The Combined Cathedral Crews Rowing Club (CCCRC) was formed in 1993 to start a rowing program at both Saint Albans (STA) and National Cathedral (NCS) Schools. The program has grown over the years in size, stature, and level of achievement. This growth has brought both pride and challenges.

In its first few years, the program averaged 35 total rowers, 4 rented shells, and 2 coaches each season. Over the past several years, the program has averaged approximately 70 student participants, five coaches, and eight owned shells regularly on the water.

The program has been successful on at least five levels. First, there has been an exemplary record of safety. Second, there has been a growth in the leadership role our program has played in the local rowing community. Third, our boats have performed well in local and national competitions. Fourth, a significant number of our graduates have gone on to row in college. Lastly, virtually all of our graduates have learned valuable leadership lessons about themselves, their potential, and their ability to achieve. They have also learned sportsmanship, discipline, commitment, and cooperation.

The program was started and continues to be run by a combination of dedicated volunteer parents and part-time coaches. The schools have recently shown significant support of the program. Continued success of the program will depend on the dedication of the parents, coaches, and students as well as the continued support of the schools.

Goals

The rowing program run by CCCRC has three primary goals in the following order of importance: 1) safety; 2) education; and 3) excellence. CCCRC feels that these three goals are not incompatible. Rather, they each must be pursued with vigor.

Safety

Because rowing is a strenuous sport that is conducted outside on a body of water in a wide variety of weather conditions, it is absolutely paramount that all students, coaches, volunteers and other participants have safety as their number one priority. In pursuit of this priority, CCCRC adopted a set of Rules Regarding Coaching, Supervision and Safety. Virginia Area Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA) also has safety plans for the Occoquan, Potomac and Anacostia rowing venues, with which we must comply.

Education

Because the program is a part of the athletic program of each of the two schools, it should go without saying that participation in the rowing program should provide the student participants with a variety of educational benefits including, but not limited to, the following: learning the relevant physical skills; learning the relevant rules; and learning less tangible lessons such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and commitment. CCCRC feels strongly that the student participants in the rowing program should each learn as much as possible about the sport of rowing as well as about participation in a high school team sport at a competitive level.

Excellence

This rowing program has been blessed with dedicated participants that all want to excel. From the coaches to the 1st 8’s to the 2nd 8’s to the 4’s to the freshmen 8’s, every participant has sought to focus on the mission at hand with sufficient intensity to achieve success at both local and national regattas. The program expects to compete favorably against other local schools and seeks to show well at the regional and national levels.

Limitations & Conduct

The program has grown to approximately 70 student participants from both schools. All student participants must be eligible to participate in sports at their respective school and be in compliance with the rules of the Club. The coaches are responsible for deciding which students row in which boat and which students are invited to join the team. Rowers must sign an acknowledgement of the Club Code of Conduct.

Practical Limitations

There are several practical limitations that work together to restrict the program to its current size of approximately 70 students (approximately equal numbers from each school). First, there are not always enough launch dock facilities available to allow more than five coaches to be out on the water simultaneously. Second, there is not enough storage space at Thompson’s Boat Center to allow for the program to expand its fleet of shells. Typically we race eight shells (six 8s and two 4s). This shell combination means that we can have a maximum of 56 rowers and 8 coxswains on the water at the same time. Four to five coaches can safely supervise this number of shells. If one allows for three substitute rowers for each school, that totals 70 rowers or 35 for each school. Finally, the size of the program is limited by the size of the two schools. Because NCS and STA are relatively small schools in their athletic conferences and those conferences do not recognize rowing as a member sport, it is in the best interest of the Club not to become so large as to deplete the core of athletes from other valued sports at the schools.

Student Conduct and Leadership

The Club has implemented a Code of Conduct that must be acknowledged by each student participant. This acknowledgment is intended to make the students aware of their responsibilities to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the expectations of the Club, VASRA and the honor codes of the two schools.

The students elect captains each year. There are separate captains for the NCS and STA teams. The Club and the coaches look to the captains to play a leadership role with respect to the conduct of the teams.