Crew

HNA rows out of the Lake Washington Rowing Club (910 N Northlake Way) in the Fremont Neighborhood. HNA leases time and space from the club, giving us exclusive use of the facilities and prime storage for our equipment. The boathouse has great convenient access to protected water. Boats will spend time rowing down the Fremont Ship Canal, around Lake Union, and out to Lake Washington

HNA Crew practices all three sports seasons: Fall, Winter, and Spring.

While most crew athletes train for all three seasons, we have several multi-sport athletes on the team. We have several girls who have been on the swimming, cross country, track, basketball, volleyball, and softball teams and have rowed in the other seasons.

Fall Season: Training and competing for longer Headraces that take ~13-18 minutes

Winter Season: Conditioning and training for the Spring Season

Spring Season: Training and competing for 6-8 minute long races that culminate in the Northwest Youth Championship with potential to qualify and compete at the Youth National Championships

Practice times: 3:15 p.m.-6 p.m.

Fall of Novice Year: Monday, Wednesday, Friday OR Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Experienced Team/Winter & Spring of Novice Year: Monday – Friday

New athletes, regardless of grade, will start in our Novice Crew program. The Novice team focuses on learning and developing the new skills of rowing and will begin to train for their first competitions. The novice team is most often made up of 9th graders who are new to the sport and is a great way to learn a new sport, meet new friends, and start improving one’s skills and abilities in a very welcoming and fun atmosphere.

At the high school level, it’s all about work ethic. The athletes that are excited to try new things, make mistakes, improve, and push the boundaries of what they previously thought they were capable of will make great rowers. Rowing is the ultimate team sport. There are no standout super stars, so rowers are often humble and dedicated to contributing to something larger than themselves. By working together with their team, they build a strong sense of trust and commitment through community. While there is an advantage of height in rowing, it is by no means corelated to success in the sport. We have seen tall athletes with poor attitudes perform poorly, and have seen some incredibly successful shorter athletes. It is all about attitude and work ethic.

A coxswain (cox) is a unique leadership role on the team. The cox is the only person in the boat facing forward and they do not hold an oar to physically contribute to the speed of the boat. The cox is the leader of the boat who is responsible for steering the boat, calling strategies, rhythms, and speeds for the crew to follow. Coxswains are well respected by rowers and coaches alike for their ability to multitask, motivate, and lead the rowers through training and competition. HNA crew has a wonderful history full of very successful coxswains that have been critical to the success of our team.

With almost every single person starting their rowing career at some point during their time at HNA, the coaches and teammates are incredibly supportive of people trying rowing for the first time. The athletes on the team are friendly, inclusive, and supportive as they challenge each other to continue to get faster, stronger, and more skilled. Athletes form strong bonds with each other and within the team. These bonds develop incredible friendships that lead to wonderful memories.

Rowing develops a very strong cardiovascular system similar to running and swimming. Strength in the major muscle groups of the legs and torso is developed though rowing. Finally, balance and coordination with other teammates is a learned skill as athletes’ row together.

Each athlete spends 2-3 days/week on the water, rowing in various sized boats and with different teammates. As we get closer to competitions, athletes will train more with the teammates with whom they will compete. The other 2-3 days/week are spent training at the boathouse on indoor rowing machines, weightlifting, and general calisthenics. Athletes work out between 2-3 hours per day training with a combination of drills and rows of varying distances and times.

An HNA school bus is available to drive novices from HNA to the boathouse. We do encourage juniors and seniors with access to vehicles to form carpools and drive their teammates to practice. For many, these carpools are often a highlight of their day. It is also a great way to pair up our older and younger athletes to maintain team unity and to provide our younger athletes with some guidance. Transportation after practice is up to the families, and there are several carpools available to help facilitate getting people home after practice.

Rowing is an outdoor sport that takes place on the water, so dressing appropriately is key. In the warmer months or for land days, a t-shirt or tank top with spandex shorts are great. Loose-fitting clothing should be avoided, as it can snag on the moving parts of the boat and equipment. As it gets colder, we continue to train outdoors, and warm clothes become very important. Generally, athletes wear a few long base layers on their torso and legs, a few insulation layers on their torso, and a wind/waterproof shell. These layers combined with a few pairs of thick socks and a good hat will help athletes enjoy and make the most of their time on the water.

HNA Crew has a long and proud history of sending several athletes of each graduating class to DI, DII, DIII and club rowing programs. HNA crew hosts 10+ recruiting visits from various public and private schools that are specifically drawn to HNA crew because they know we have a team and program that develops kind, confident, and capable athletes. HNA crew maintains strong working relationships with several top universities’ rowing programs.