Team Rules and Responsibilities of Rowers and Parents

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Table of Contents

Introduction

The Cold Spring Harbor Rowing Association (CSHRA) is a New York Not-for-Profit Corporation whose purpose is to promote and facilitate rowing for Cold Spring Harbor School District, maintain facilities and equipment, promote good sportsmanship and conduct fund-raising.  The CSHRA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of parents of rowers.   The CSHRA owns and maintains the majority of the crew equipment used by rowers.

Crew is an all-year round sport.  The CSHRA is the sole sponsor of two crew seasons – fall and summer.  The spring crew season is considered a high school varsity season and is co-sponsored by the CSHRA and Cold Spring Harbor High School.  Students in grades 9-12 may try out for the crew team.  Rising 8th and 9th grade students may participate in the introductory summer program.

Participants in each crew season are required to pay a fee to defray the costs of equipment, coaching, and other expenses involved in operating the CSHRA.  All such fees are non-refundable after the first three weeks of practice, except as indicated below in the Team Tryouts/Cuts section.  Parents and rowers are also expected to participate in all fundraising activities sponsored by the CSHRA.
 
The CSHRA maintains a web site, www.cshrowing.com, which provides helpful information for the rowers and their families, including current information regarding practices, regattas, and the fundraising activities of the CSHRA.

Rower Responsibilities

All rowers are expected to display responsible behavior at all times, and to obey all rules and regulations of the Cold Spring Harbor High School.  Refer to the “Expectations Agreement” on the school district web site, www.csh.k12.ny.us, under the “Athletics Program” tab.

Team Organization

Rowers are assigned into Novice and Varsity team categories.  Generally, all new rowers, regardless of age or grade level, will row in the Novice category during their first year on the team.

Novice Team

Novice rowers are generally those students who have no prior rowing experience or who have never participated in a full Spring season.  A novice rower may be suspended at any time from the team if the rower displays disruptive behavior, is frequently absent from practice, or is not able to physically and safely keep up with team.  Suspension from the team may result in permanent termination.

Varsity Team

Crew can be an all-year round sport, and there are four distinct seasons:  Spring, Summer, Winter (dry-land training), and Fall.  Each varsity member is required to participate in the Spring season. Participation in all other seasons is strongly encouraged, although coaches realize athletes compete in other sports and activities offered by Cold Spring Harbor High School.

Team Tryouts/Cuts

All novice rowers must pass a swim test.

The coaching staff will use the following criteria in making their assessment to determine cuts:  the rower’s overall commitment to the team, including the rower’s history of attendance, workout intensity, overall attitude, ability to keep up with the team and overall physical fitness, including but not limited to erg scores.  All cut decisions shall be made by the coaching staff, in their sole discretion.

Anyone cut from the team will be notified according to school district policy and receive full reimbursement of any fees paid to the CSHRA for participating in that crew season.

Practice Attendance

Practice is scheduled Monday through Friday, 3 – 5:45 PM, and Saturday, 9 – 11:30 AM.  There will be no Saturday practice the first few weeks of the spring season.  Note:  School District policy states that athletes cannot participate in school sports for seven consecutive days. 

Practice is held at the boathouse at Eagle Dock Beach in Cold Spring Harbor, across from 79 Shore Rd.   Occasionally due to factors such as inclement weather, practice must be moved from Eagle Dock Beach to the high school, or in the alternative, cancelled.  Should this occur an announcement will be made in school.

Transportation is provided to Eagle Dock Beach via the “O” bus.  The school district prohibits walking or bike riding to practice.   

Mandatory practice will be held during spring break, as per school district policy.

Family members who pick up rowers at the conclusion of practice should be at the boathouse parking lot at the designated finish time for practice.  Parents who arrive early or are waiting to pick up their rower must not interfere in any way with the activity of the rowers or coaches.  All parents must wait until their rower has completed his or her required duties before leaving.

For safety reasons, do not stop your vehicle in front of the boathouse.

Regattas

 Participation on the novice or varsity crew team does not guarantee participation in regattas.  Rowing in a regatta is a privilege that must be earned by each rower.  All rowers who are part of a crew entered into a regatta are required to participate in that regatta.  Any rower who misses, without good reason, a regatta in which he or she has been entered, will be suspended from participating in the next regatta.

Rowers will be notified by coaching staff of their participation in a regatta, as soon as reasonably possible.

All rowers are expected to remain on site for the entire length of the regatta.  All rowers must arrive on time and must not leave until the coaching staff dismisses all participants.  Parents may not remove rowers from the regatta site without the express permission of the head coach and without a valid and compelling reason for early departure.

Rowers are required to take the team bus that is provided to local regattas (i.e. held on Long Island).  It is against the policies of the Cold Spring Harbor High School for your child to be transported to or from an athletic event by someone other than a parent or another adult, designated by the parent, who has agreed to be responsible for your child.  Rowers, even those with driver’s licenses, may not drive themselves to regattas. 

If you are not able to attend a regatta with your child where bus transportation is not provided, you must fill out the “Emergency Waiver of Transportation” form available on the school district web site.  The form must be submitted to the Head Coach, along with a note authorizing any emergency medical treatment and a copy of your medical insurance card.  It is the rower’s responsibility to advise the coaching staff at least one week prior to the regatta if transportation/guardianship is not available.  If transportation/guardianship cannot be arranged, the coaching staff will replace the rower participating in the regatta.

All family members are encouraged to attend every regatta.  Food is provided by the CSHRA for rowers, coaches, and family members.  Parent participation is encouraged and necessary to support the team.

Each parent must respect the needs of the coaches and rowers at these events and never interfere with the team when coaches are trying to hold team meetings prior to and after each race.  Parents are there to support the team and must let the coaches and rowers focus on their purpose for being there.

Rowing Assignments

The coaching staff will make all decisions regarding assignment of rowing seats during practice and regattas, using the same criteria defined in the Team Tryouts/Cuts section.  Assignments are subject to change based on the on-going evaluation of rowers. 

Coxswains

Boys and girls may apply to coxswain boats for either gender.  Final decisions concerning who will coxswain which boat will be made by the coaches on the basis of the overall good of the team, but gender will not be considered.

On-Water Rowing

There is no guarantee of equal time spent by any student member on the water.  Allocation of on-water time will be at the discretion of the coaches. 

Uniform

All rowers are expected to wear only the team designated uniform during regattas.  Uniforms will be provided by the school district and must be returned at the end of the season.

Complaint Procedure

The following procedure is available to all rowers and their parent/guardian to discuss issues related to the daily operation of the crew team.

Any parent/guardian of a rower may, at any time, offer in writing comments, recommendations, or complaints regarding the operation of the crew team to any member of the Board of Directors of the CSHRA.  The issues will be reviewed with the coaching staff and the Board as soon as reasonably possible, no later than at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board.  However, all complaints regarding safety issues will be reviewed as soon as reasonably possible.

The Board will, in its sole discretion, determine whether any action is required to be taken as a result of the comment, recommendation or complaint.  The Board’s decision will be communicated to the person who raised the issue by the President of the CSHRA.

Questions or concerns about coaching decisions or boat assignments should be addressed to the Head Coach at the coach’s convenience, never in front of rowers and/or other parents.  Unresolved complaints should be addressed to the Athletic Director. 


Revised Dec 2011