Dress Up Fridays
A crew tradition to show team spirit is to wear dress clothes to school the Friday before a regatta (boys wear khaki or dress pants, nice shirt, and even a tie. The girls usually wear a nice dress or a blouse and skirt). The 8th graders also participate with this. Have your rower ask their team captains about this custom at practice.
Pasta Dinners
Pasta dinners are a long-standing tradition of W-L Crew. Their goal is to promote team spirit. On the evening before a regatta (or on the evening of travel to the regatta)—usually a Friday—members of one or several boats get together for a dinner. The host parent provides sauce, pasta, plates, cups, and utensils. The rowers bring all side dishes, bread, soft drinks, and desserts. These evenings should not go late into the evening because a very early morning and a big day is ahead of each rower.
Each parent host not only cooks but, more importantly, makes sure that host home rules are followed and the guests behave appropriately. Each parent host and rower is encouraged to read the “Conduct” section in this handbook.
The rowers organize the boat dinners. Here are some suggested guidelines:
Captains and coxswains should start the organization process.
- Decide who will host the dinner; rowers to ask permission of parents early in the week.
- Assign who will bring what side dishes, such as salad, veggies, bread, soft drinks, and desserts.
- Host family to give out directions, time, phone number, to each member of the boat.
- Have fun. Boat dinners are a great opportunity for both parents and athletes to get to know teammates better.
Team Pasta Dinner
On the Friday night before the first regatta, the entire team gets together for a potluck style team pasta dinner. The pasta dinner is typically held at W-L High School.
Evening on the Potomac
On the Sunday between Day 1 and Day 2 of States, parents of rowers/coxswains get together on a beautiful spring evening at Columbia Island Marina for a potluck style mingle.
End of Season Awards Banquet
After the last post season regatta, typically the first weekend in June, the team and their families get together for a potluck style dinner to celebrate the team’s success. Prior to the dinner, parents are invited to get out on the water for the annual Parent Row. Following the dinner, awards are given out for MVP and Most Improved, the winners of the Charlie Butt Memorial Scholarship Fund are announced, and the new team captain selections are announced. The evening concludes with the selection of the new booster board officers.