Life on the Team

who we are

Established in 1981, Northwestern Crew is a competitive student-run rowing club. Although we compete and succeed at a high level, we accept athletes of all degrees of experience. If you're a dedicated and motivated individual that is interested in staying in shape, being a part of a team, and competing at the collegiate level, Northwestern Crew may be right for you. Northwestern Crew is a barrier-free organization, meaning there are no try-outs or cuts.

Northwestern Crew cannot actively recruit high school rowers and does not offer athletic scholarships.

Our team

Our men’s and women’s teams are combined into one squad. We attend the same practices, but our boats are separated by gender. Coxswains, however, may compete with either team, regardless of gender. We have members from all over the country, and 20% of our team is international. The majority of our team has no previous rowing experience, and over 60% of our team boasts a GPA higher than 3.7. Additionally, over 80% of our team is pursuing a second major or minor.

Competition

All squads compete at regattas in the fall and spring, racing other club teams from all around the country. In the fall we race in longer “head” races, which are about 5000m long. In the spring, we race in shorter “sprint” races which are 2000m long. We travel to and from regattas in team vans and stay in hotels. We don’t compete against other teams in the winter, but we complete a number of “test pieces”, or time trials on the erg.

Coxswains

A coxswain is an athlete that sits in the stern or bow of the boat (depending on the boat's style) and is responsible for steering the boat, executing drills, and maintaining the safety of the crew and the boat. Coxswains improve their teammates’ rowing through technical and motivational calls. While they don't physically make the boat move, a good coxswain helps their crew row with more cohesion and efficiency, and therefore faster.

WINTER PRACTICE

In the winter, we practice on Concept2 Ergs (rowing machines) Monday through Friday with additional practices on Saturday (optional for novices). Practice occurs on the SPAC basketball courts, and the men’s and women’s teams typically alternate 6:00 AM and 7:15 AM practice. Occasionally, the squads will practice together. Practice will typically include a dynamic warmup followed by an erg workout, with stretching (and core 1-2 weekly) at the end. Our workouts include a mix of easier “steady state” workouts, and harder interval workouts.

fall/spring practice

In the fall and spring, we practice on the water at the Dammrich Rowing Center in Skokie, IL from 6:00-8:00 AM. At 5:15 AM, university vans operated by members of our teams will begin pickups at team members residences. We arrive at the boathouse around 5:40, and we get ourselves ready to row. Including drills and our workout, we stay on the water for around 90 minutes before we dock. Once everything is put away, we head back to campus, usually by 8:10 AM.

MAJOR TRAVEL TRIPS

Spring Break

We will depart for our spring break training trip the Saturday after winter finals week and return the following Sunday (March 21-29). The trip will occur in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is about 9 hours away by car. The trip will include twice a day practice and plenty of team bonding. Given that most teams are back on the water before we are, this trip is paramount to our success as a team (particularly novices), and you are expected to attend. That said, it is very fun, and the highlight of many rowers year!

ACRA

ACRA is our national championship, which also occurs in Oak Ridge. This year we leave Wednesday, May 13 and return Monday, May 18. Racing will occur May 15-17 (Friday to Sunday). Each boat will race 2-3 times, and there will be plenty of downtime to hangout with teammates and get schoolwork done. This regatta is super mandatory to attend. If you want to join the team, but you are unsure if you can attend ACRA, let our recruitment chairs or captains know ASAP. Our racing chair is also a great resource for managing

OUtside of PRactice

As a team, we have lots of opportunities to grow closer and make friends outside of practice! We have social events on a weekly basis. These include team dinners, game nights, formal events, and more. Some of our team members even form intramural sports teams, including basketball (don’t tell our coach)! Social events occur both as a whole team and as separate men’s and women’s teams, fostering an incredible tight-knit group of individuals.