Rowers wear a T-shirt, tight-fitted shorts/spandex (no long/basketball shorts), socks and sneakers. Sunglasses and a hat are essential items. Rowers often purchase “rowing trou” from Boathouse Sports. When the weather is cooler, rowers wear a long sleeve fitted moisture wicking shirt, wool socks, cap and other cold weather clothing items.

Rowers need to bring their proper rowing weather gear, sunscreen, sunglasses and a water bottle. Snacks and food are provided by the team.

Spectators might bring chairs, snacks and binoculars. Food options are sometimes limited at a regatta depending on the race site location.

Parents, guardians and family are always welcome at regattas. TCYRC typically takes at least one or two parents as chaperones. Hotel blocks are often available to family members but you are welcome to stay at any hotel you want.

Depending on the regatta and the number attending, TCY might rent a bus or a van to transport rowers to a regatta. These costs are factored in the cost of the regatta. Rowers can also ride with their parents or another rower, if they have permission from their parents and have notified the TCY Head Coach.

For other regattas that are farther away, rowers’ parents book their flights, based on suggested arrival and departure times. Coaches have flight information and arrange transport from the airport to the hotel.

The coaches will send out a spreadsheet for parents to enter in their rower’s flight details and whether anyone is attending the regatta with them.

Usually the flights that fit the suggested arrival and departure times are narrowed down to a handful of flights. So most rowers will all be on the same couple of Delta flights, a few might be on a Southwest flight, etc.

Parents attending will often get their rower to the hotel. If they happen to arrive at the same time as the team, the rower might hop in the team rented van.

If the parent is not attending, the coaches and parent chaperones will look at the spreadsheet and often have to send one group ahead while a coach or parent chaperone waits to collect other rowers OR a coach will return to the airport to pick up later arrivals. 

Usually with so many parents, coaches and rowers attending, most of the time there will be TCY adults on the flights with an unaccompanied minor and if not, the coaches know when the rower is arriving so they can meet them at the airport.

Yes, rowing is considered excellent for cross training because it provides a low-impact, full-body workout that engages a large number of muscle groups, including your legs, core, back, and arms, making it a great way to complement other activities like running while preventing muscle imbalances and potential injuries; it can also help improve your overall endurance and power.

Key benefits of rowing for cross training:

• Low impact: Unlike running, rowing puts minimal stress on your joints, making it ideal for recovery days or if you have joint concerns.

• Full-body engagement: Rowing works nearly every major muscle group, which can help balance out muscle imbalances caused by other activities.

• Core strength: The rowing motion significantly engages your core muscles, improving stability and posture. [1, 2, 4]

• Cardiovascular benefits: Rowing provides a great aerobic workout, helping to improve your endurance and VO2 max.

• Posterior chain activation: Rowing effectively targets your hamstrings and glutes, which can be beneficial for runners who often over-emphasize their quads.
  

YES! We have many rowers who take breaks from the club to play other sports like hockey or soccer. Rowing is an excellent method of cross trainging.

• Spring: Midwest Jr Championships

• Summer: Duluth International, Minneapolis Sprints, Chicago Sprints

• Fall: Head of the Mississippi, Milwaukee River Challenge, Head of the Rock, Head of the Charles, Head of the Hooch

• The regattas we attend depend on the schedule, logistics, rower’s interest and in some cases like the Head of the Charles, an earned entry or a bid from the host.