Sport Recruitment- rowing

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apparitions

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I have been obsessively reading for almost two days now and am so grateful for this resource and the wealth of information found here!

This is a new dream being thrown around in my house for my rising 9th grader.
The only thing he knows is that he wants to keep rowing in college. There is only one university in our state where he can do that but they aren’t competitive and he is not even considering the in state option right now. He has started talking to his coach about the necessary 2k times to row outside our state and we are now doing a lot of reading and researching options. Currently, USNA is the list.

Is rowing something they recruit for? How do you get yourself noticed? I’m an information person and there is just not a lot of information out there about rowing. I’ve tried searching all the keywords I can think of and read everything I could find without much luck.
I just don’t know how realistic it is to be recruited for rowing specifically and would appreciate any and all info!
 
apparitions said:
I have been obsessively reading for almost two days now and am so grateful for this resource and the wealth of information found here!

This is a new dream being thrown around in my house for my rising 9th grader.
The only thing he knows is that he wants to keep rowing in college. There is only one university in our state where he can do that but they aren’t competitive and he is not even considering the in state option right now. He has started talking to his coach about the necessary 2k times to row outside our state and we are now doing a lot of reading and researching options. Currently, USNA is the list.

Is rowing something they recruit for? How do you get yourself noticed? I’m an information person and there is just not a lot of information out there about rowing. I’ve tried searching all the keywords I can think of and read everything I could find without much luck.
I just don’t know how realistic it is to be recruited for rowing specifically and would appreciate any and all info!
Click to expand...
One thing to explore is USNA’s summer rowing camp. That exposes him to coaches, facilities, environment, Bancroft Hall (the dorm) and glimpses of midshipmen during summer training and summer school. They are well run with plenty of fun mixed in.

www.navycrewcamp.org

Navy Crew Camp for Boys

The United States Naval Academy Athletic Association is proud to present the 32nd annual Navy Crew Camp for Boys. To maximize individual attention, enrollment is limited so early application is...
www.navycrewcamp.org www.navycrewcamp.org

Something he has to figure out for himself, and that is attending a service academy is nothing like attending a civilian college to play your sport. It’s active duty Navy full-on immersion military life, with many restrictions, after which he serves at least 5 years as a Navy or Marine officer. That is the goal of applying to and attending a service academy.

Visiting USNA in Annapolis and attending the near-daily Admissions brief is always worth doing, even a few years in advance. SA application processes are complex, involving academics, a physical fitness test, a medical exam and the requirement to seek a nomination though a competitive application process.

This is all laid out on usna.edu. I encourage your son, early as it is, to own this process and dive into the website and read every page, link and drop-down menu item. Part of the application process is filling out a sports questionnaire, and some sports have their own recruiting questionnaires. When it gets to the appropriate time, he can call the rowing coaches. Men’s heavyweight questionnaire is below.

Welcome to Teamworks Compliance + Recruiting

questionnaires.armssoftware.com questionnaires.armssoftware.com

www.navysports.com is the Navy varsity sports website. Too convoluted to explain fully here, but it’s a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that runs and funds Navy D1 sports, not using taxpayer funds.

Don’t overlook the Coast Guard Academy in CT. It is also a fine service academy with all the challenges mentioned above (it is the one SA that is not required to have a nomination), much smaller, with a D3 program. Same advice. Plow through the website for USCGA.

coastguardathletics.com

Men's Rowing

The official Men's Rowing page for the United States Coast Guard Academy
coastguardathletics.com coastguardathletics.com

And, USMA (West Point), also has crew. Again, the website is key to understanding their application process and sports program.


And, USMMA in Kings Point, NY, another fine service academy, smaller, like USCGA, with a D3 program. They have a different mission, and graduates can either be Navy Reserve officers and work in the maritime industry or commission into any of the 6 armed services. Again, the website has all the info.




Back to Navy. On the website, your son will find important info such as:
Roadmap for academics.
www.usna.edu

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Jul 04 20:20:22 EDT 2025.
www.usna.edu

Stats on a sample class; these are available for every year in recent past.

Nominations.
www.usna.edu

Nomination Sources

Learn about nomination sources for USNA admission. Understand how to secure a congressional or other nomination.
www.usna.edu

CFA (fitness test)
www.usna.edu

The Candidate Fitness Assessment

Understand the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) for USNA Admissions. Learn about physical requirements for applicants.
www.usna.edu

Medical review.


USNA has a series of summer 1-week programs for rising HS seniors, Naval Academy Summer Seminar. USMA and USCGA have similar. If your son decides he wants this path, this is recommended as a great way to learn more about the SA.

www.usna.edu

Summer Seminar

The United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar is the first step in navigating your future to becoming one of our nations next generation of leaders
www.usna.edu

The point of attending a service academy is a commission as anofficer and then a required amount of service after that in a specific officer professional specialty. That is the first decision to be made by your son - is that a path he wants to explore in the coming years. Crew can be a great part of that but should not be the main reason.
 
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Capt MJ said:
One thing to explore is USNA’s summer rowing camp. That exposes him to coaches, facilities, environment, Bancroft Hall (the dorm) and glimpses of midshipmen during summer training and summer school. They are well run with plenty of fun mixed in.

www.navycrewcamp.org

Navy Crew Camp for Boys

The United States Naval Academy Athletic Association is proud to present the 32nd annual Navy Crew Camp for Boys. To maximize individual attention, enrollment is limited so early application is...
www.navycrewcamp.org www.navycrewcamp.org

Something he has to figure out for himself, and that is attending a service academy is nothing like attending a civilian college to play your sport. It’s active duty Navy full-on immersion military life, with many restrictions, after which he serves at least 5 years as a Navy or Marine officer. That is the goal of applying to and attending a service academy.

Visiting USNA in Annapolis and attending the near-daily Admissions brief is always worth doing, even a few years in advance. SA application processes are complex, involving academics, a physical fitness test, a medical exam and the requirement to seek a nomination though a competitive application process.

This is all laid out on usna.edu. I encourage your son, early as it is, to own this process and dive into the website and read every page, link and drop-down menu item. Part of the application process is filling out a sports questionnaire, and some sports have their own recruiting questionnaires. When it gets to the appropriate time, he can call the rowing coaches. Men’s heavyweight questionnaire is below.

Welcome to Teamworks Compliance + Recruiting

questionnaires.armssoftware.com questionnaires.armssoftware.com

www.navysports.com is the Navy varsity sports website. Too convoluted to explain fully here, but it’s a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that runs and funds Navy D1 sports, not using taxpayer funds.

Don’t overlook the Coast Guard Academy in CT. It is also a fine service academy with all the challenges mentioned above (it is the one SA that is not required to have a nomination), much smaller, with a D3 program. Same advice. Plow through the website for USCGA.

coastguardathletics.com

Men's Rowing

The official Men's Rowing page for the United States Coast Guard Academy
coastguardathletics.com coastguardathletics.com

And, USMA (West Point), also has crew. Again, the website is key to understanding their application process and sports program.


And, USMMA in Kings Point, NY, another fine service academy, smaller, like USCGA, with a D3 program. They have a different mission, and graduates can either be Navy Reserve officers and work in the maritime industry or commission into any of the 6 armed services. Again, the website has all the info.




Back to Navy. On the website, your son will find important info such as:
Roadmap for academics.
www.usna.edu

General Advice for Grades 9-12

General Advice for Grades 9-12 page for Admissions at USNA.edu. Updated Fri Jul 04 20:20:22 EDT 2025.
www.usna.edu

Stats on a sample class; these are available for every year in recent past.

Nominations.
www.usna.edu

Nomination Sources

Learn about nomination sources for USNA admission. Understand how to secure a congressional or other nomination.
www.usna.edu

CFA (fitness test)
www.usna.edu

The Candidate Fitness Assessment

Understand the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA) for USNA Admissions. Learn about physical requirements for applicants.
www.usna.edu

Medical review.


USNA has a series of summer 1-week programs for rising HS seniors, Naval Academy Summer Seminar. USMA and USCGA have similar. If your son decides he wants this path, this is recommended as a great way to learn more about the SA.

www.usna.edu

Summer Seminar

The United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar is the first step in navigating your future to becoming one of our nations next generation of leaders
www.usna.edu

The point of attending a service academy is a commission as anofficer and then a required amount of service after that in a specific officer professional specialty. That is the first decision to be made by your son - is that a path he wants to explore in the coming years. Crew can be a great part of that but should not be the main reason.
Click to expand...

Thank you, most of this has been explored but some I hadn’t come across yet!

My husband is a 100% disabled Marine so he will have at least the one nomination. We don’t live in a state that would be considered competitive so he could likely secure more than one.

Our boys have grown up knowing the military with the typical branch teasing and preference to go Navy/Marines from their dad. I come from a long line of Navy men. We’ve visited CG bases and they didn’t seem interested but anything is possible. I told him following the “general advice 9-12” is a good idea for wherever he may decide to go/apply later on.

He took foreign language in middle school and is already enrolled to continue with it in high school. He’s taking AP US History, too. That was all done before USNA got on his radar luckily.

Crew was the focus of my post simply because that is our current stepping stone to figure out. Military is something that has been discussed as a future for pretty much their entire lives.
 
Lots of things can change during 4 yrs of high school. What seems interesting now may not in the future. I would encourage your son to do things that help him grow as a person and contribute to the success of his school. Build a resume that would be of value regardless of which college he decides to apply to. Many more apply to SA's then get selected so it is also good to consider your Plan B options. While it is fine to pursue a sport to help pay for one's college education, it shouldn't be the only factor to consider. No one pays any tuition to attend USNA (or any SA), so their main goal needs to be an interest in being an officer in the military. Even those who are 110% sure this is the right choice can struggle with all of the demands placed on them.

Being recruited for a sport at an SA is no guarantee you will also get an appointment. Many older threads about that.
 
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Sounds likel your child has the desire to serve in the military. That is most important if wanting to attend a SA. Secondly wanting to row is also desired which can be done at many of the Academies as listed by Captmj.
So then your question is about being recruited to row. That has many variables that no one here can likely answer.

More importantly is that your child does everything in their power to be a highly qualified applicant to the SA. Even if “recruited” everyone must be fully qualified to be appointed. Rowing can also be a walk on sport so that opportunity will be there regardless as long as the appointment comes. So continue to work on all things that lead to the goal of an appointment.
 
I'm heavyweight rower at Navy. I read your thread title and I was immediately pumped up.

As Capt MJ pointed, the crew summer camps are a good way to start. They will provide your son a decent exposure to what Navy rowing is like. If you would like to get in contact with a coach for recruitment then I would recommend emailing the assistant/recruiting coach whose contact info can be found here: https://navysports.com/sports/mens-rowing/roster#sidearm-roster-coaches

Your son might also consider DMing the heavyweight instagram page which is run by the assistant coach.

Important to note that the team is currently in championship season with preparing for IRAs so coaches are probably busy. I would not expect a quick response but you should make the effort to reach out eventually.

When your son is a junior or senior, I suggest they spend an overnight at the academy. This can happen either through a Candidate Visit Weekend or a recruitment visit if they get recruited. This will be a great opportunity for him to see what Navy rowing is truly like during the ac year.

If your son is not recruited then it's okay. Navy accepts a lot of walk-ons. I'm one myself. Had no idea what rowing was before I came here. Advise him to stay in good shape, he knows what good rowing shape is. He should ensure that he wants to commission as an officer because that's what matters at the end of the day.

If you or your son have any further questions then feel free to DM me. I would be happy to answer them.
 
I just went through the recruiting process for USNA. They have very few recruitment slots beyond the 2k requirements (they told me sub 6:35 for lightweight, and HW is sub 6:25-20). I talked to a guy who got recruited LW to Navy from my crew team and I was told that they have roughly 3 recruitment slots. I was also told it was highly unlikely they would use a slot on someone who had the academics to get in on their own.

I joined the sport a little on the late side in high school (spring of sophomore year at 5'11" 120lbs) and with a 7:58 2k. I got a new coach fall of junior year and didn't start recruitment and numbers with him until the spring of junior year when i started talking to the Assistant LW coach. Fall of senior year, I made the Head of the Charles regatta as an alternate and had improved to 6'1" 147lbs with a 6:55 2k, my 1V boat (what I made the alternate for) averaged 6'3" 195lbs (and inlcuded 4 guys who got recruited to schools like Princeton and Hobert), so I was punching well above weight class. In the Spring I was still in and out of the 1V as a lightweight guy.

Long story short, I got into the recruitment pool late and ran out of time to bring the 2k sub 6:35. I was also told by my coach that for Navy, my academics were good enough that they wouldnt use their slot on me. (take that with a grain of salt) I got the West Point and USAFA appointments, and NROTC-MO scholarship and chose USAFA. WP did have rowing, but I was at a regatta with them once, and my highschool team was faster.

My advice to the 9th grader: get on that erg, its the only thing that matters for recruitment and you still have time.
 
MrMe said:
I just went through the recruiting process for USNA. They have very few recruitment slots beyond the 2k requirements (they told me sub 6:35 for lightweight, and HW is sub 6:25-20). I talked to a guy who got recruited LW to Navy from my crew team and I was told that they have roughly 3 recruitment slots. I was also told it was highly unlikely they would use a slot on someone who had the academics to get in on their own.

I joined the sport a little on the late side in high school (spring of sophomore year at 5'11" 120lbs) and with a 7:58 2k. I got a new coach fall of junior year and didn't start recruitment and numbers with him until the spring of junior year when i started talking to the Assistant LW coach. Fall of senior year, I made the Head of the Charles regatta as an alternate and had improved to 6'1" 147lbs with a 6:55 2k, my 1V boat (what I made the alternate for) averaged 6'3" 195lbs (and inlcuded 4 guys who got recruited to schools like Princeton and Hobert), so I was punching well above weight class. In the Spring I was still in and out of the 1V as a lightweight guy.

Long story short, I got into the recruitment pool late and ran out of time to bring the 2k sub 6:35. I was also told by my coach that for Navy, my academics were good enough that they wouldnt use their slot on me. (take that with a grain of salt) I got the West Point and USAFA appointments, and NROTC-MO scholarship and chose USAFA. WP did have rowing, but I was at a regatta with them once, and my highschool team was faster.

My advice to the 9th grader: get on that erg, its the only thing that matters for recruitment and you still have time.
Click to expand...
Appreciate you offering practical insight and advice from USAFA! Assume you are not rowing there, hope you found a new sport to enjoy or returned to a favorite.
 
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MrMe said:
I just went through the recruiting process for USNA. They have very few recruitment slots beyond the 2k requirements (they told me sub 6:35 for lightweight, and HW is sub 6:25-20). I talked to a guy who got recruited LW to Navy from my crew team and I was told that they have roughly 3 recruitment slots. I was also told it was highly unlikely they would use a slot on someone who had the academics to get in on their own.

I joined the sport a little on the late side in high school (spring of sophomore year at 5'11" 120lbs) and with a 7:58 2k. I got a new coach fall of junior year and didn't start recruitment and numbers with him until the spring of junior year when i started talking to the Assistant LW coach. Fall of senior year, I made the Head of the Charles regatta as an alternate and had improved to 6'1" 147lbs with a 6:55 2k, my 1V boat (what I made the alternate for) averaged 6'3" 195lbs (and inlcuded 4 guys who got recruited to schools like Princeton and Hobert), so I was punching well above weight class. In the Spring I was still in and out of the 1V as a lightweight guy.

Long story short, I got into the recruitment pool late and ran out of time to bring the 2k sub 6:35. I was also told by my coach that for Navy, my academics were good enough that they wouldnt use their slot on me. (take that with a grain of salt) I got the West Point and USAFA appointments, and NROTC-MO scholarship and chose USAFA. WP did have rowing, but I was at a regatta with them once, and my highschool team was faster.

My advice to the 9th grader: get on that erg, its the only thing that matters for recruitment and you still have time.
Click to expand...
What is the weight limit for lightweight at USNA? I thought lightweight was limited for males in the 150 range, but I saw something that it was 178.
 
WestCoastRefugee said:
What is the weight limit for lightweight at USNA? I thought lightweight was limited for males in the 150 range, but I saw something that it was 178.
Click to expand...
In the fall, the lights have to be under 165. In the spring, you cannot be above 160 and the boat itself has to average 155. These weight limits are specific to the racing season. You don't have to stay that weight year round, so there might be some lightweights in the 170s during the off-season. But they eventually have to cut that weight down to race.
 
Dragomir said:
In the fall, the lights have to be under 165. In the spring, you cannot be above 160 and the boat itself has to average 155. These weight limits are specific to the racing season. You don't have to stay that weight year round, so there might be some lightweights in the 170s during the off-season. But they eventually have to cut that weight down to race.
Click to expand...
Got it. Don't think I could cut down to 160-165. I don't have crew experience, but I have been an ocean lifeguard for the last 3 years and compete in lifeguard championships where one of the events is a 2 man surf boat race that is a 2k. If I ever make it on to the yard, seems like crew might be a good fit to try out for.
 
apparitions said:
I have been obsessively reading for almost two days now and am so grateful for this resource and the wealth of information found here!

This is a new dream being thrown around in my house for my rising 9th grader.
The only thing he knows is that he wants to keep rowing in college. There is only one university in our state where he can do that but they aren’t competitive and he is not even considering the in state option right now. He has started talking to his coach about the necessary 2k times to row outside our state and we are now doing a lot of reading and researching options. Currently, USNA is the list.

Is rowing something they recruit for? How do you get yourself noticed? I’m an information person and there is just not a lot of information out there about rowing. I’ve tried searching all the keywords I can think of and read everything I could find without much luck.
I just don’t know how realistic it is to be recruited for rowing specifically and would appreciate any and all info!
Click to expand...
Be sure to google NCAA Rowing. The schools with the best teams will have qualified for the NCAA D1 Championships. Many of them are not on either coast. There are others at the D1 level, plus schools at the D2 and D3 levels. In time, your kid may find his place in ROTC, plus rowing, instead of at a Service Academy. Or he may like rowing at a D3 Service Academy like Coast Guard.
 
NCAA D1 Rowing Championship is women only.

Navy Heavyweight Men focus on the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championships.

Intercollegiate rowing is a quirky sport.

Trivia: Way back when, in answer to why there is no Army-Navy rowing rivalry, supposedly USMA said they would make crew a varsity sport if USNA added a varsity polo team. Crew is only a club sport at Hell-on-the-Hudson and Navy has never had an equestrian team of any sort.
Iwutke said:
Be sure to google NCAA Rowing. The schools with the best teams will have qualified for the NCAA D1 Championships. Many of them are not on either coast. There are others at the D1 level, plus schools at the D2 and D3 levels. In time, your kid may find his place in ROTC, plus rowing, instead of at a Service Academy. Or he may like rowing at a D3 Service Academy like Coast Guard.
Click to expand...
 
time2 said:
Lots of things can change during 4 yrs of high school. What seems interesting now may not in the future. I would encourage your son to do things that help him grow as a person and contribute to the success of his school. Build a resume that would be of value regardless of which college he decides to apply to. Many more apply to SA's then get selected so it is also good to consider your Plan B options. While it is fine to pursue a sport to help pay for one's college education, it shouldn't be the only factor to consider. No one pays any tuition to attend USNA (or any SA), so their main goal needs to be an interest in being an officer in the military. Even those who are 110% sure this is the right choice can struggle with all of the demands placed on them.

Being recruited for a sport at an SA is no guarantee you will also get an appointment. Many older threads about that.
Click to expand...
Yes, I am aware. I never intended for anyone to think that I thought rowing would help him get in. Scholarships for mens rowing are relatively rare in general so we have never looked to crew for that. He loves it and doesn’t want to give it up. Discovering USNA has a team just put them on his shortlist if that makes sense. Mechanical engineering has been the tentative plan for awhile and a reason he ruled out one school already- they row, but they don’t have any engineering programs at all. USNA has both, so another check mark to keep them on his short list.

I said in my prior post my only recommendation to him so far is to follow their 9-12 outline because it will be beneficial no matter which direction he moves in. He’s more contemplative about his future because he has an older brother working through college plans right now, they brainstorm and bounce things off each other a lot.

My post was more about getting on their radar and I got some good answers on how he can do that and some more reading material to peruse.

I apologize that I wasn’t more clear with what I was asking and what my intentions were with my questions. Thanks for your reply.
 
Dragomir said:
I'm heavyweight rower at Navy. I read your thread title and I was immediately pumped up.

As Capt MJ pointed, the crew summer camps are a good way to start. They will provide your son a decent exposure to what Navy rowing is like. If you would like to get in contact with a coach for recruitment then I would recommend emailing the assistant/recruiting coach whose contact info can be found here: https://navysports.com/sports/mens-rowing/roster#sidearm-roster-coaches

Your son might also consider DMing the heavyweight instagram page which is run by the assistant coach.

Important to note that the team is currently in championship season with preparing for IRAs so coaches are probably busy. I would not expect a quick response but you should make the effort to reach out eventually.

When your son is a junior or senior, I suggest they spend an overnight at the academy. This can happen either through a Candidate Visit Weekend or a recruitment visit if they get recruited. This will be a great opportunity for him to see what Navy rowing is truly like during the ac year.

If your son is not recruited then it's okay. Navy accepts a lot of walk-ons. I'm one myself. Had no idea what rowing was before I came here. Advise him to stay in good shape, he knows what good rowing shape is. He should ensure that he wants to commission as an officer because that's what matters at the end of the day.

If you or your son have any further questions then feel free to DM me. I would be happy to answer them.
Click to expand...

Thank you, this is amazing feedback! I’ll send you a DM shortly!

He won an erg sprint in Pittsburgh in January - when that USRowing gold medal came in the mail it just added fuel to his fire. He’s talked with his coach and they’ve worked on a summer regimen to start after he gets back from competing at Youth Nationals in Sarasota next week. He’s got the drive and while he’s only 13, information isn’t ever a bad thing.

My husband - enlisted - has always told our boys that if the military is their path, go the officer route, especially since they have DEA benefits. We’ve been fortunate to visit many different military installations during our travels and have tried to familiarize them with that life as much as possible so they can make educated decisions from things they’ve seen and not just read about. They’ve been visiting a close friend of mine, who is an officer in Norfolk, and exploring “big boats” since they were toddlers. Extensive time spent on Kings Bay and discussions with our submariner neighbor has made that a less than desirable option, though, haha. We’ll be back on Kings Bay this weekend and I anticipate he’ll be looking at things a bit differently.

Annapolis is a 5 hour drive from home, might just need to sneak up there sometime soon! Thanks again!
 
GrilledCheese94 said:
NCAA D1 Rowing Championship is women only.

Navy Heavyweight Men focus on the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championships.

Intercollegiate rowing is a quirky sport.

Trivia: Way back when, in answer to why there is no Army-Navy rowing rivalry, supposedly USMA said they would make crew a varsity sport if USNA added a varsity polo team. Crew is only a club sport at Hell-on-the-Hudson and Navy has never had an equestrian team of any sort.
Click to expand...
Yep to so much of this! Quirky is spot on in reference to all rowing programs imho.
One of our senior girls will be rowing at a D1 school this fall! We are very excited for her.

My son’s first day at “learn to row” camp the assistant coach got all the parents in a group and said “they’ll love it or they’ll hate it. There is essentially nothing for boys in terms of college scholarships. Girls, maybe. If that’s why you’re here, that’s the wrong reason.” His son now rows for our one in-state university that offers rowing and says it’s glorified club rowing haha
 
Iwutke said:
Be sure to google NCAA Rowing. The schools with the best teams will have qualified for the NCAA D1 Championships. Many of them are not on either coast. There are others at the D1 level, plus schools at the D2 and D3 levels. In time, your kid may find his place in ROTC, plus rowing, instead of at a Service Academy. Or he may like rowing at a D3 Service Academy like Coast Guard.
Click to expand...

Conversations with coach about where he needs to get his 2k at led to googling, which led to the NCAA site, which is how we got to Navy 😂

I’m completely ok with wherever he goes (SA, rowing around a lake in circles, college, whatever) as long as it’s a decision he makes for himself using all the information I can possibly get him or help him find.
 
MrMe said:
I just went through the recruiting process for USNA. They have very few recruitment slots beyond the 2k requirements (they told me sub 6:35 for lightweight, and HW is sub 6:25-20). I talked to a guy who got recruited LW to Navy from my crew team and I was told that they have roughly 3 recruitment slots. I was also told it was highly unlikely they would use a slot on someone who had the academics to get in on their own.

I joined the sport a little on the late side in high school (spring of sophomore year at 5'11" 120lbs) and with a 7:58 2k. I got a new coach fall of junior year and didn't start recruitment and numbers with him until the spring of junior year when i started talking to the Assistant LW coach. Fall of senior year, I made the Head of the Charles regatta as an alternate and had improved to 6'1" 147lbs with a 6:55 2k, my 1V boat (what I made the alternate for) averaged 6'3" 195lbs (and inlcuded 4 guys who got recruited to schools like Princeton and Hobert), so I was punching well above weight class. In the Spring I was still in and out of the 1V as a lightweight guy.

Long story short, I got into the recruitment pool late and ran out of time to bring the 2k sub 6:35. I was also told by my coach that for Navy, my academics were good enough that they wouldnt use their slot on me. (take that with a grain of salt) I got the West Point and USAFA appointments, and NROTC-MO scholarship and chose USAFA. WP did have rowing, but I was at a regatta with them once, and my highschool team was faster.

My advice to the 9th grader: get on that erg, its the only thing that matters for recruitment and you still have time.
Click to expand...


Thank you!!! This is super helpful, even just to help me clarify terms. Getting a slot simply based on rowing wasn’t what I was envisioning, but I see now why what I said was interpreted that way. I have learned a lot on this thread! He has the ability to earn a slot academically but he’ll need to buckle down. I appreciate that the outline USNA has will challenge him more and encourage him to take the harder courses. He’ll have a nomination based on his dad’s disability which I know is a different pool of slots. Learning more and more every day about how all this works.

I’m about 99.9% confident lightweight isn't ever going to be a factor, haha. He didn’t qualify for lightweight sprints this winter and he’d just turned 13.

Having a goal is good and I appreciate the feedback!
 
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