Oakland Strokes Rowing or Artemis for beginning 8th grade girl
Hi,
My rising 8th grade daughter has expressed some interest in rowing and we are thinking a summer camp might be a great way to introduce her to the sport. She's a tall, strong and very athletic girl - it seems like a good fit for her. We've heard great things about both Oakland Strokes and Artemis Rowing but don't know anything about the "feel" of either program and which one might be a better choice for her. She's a competitive type but also pretty shy and not terribly confident. She loves coaches that are structured and expect a lot but are also fun, personable and friendly. Any info about either club that might help us decide which program to try will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Apr 25, 2017
Parent Replies
It's wonderful that you are encouraging her interest! I've been a rower for ~45 years, and my child was recently was on Artemis and is now on Strokes. They are both fantastic programs, great coaches and kids, and both really different in their training, resources, practice commitment, way they develop the middle school program, expectations, size and funding. I would recommend trying both programs ASAP and letting her decide which is the best fit for her from there. Both teams have an intro session as well as summer camp, just let the middle school coaches know your daughter is checking out both teams. Be prepared to spend lots of bucks/apply for scholarship, do your volunteer hours, and maybe fall in love with rowing too. Check if the high school you think she may be attending is associated with a rowing program and see if there are any opportunities there. I think the local races may be done for the season (May 5-7 is a big Sacramento race), but attending a race would be another way to see how the various teams work and how they are supported by parents, coaches and team-mates. Check the regatta central website: https://www.regattacentral.com/regattas
Row on!