Crew is a spring sport. The season starts each mid-February and runs through late May or early June.
Practices are held daily Monday-Friday, 3:30-6:30 pm. On-the-water practices are held at the Potomac Boat Club (PBC) in Georgetown. Inclement weather and high-water practices are held at school.
Coaches will occasionally move practice to early in the morning before school to in response to the weather forecast. Coaches will also occasionally schedule a Saturday morning practice.
Please make sure you and your rower are signed up for the crew notices in the free Remind app (Android/iOS); coaches use the app to let everyone know where today’s practice will be.
Many of our athletes choose to run in pairs or groups to the boathouse on the bike path, depending on the weather. A volunteer dock monitor transports the runners’ school bags to the boathouse. Bus transportation to the PBC is provided Monday-Friday, by the 38B Metro bus.
At 6 pm, an APS bus picks up the rowers at the Rosslyn Marriott and returns the rowers to W-L, typically arriving around 7:00 pm. Rowers may not drive themselves to weekday practices unless they receive prior approval from their coach.
For Saturday practices, athletes are responsible for their own transportation. Some older rowers drive, although parking is limited and is not allowed in the PBC reserved parking spaces; others either bike or need to be dropped off and picked up. Car-pooling is encouraged.
Student Driver Guidelines
There are some situations in which transportation is not provided (spring break, off-season practice, fall crew with other programs, etc.). In these situations, it is important for parents to know that their child might ask another student for a ride. Parents of the potential passenger(s) and the parents of the driver(s) should be aware of and in compliance with the following guidelines:
- The driver must have a valid license and insurance.
- The driver must follow all Virginia driving laws, including passenger limits for drivers under the age of 18.