An Inside Look on Rowing at St Andrews
It's no secret that sports are integral to the lives of many St Andrews students, whether you’re an official school athlete, joined a leisurely sports society just for fun, or are spotted every Wednesday at Sinners. The beauty of St Andrews is that you can take sports as seriously or unseriously as you desire. If you’re on the senior men's rowing team, that means dedicating significant time to your sport. The senior team is the most advanced rowing team at St Andrews and the sport of rowing, also referred to as crew, is one of the most physically demanding sports on the human body. Just one stroke requires nearly 86 per cent of total muscle use. The senior men's team at St Andrews practices six days a week, for multiple hours each day. First-year rower Cameron Joyce explained how the team schedule operates, his start with rowing at St Andrews, and how he balances his academic and athletic responsibilities.
The senior men's team trains in different ways throughout the week, but they consistently have early mornings. They start with hour-long morning lifts on Mondays and Fridays, from 6:30-7:30am. They also have erg practices on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, which consist of working out on a machine called an ergometer. The ergometer simulates the motions of rowing on water, so the participant can practice their rowing skills indoors. Joyce humorously informed me that ergs are “a rower's worst nightmare!” Wednesdays are for water sessions, which begin at 1:15pm and wrap up around 5 or 6pm. Fridays are for independent training; rowers can spend the one-hour period choosing how they want to work out. On Saturdays, their practices start at 7am and end at 3pm. During peak racing season (between March and early July), the team trains from 6:30am to 2pm. The team is also unique because they do not assign specific rowers to certain positions. “Because of the way our team works, no one necessarily has a specific position in the boat. We are constantly switching it up,” Joyce mentioned.
Joyce, like the rest of his teammates, has previous experience with the sport. He began his rowing career in high school. He rowed for four years at Malvern Preparatory School and Conshohocken Rowing Club, both in his home state of Pennsylvania. He knew that St Andrews had a good rowing programme and sent his stats to the St Andrews rowing coaches before matriculating. By doing so, he was able to secure a spot on the senior men's team before he even arrived. After five months on the team, Joyce is happy with his decision. “It’s been a really good experience with great team morale,” he reflected. He is most proud of his victory at the Aberdeen Head of the River race, where he placed first in the men’s open quad. In July, he and the team will compete to qualify one of their men's eight teams for the Henley Royal Regatta. They will participate in a 2,000-metre race referred to as a sprint race and a 5,000-metre race referred to as a head race. “I’m a little nervous,” Joyce admitted.
Balancing academics with extra curricular activities and a social life takes intentional skill and planning. I asked Joyce how he manages his studies of Economics and Geography with the demanding schedule. “If you miss a practice for a lecture or tutorial, you can just email the coaches and tell them when you’ll make up the time,” he explained. Sundays are “off days” for the team, and can be used for makeup practices. “The men’s and women’s teams also offer different erg times, so if you can’t attend the 5[pm] erg, you can attend the 6[pm] erg instead,” he said. He doesn’t feel like his busy schedule hinders his social life either. “You spend so much time with the team and have socials every week, but there’s still time outside of sports to get together with other friends and attend different events,” he observed.
There are many ways for students and athletes to get involved with rowing. Despite the intensity and difficulty of the sport, prior experience is not required to join. A trial period is held before teams are officially made, so if you show promise in form and speed you can start your career as a member of the senior team. St Andrews also has both a men’s and women’s novice team specifically intended for those new to the sport. If you aren’t an athlete, don’t fret! Just like many of our lovely sports teams, rowing hosts socials every Wednesday. There is no excuse to miss out!
Image from senior men's & women's team