Also, as you've probably seen by now: dates are changed. We're not starting till June 30, which gives kids who go to Cinci time to breathe. As far as I know BRC, Penn AC, and Union all practice in the 10 times a week range (none are residential this year). We'll be going at least 14 with two and sometimes three a day, so we won't lose any competitive advantage in practice time.
I have had one college coach express interest so far: Yale heavy. Most of these guys won't even begin to make summer recruiting plans until their season is over, though, so don't worry - we'll get plenty.
Friday, May 2, 2008
I know nothing new has been here for a long time, but that's because we were working on the big site. Now that we actually are starting to get people signed up, I'll start to add some more stuff. We'll mainly use this as the summer approaches and during the summer.
Housing is set: Merrimack College, about 15 minutes from the Essex facility. Nice dorms, cable, probably quads with a central common room and two guys to a room, two-story building. As I know more, I'll let you know. They have a really nice campus center, just a few years old, with cafeteria, gym, pool, ping pong, etc. It's a small school so there's not much to do on campus but that's what the van is for. We'll get lunch and dinner on campus.
If you're reading this, and you're signed up or thinking about signing up, please talk to your friends. We're only taking as many people as are really qualified as we need to but more is always better than less. The first few kids signed up are really solid, so let's keep it up. And look for our ad in Rowing News coming out soon.
Housing is set: Merrimack College, about 15 minutes from the Essex facility. Nice dorms, cable, probably quads with a central common room and two guys to a room, two-story building. As I know more, I'll let you know. They have a really nice campus center, just a few years old, with cafeteria, gym, pool, ping pong, etc. It's a small school so there's not much to do on campus but that's what the van is for. We'll get lunch and dinner on campus.
If you're reading this, and you're signed up or thinking about signing up, please talk to your friends. We're only taking as many people as are really qualified as we need to but more is always better than less. The first few kids signed up are really solid, so let's keep it up. And look for our ad in Rowing News coming out soon.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
What else are we gonna do besides row?
Having worked as a teacher, at regular summer camps, and at other residential rowing dev. camps, I have a pretty good idea of what makes a good summer (other than medals, which always make for a good time). As stuff gets nailed down I'll add it here but here a few of the things that are in the works:
Organized trips. The camp will have a van all summer just for its use, making possible everything from runs to Wal-Mart to day trips, etc. Some will be scheduled including the ones listed below; some will undoubtedly be impromptu. The point is, it'll be easy to do. Some of the things that will definitely happen:
Red Sox. I'm a fan. Sorry if you're not.
Beach. Half an hour away - bunch of em.
Maine. Hands down the best place in America in the summer.
Boston. Historic crap, plus good food (not just clam chowder), plus the Red Sox.
Freeport. Okay, so it's in Maine but it's worth a trip on its own.
Cape Cod. Like the beach, only on a cape.
College coaches. This is a basic for most similar summer camps - being in New England means there a bunch of them fairly close by. We'll try to get who you're interested in.
Other speakers. Nobody wants to learn too much over the summer, but nutritionists, elite athletes from both rowing and other sports, sports psychologists and physiologists - all can be really interesting as well as informative. When we get stuff lined up, we'll let you know.
We'll be traveling to the Philadelphia area for Club Nationals, and since I'm more-or-less from there we'll spend some time hanging out, go see Boathouse Row, maybe the Jersey Shore. At Canadian Henley we won't have a lot of downtime, but Niagara falls, which is really a lot of water, is nearby.
The basic idea is to have a good summer even if you weren't rowing, and to give a break from the training every now and then. Just to clarify - it's definitely NOT going to feel like a summer camp that happens to have rowing. It's a straight-up development camp - 12 practices a week, and all the rest that that implies. It'll just have some other fun stuff that's worked in.
Organized trips. The camp will have a van all summer just for its use, making possible everything from runs to Wal-Mart to day trips, etc. Some will be scheduled including the ones listed below; some will undoubtedly be impromptu. The point is, it'll be easy to do. Some of the things that will definitely happen:
Red Sox. I'm a fan. Sorry if you're not.
Beach. Half an hour away - bunch of em.
Maine. Hands down the best place in America in the summer.
Boston. Historic crap, plus good food (not just clam chowder), plus the Red Sox.
Freeport. Okay, so it's in Maine but it's worth a trip on its own.
Cape Cod. Like the beach, only on a cape.
College coaches. This is a basic for most similar summer camps - being in New England means there a bunch of them fairly close by. We'll try to get who you're interested in.
Other speakers. Nobody wants to learn too much over the summer, but nutritionists, elite athletes from both rowing and other sports, sports psychologists and physiologists - all can be really interesting as well as informative. When we get stuff lined up, we'll let you know.
We'll be traveling to the Philadelphia area for Club Nationals, and since I'm more-or-less from there we'll spend some time hanging out, go see Boathouse Row, maybe the Jersey Shore. At Canadian Henley we won't have a lot of downtime, but Niagara falls, which is really a lot of water, is nearby.
The basic idea is to have a good summer even if you weren't rowing, and to give a break from the training every now and then. Just to clarify - it's definitely NOT going to feel like a summer camp that happens to have rowing. It's a straight-up development camp - 12 practices a week, and all the rest that that implies. It'll just have some other fun stuff that's worked in.
Why Essex?
My original thought was to have this sculling development camp in Philadelphia, where I currently coach. I think this location in Massachusetts will be great for a number of reasons, though:
1) We can offer housing. In Philly the plan was to draw on mainly local kids, which would have been great - don't get me wrong - but at Essex the camp can really draw from a national pool and give everyone the same experience, since there are very few local kids who wouldn't be living in the dorms. Part of the whole experience of a summer camp is living together and this gives everyone that chance. Along with housing, we can offer a meal plan.
2) The weather. Let's face it, Philadelphia in the summer can be kind of hot and humid, especially when you're in the city. The average high in this part of New England is about 80 degrees.
3) The river. Yes, the Schuylkill is beautiful and historic - but it's also only 3 miles long and can be full of pissy masters rowers at times... The Merrimack has 8 miles of wide, flat water that's largely protected by high undeveloped banks. It's an ideal place to row.
4) The location. Philadelphia is a great city and being downtown absolutely has its advantages. But we'll about 40 minutes from Boston by train, and as good as the Phillies are going to be this year (and sorry Mets fan, even with Santana I still think the Phils ARE the team to beat AGAIN), the Red Sox are World Champions. Not to mention all the other normal fun Boston stuff. And we'll be only half an hour from the beach, plus an hour from Cape Cod, Maine (lobster mmmmm), all kinds of other cool stuff.
Are there downsides, besides not being on Boathouse Row? Sure... the facilities at Essex are still very much under development, since it's a very young club. You don't get a famous name on your rowing resume. At least, it's not famous yet... you'll have a chance to help change that this summer
1) We can offer housing. In Philly the plan was to draw on mainly local kids, which would have been great - don't get me wrong - but at Essex the camp can really draw from a national pool and give everyone the same experience, since there are very few local kids who wouldn't be living in the dorms. Part of the whole experience of a summer camp is living together and this gives everyone that chance. Along with housing, we can offer a meal plan.
2) The weather. Let's face it, Philadelphia in the summer can be kind of hot and humid, especially when you're in the city. The average high in this part of New England is about 80 degrees.
3) The river. Yes, the Schuylkill is beautiful and historic - but it's also only 3 miles long and can be full of pissy masters rowers at times... The Merrimack has 8 miles of wide, flat water that's largely protected by high undeveloped banks. It's an ideal place to row.
4) The location. Philadelphia is a great city and being downtown absolutely has its advantages. But we'll about 40 minutes from Boston by train, and as good as the Phillies are going to be this year (and sorry Mets fan, even with Santana I still think the Phils ARE the team to beat AGAIN), the Red Sox are World Champions. Not to mention all the other normal fun Boston stuff. And we'll be only half an hour from the beach, plus an hour from Cape Cod, Maine (lobster mmmmm), all kinds of other cool stuff.
Are there downsides, besides not being on Boathouse Row? Sure... the facilities at Essex are still very much under development, since it's a very young club. You don't get a famous name on your rowing resume. At least, it's not famous yet... you'll have a chance to help change that this summer
Beginnings...
Hey Guys
As of now, all I know is the tentative dates: June 18 - August 10 (end of Canley) and the location: Essex Rowing Club, northwest of Boston about half an hour. Still working on housing but my guess is either UMass Lowell, about 10 minutes from the river, or a prep school nearby, either Brooks or Andover. Housing will be provided for everyone and a meal plan as well.
Equipment will all be all brand-new or almost brand new, not sure which make yet (when it's that new, it doesn't make a huge difference). Campers can bring their own 1x if they'd like.
Like most dev camps, we'll take kids from the first one or two cuts of jr. national camp and returning from Royal Henley, though with the small numbers I'm hoping to do we can't wait on too many people. I'm looking to take no more than 14 total guys. Other requirements are pretty standard: sub 6:50, one season competitive sculling, born in 1990 or later (though we might take an outstanding older applicant), coach rec. Racing schedule is Club Nationals, a race or two in Boston, and Canadian Henley.
Costs are in the works, but it should be comparable to other summer-long camps that offer housing, and the dues will certainly be cheaper than the dues of some nearby programs that don't offer housing for the summer. This camp is not a money-maker for Essex: the costs will go directly towards benefitting the campers.
Coaches are myself, the head coach at Essex, and maybe one more. All have coached/raced successfully on a national level before; we'll get a more detailed bio on everyone up when things get shaken out a bit more. I'm looking to draw campers from across the country - that's one reason why I moved from Philadelphia (more on that in a separate post). We will be, as far as I know right now, the only full-summer residential boys sculling development camp in the country so there's potential for being really fast and winning a lot of races, in addition to having a great summer rowing in New England.
As of now, all I know is the tentative dates: June 18 - August 10 (end of Canley) and the location: Essex Rowing Club, northwest of Boston about half an hour. Still working on housing but my guess is either UMass Lowell, about 10 minutes from the river, or a prep school nearby, either Brooks or Andover. Housing will be provided for everyone and a meal plan as well.
Equipment will all be all brand-new or almost brand new, not sure which make yet (when it's that new, it doesn't make a huge difference). Campers can bring their own 1x if they'd like.
Like most dev camps, we'll take kids from the first one or two cuts of jr. national camp and returning from Royal Henley, though with the small numbers I'm hoping to do we can't wait on too many people. I'm looking to take no more than 14 total guys. Other requirements are pretty standard: sub 6:50, one season competitive sculling, born in 1990 or later (though we might take an outstanding older applicant), coach rec. Racing schedule is Club Nationals, a race or two in Boston, and Canadian Henley.
Costs are in the works, but it should be comparable to other summer-long camps that offer housing, and the dues will certainly be cheaper than the dues of some nearby programs that don't offer housing for the summer. This camp is not a money-maker for Essex: the costs will go directly towards benefitting the campers.
Coaches are myself, the head coach at Essex, and maybe one more. All have coached/raced successfully on a national level before; we'll get a more detailed bio on everyone up when things get shaken out a bit more. I'm looking to draw campers from across the country - that's one reason why I moved from Philadelphia (more on that in a separate post). We will be, as far as I know right now, the only full-summer residential boys sculling development camp in the country so there's potential for being really fast and winning a lot of races, in addition to having a great summer rowing in New England.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)