Dedication. Perseverance. Excellence. #RowTritons
Competing in the sport of rowing is different from competition in other sports. Rather than one-on-one meets like you would see if football, baseball, or basketball, a small rowing regatta consists of 7-10 teams, typical regattas are 15-20 teams, and championship races are typically 25-60 teams. Typical regattas are one full day long with 16-28 events while championship regattas are often two days long and have 30+ events.
Most MHSAA sports compete at the local level, the regional level (subset of the state), and at the state championship – with states being the highest level of competition. Rowers compete at races with between 7 and 56 other teams at regattas within Michigan, the state championship, regionals (9-state Midwest Championship to qualify for Nationals), and at the National Championship (for qualifying crews only).
Rowing events are categorized by gender, age/experience, and boat type. For example, there are events for freshman, novices (first scholastic year of rowing), juniors (11th grade or under), and varsity (1V, 2V, 3V) for each boat type (one-person, two-person, four-person, and eight-person shells).
Fall races are between 1,500m (~1 mile) and 3,500m (~2.25 miles). There is no limit to the number of races each person can be in and each team is usually allowed to enter more than one boat per event. All events are time trials with boats cross the start line on 15-20 second centers. This format gives new rowers a good opportunity to learn and race without the pressure of side by side competition. During the fall season we practice and compete as one team regardless of the school you attend.
The spring is championship season and racing is 1,500m (~1 mile). Each athlete is allowed to race in a maximum of two events and teams are only allowed to enter one boat per event in some cases. Most events are heats to finals and crews line up 6-8 boats wide, start at the same time, and sprint to the finish line – often battling for position the entire way! This format is fun for the athletes and exciting for parents and spectators. Championship races often have a livestream available so you can see the entire race even if you can’t attend!
During the spring season each team may only represent a single scholastic entity which means we split our rowers and event entries between TC Central and TC West. We still practice as one team, share the same equipment and coaching staff, wear the same uniform, and support each other as one team but are required to race separately. Those who live within the TCAPS school district but are homeschooled or attend a school that does not offer rowing are permitted to race as either Central or West.
The Tritons Rowing program has seen a high percentage of its athletes be recruited and receive college scholarships, often having multiple schools to consider. We believe the team-oriented mindset, confidence and strong work ethic we promote within our team can help drastically boost opportunities to receive a top tier college education in a much more affordable way. For those interested, we have a 10-step guide on what you will need to do!
Rowing is a traveling sport with 3-4 races per season. All races will be listed on the team calendar at the start of the season and families are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from the events. Athletes need to be at the hotel at 7:30pm the night before each race for the team meeting. Parents that drive athletes down to a race are responsible for bringing them to the race site in the morning.
We utilize Google Drive, Google Calendar, email, and text messaging for communication throughout the season and have a parents only text group so you can work together on carpooling.
It is ultimately each family’s responsibility to make sure their athlete can get to practice each day and to the race site on regatta weekends.
Travel Fees are assessed each Fall and Spring season. See the FAQ below for more information.
We have a 5 absence policy each season. Competitive rowing requires teamwork, coordination, timing, and athletic ability. This can only be learned in the boat with the athletes you will be racing with. Missing practice effects your progress and that of your boat. Any athlete that misses more than 5 practices will be allowed to continue practicing but will not be allowed to race. The season travel fee will not be refunded due to violations of our attendance policy.
Why Row In The Fall:
Fall is the start of the school year and the start of the scholastic rowing year. This season is where we take our time to learn the fundamentals of the sport and how to build speed.
After learning the basics, we focus on the aerobic and endurance aspects of the sport and base our training plans around the longer races and lower stroke rates.
This is the best season to start rowing.
Dates:
August 18th – October 24th, 2025
No practice over Labor Day Weekend
Practice Schedule:
Monday – Thursday Evenings: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Saturday Mornings: 8:00 am – 10:30 am
Primary Location: Medalie Park
Alternate Location: East Middle School
Regattas:
Head of the North Regatta in Traverse City, MI – Sept 27th
Heron Henley Challenge/Arctic Classic in Milford, MI – October 11th & 12th
Eastern Fall Classic in Grand Rapids, MI – Oct 18th
Season Costs:
Registration Fee: $650
A payment plan is available during registration.
Financial aid may be available.
Regatta & Travel Fee assessed after registration closes. See the FAQ below for cost estimates.
Why Row In The Winter:
Winter is where we work to build the explosive strength and speed needed to be successful in the spring championship season.
We spend a lot of time in the weight room developing strength and learning to increase our wattage on the erg. On the rowing machines, our training plan begins to shift from primarily aerobic and endurance to more anaerobic and sprint performance.
New rowers are welcome to join in the winter and will have a great opportunity to learn.
Dates:
Monday, January 6th – Friday, February 28th, 2025
No Practice on Monday, January 20th
Practice Schedule:
Monday – Friday
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Practices will consist of strength workouts in the weight room and rowing machine pieces.
Location:
East Middle School
1776 N Three Mile Rd, Traverse City, MI 49696
Season Costs:
Registration Fee: $450
Why Row In The Spring:
Spring is the championship season for rowing. Our team competes at the State, Midwest Regional, and National level.
While we work to maintain the aerobic performance and endurance built up through the fall and winter seasons, in the spring we focus on the anaerobic performance needed to be successful.
New athletes are welcome in the spring, but our on water training time is more limited compared to the fall due to when the lake thaws and how early the regattas are.
Dates:
March 10th – May 21st, 2025
No practice during Spring Break
Tryout & Practice Schedule until the lake thaws:
Location: East Middle School
Monday – Friday Evenings: 5:00pm – 7:30pm
Practice Schedule once the lake thaws:
Location: Medalie Park
Monday – Thursday Evenings: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Saturday Mornings: 8:00 am – 10:30 am
Regattas:
Mitten Race Series at Kensington Metro Park in Milford, MI – Saturday, May 3rd (first weekend in May)
Midwest Scholastic Championship at Kensington Metro Park in Milford, MI – Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th (second weekend in May)
Michigan State Championship at Kensington Metro Park in Milford, MI – Saturday, May 17th (third weekend in May)
Scholastic National Championship Regatta at Cooper River in Pennsauken, NJ – Friday, May 23rd & Saturday, May 24th. For qualifying crews only. Additional travel fees apply.
Season Costs:
Registration Fee: $650
A payment plan is available during registration.
Financial aid may be available.
Regatta & Travel Fee assessed after registration closes. See the FAQ below for cost estimates.
All racing in the spring and some racing in the fall takes place at Kensington Metropark and there is a daily park fee for those attending. We recommend purchasing an annual Metropark pass.
Why Row In The Summer:
Summer rowing is a high performance sculling program designed to fine tune rowing technique, build comfort in small boats, and master the skills needed to improve on water speed.
At least 1 full season of competitive rowing is required. This is NOT for rising 9th graders or new rowers.
Dates:
June 16th – July 18th, 2025
No practice on 7/4 and 7/5 for 4th of July
Practice Schedule:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday Mornings: 7:00 am – 9:00 am
Limited to 16 athletes
Regattas:
Chicago Sprints in Chicago, IL – July 11th & 12th. Racing begins at 2 pm on Friday. This race is an invitational and our team’s attendance is based on our entries being accepted.
Season Costs:
Team Registration: $550
The season registration fees for high school rowing can be found by clicking on the respective season above.
Currently, these fees cover the following: administration fees, equipment usage and maintenance, state and regional association fees, park use and indoor training space fees, and coaches’ fees.
They do not cover regatta and travel fees. All athletes are expected to travel and compete at each of the regattas. Nationals in the spring is an optional race for qualifying crews.
The regatta and travel fee will fluctuate from season to season based on the races we attend, hotel costs, food costs, and the number of athletes on the team.
For budget purposes, this fee should be approximately between:
Fall season: $300 – $450
Spring season: $450 – $550 (does not include Nationals)
The regatta and travel fee covers race registration, boat transportation, team hotel rooms, and race day food.
It does not cover athlete transportation to and from the regattas or parent hotel rooms. We will have a parent block of rooms available at a discounted rate if you are attending and have a team chat group to assist with arranging carpooling if you are not attending.
Yes, the season registration can be paid in full or in biweekly installments.
Financial aid may also be available during the fall and spring seasons.
Athletes joining the team are committing themselves to the season and are expected to attend all practices and races. Attendance is tracked each day and is one part of the selection process for boat lineups.
Rowing is a unique sport in that there are no sidelines or substitutions. Switching just one person in a boat can drastically change how it feels and effects practice for the other athletes. Once we leave the dock each day we are out on the water until the end of practice so being on time and able to stay until the end of practice is important.
Absolutely! Participating in other sports and activities is a great way to cross train and meet new people.
Players are expected to attend practices and games and will need to budget their time wisely to make sure they can handle their school work while still honoring their commitment to our team and any others they choose to join.
Rowing is a club travel sport that does not receive funding from the district. To give a cost comparison vs other club travel sports:
North Shore Volleyball: $1,000 per season for 3 practices per week. Does not include food and hotels for away games.
North Storm Soccer: $500-$750 per season (age dependent) for 2 practices per week. Does not include referee fees, food, and hotels for tournaments.
We practice 5 times per week for 2.5 hours per day in boats that cost between $7,000 and $40,000 each.