News Detail
Rowing round-up
Training and competition in California
We arrived on Wed. March 18th in Newport Beach as a group of talented rowers who had trained together since September, but who were still needing to come together as a team. We sat in a meeting room in our hotel on the first night there and talked about the goals for the camp:
- Finding confidence on the water
- Building trust in each other
- Believing in what we had been trying to do, and what was ahead of us
- Becoming more a "family," where fights occur, boundaries are tested, but in the end, we are still always there for each other
By the time we left Newport Beach for San Diego, we had accomplished so much in all of these areas. We had found a lot more speed on the water, boundaries were certainly tested, a belief in the process became stronger, and the level of care we had for each other grew in an important way.
There were 21 boats in our race and 14 in the JV race. No slow boats enter the San Diego Crew Classic. It is extremely competitive, with top crews there from California, Washington, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut, and St. George's from BC.
It is important to note that, with the exception of St. George's, these are all club boats, which means the athletes do not attend the same school. Most of these clubs have 50+ boys to choose from. The JV or 2nd 8s at these clubs are choosing from athletes who would likely compete for our top boat. As a result, our JVs ran into some strong crews. They did well to come 4th in the B Final.
Our Varsity lined up on Saturday needing to come 1st or 2nd in a 7-boat heat. We placed 2nd and qualified for the Grand Final. Very few schools even enter the Crew Classic, and we were the first school to qualify for the Grand Final in many years. The boys raced extremely well on Sunday, and placed 4th. They were so proud of this accomplishment.
The coaches want to thank the athletes for their dedication and commitment to what we are trying to do. They do all of the really hard work, and there was plenty of that on this incredible trip.
– Mr. Tim Coy
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
