellow LURC member and senior Reese Colbert-Pollack pointed to their appreciation for the flexibility of the group’s schedule, saying “You can commit to as many or as few practices or competitions as you want […] and there’s no expectation that members push themselves to the limit during practice.”
Typical practices, per the club’s members, comprise of maneuvering the boats, performing teamwork exercises and eventually rowing on the water, weather permitting. The team will do drills or paced sets. Best said that, in her time in the club, the team usually uses one eight- or four-person boat. Indoor practices, undertaken during cold weather or poor water conditions, take place inside the Wellness Center using rowing machines to work on form and endurance.
Best, Colbert-Pollack and Martin all encourage anyone interested in LURC to give the club a try.
“If anyone has ever been interested in rowing, you should absolutely join. I went from knowing nothing about it and incidentally enjoying the indoor ‘ergs’ [rowing machines] as a workout to being out on the river three times a week! Everyone is valued because of their skill levels, not in spite of them,” said Best.
“My first day, I was out on the boat learning as I went. I had no idea what I was doing, but my teammates all helped and encouraged me. While I’ve always been involved in things like music ensembles or the newspaper, being on a team has just been really fun,” she continued.
Likewise, Martin stated that “This is a sport anyone can try, regardless of athleticism […] Interested individuals should know it will take time to develop the […]physicality to row (strength and endurance) as well as the technique, so you must be patient.”
“We’re always looking for new members of any and all experience levels,” said Colbert-Pollack. “If you’re looking for a casual opportunity to get some exercise as part of a non-gendered team or just want an excuse to be on the water, rowing might be a good fit for you.”
The LU Rowing Club has four weekly practices — Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 4:45 p.m. — and prospective members must pass a swim test in order to participate in water practices.