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Novice/Freshman/8th Grade

Interested in Rowing?

Wakefield Crew is the most successful sports team at Wakefield and in Arlington at large. We are always looking to take more students and turn them into student-athletes.

Generally, our novice squad is composed of middle schoolers and high school freshmen, although we welcome newcomers to the sport even if they are sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Through consistent and caring coaching, we are committed to turning our novices into the type of athlete who will succeed at rowing, school, and life. 

No previous rowing experience is necessary to join the team as a novice. Students should bring a positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a desire to be part of a close-knit and supportive competitive team. 

Note that the team almost always competes during one or both weekends of spring break. Most rowers plan to stay local for the break so they can be available for practices. 

What you need to row

To row you need:

  • Running shoes
  • Socks
  • Tight fitting clothing
  • A water bottle
  • Sunscreen

Optional but nice to have things are:

  • Glasses
  • a hat
  • a raincoat

Novice/Freshmen Practice Schedule

Winter Spring
Weekdays 3:15-5:30pm 4 - 6:20 pm M-F (not including travel time between Wakefield and boathouse)
Saturdays No Practice 9 - noon (occasional, tbd)

The Wakefield Pledge

At Wakefield, we believe that rowing is for everyone. We will work to ensure that anyone who wants to try hard at the sport is given the opportunity to do so.

Wakefield Crew and its booster organization are committed to breaking down any barriers that stand in the way of rowing. If you want to learn to row, we will work to make it happen. We offer swim lessons, scholarships, transportation, and tutoring to any child who needs assistance.

How to join

To row in the spring, registration has two steps.

You must register with the school by submitting a physical to the page that can be found here.

Instructions for how to register can be found here


Step two is to register with the booster organization, by following the registration link on this website. Which is also here

To row in the summer you need only to register the the booster organization, not the school.

Slack

The team uses Slack to communicate with team members. Make sure to talk to the coaches for an invite into our team slack! It is the main form of communication that the coaches have with the team, including adjustments to schedules, practice cancellations, and team bonding activity announcements.