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I don't know how to row?  We'll teach you.  In August of every year GBC hosts a novice camp.  This is your chance to get a feel for how rowing works.  The next novice camp will be M-F, 0600-0900, August 15-26, 2011.  If you are interested, please complete the following documents on the GBC documents page: "US Rowing Waiver" and "Medical and Emergency Information Sheet."  Mail the completed forms, plus a check for $250.00 to:  Great Bridge Crew, 1245-G Cedar Road PMB 105, Chesapeake, VA 23322.

What do I need for novice camp?  Recommended are black spandex exercise shorts, a tee-shirt, cheap socks and running shoes.  Plus a refillable water bottle.  In crew, socks are disposable.  Eventually you'll want to take your water bottle with you in the shell.
Who is eligible to be on Great Bridge Crew?  Rising freshman coming to Great Bridge High School as well as present Great Bridge High School students.

I am not sure I am in good enough shape to row.  Don’t worry, we’ll get you in shape!

What does GBC cost?  Dues are vary from year to year depending on the total number of rowers. Please refer to our Parent Contract for the Exact amount.  While this seems like a lot, there are opportunities for the parents and the rowers to fund raise money to help off-set these costs.   Parents can work Concessions at Virginia Beach Amphitheater concerts, ODU Football and Basketball games.  Rowers can work as “Rent a Rowers” as well as fund raise through selling Holiday wreathes.   Some families have completely covered their financial obligations with no out of pocket expenses.    For the spring season, the club covers the hotel costs for the rowers at the travel regatta sites.  The dues also cover the registration costs for the regattas as well as the maintenance of the boats. 

What is a regatta?  Regattas are the competitions for rowers.  They can be small local events, like the Eastern Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association events that are held at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens or large National events like the Stotesbury Cup regatta held annually in Philadelphia.  GBC routinely goes to regattas in Woodbridge and Matthews VA.  These are all day events.  As a parent you’ll find it is comparable to tail-gating before a football game.  When a GBC boat is on the water all the parents crowd up to watch and cheer.  Then we sit back down. 

What are the time commitments for rowers?  Novice rowers will row either two or three mornings a week, starting at 0500.  That is during the spring and fall.  On the non-water mornings, the novices will work out for an hour in the gym.   You will find that rowing builds a level of self-discipline in its participants!

What do the rowers do during the off season?  They will lift weights and ERG.  ERGing is basically rowing sets on an ergometers.  Throw in some running and your rower is in great shape! 

What are the time commitments for parents?  As a club sport, GBC is not supported by the school district but by the parents.  Parents are encouraged to sign up for different committees to help make the club go as well as to participate as practice parents.  When the rowers are on the water there is a requirement for at least two parents to be at the boat house.  Being a practice parent isn’t hard and it gives you a chance to see your child row upclose. 

Where does GBC row?  We have been lucky enough to have a longstanding relationship with Atlantic Yacht Basin.  They provide us with a boat house and docks free of charge.  They do this for not just GBC but also Hickory Crew and Juniper Rowing Club.

What is Juniper Rowing Club?  Juniper is a rowing club for adults.

What is rowing?  There are two forms of rowing:

• In sweep or sweep-oar rowing, each rower has one oar, held with both hands. This can be done in pairs, fours and eights. Each rower in a sweep boat is referred to either as port or starboard, depending on which side of the boat the rower's oar extends to. Usually the port side is referred to as stroke side, and the starboard side as bow side; this applies even if the stroke oarsman is rowing on bow side and/or the bow oarsman on stroke side.

• In sculling each rower has two oars (or sculls), one in each hand. Sculling is usually done without a coxswain, in quads, doubles or singles. The oar in the sculler's right hand extends to port (stroke side), and the oar in the left hand extends to starboard (bow side).