The team typically has between 90 and 120 student athletes and 6 – 10 coaches. There are no tryouts required to join. Acceptance is based on registration requirements (SEE REGISTRATION TAB), not athletic performance.

The board and coaching staff may decide to do tryouts if the team is unable to accommodate all potential athletes. This decision will be made prior to registration for the upcoming season after considering the following: Safety risks, budget constraints, training space, and coaching staff.

No. Generally, few Crew Team members have had any rowing experience before they join the team. New, or novice, athletes are encouraged to participate in the Fall Rowing Program during October to learn the basics before signing up for the team. But even if you missed Fall Rowing and Winter Conditioning, you can still join the team and learn as you go. We’ll teach you everything you need to know!

Registration begins in August for Fall Rowing, Winter Conditioning, and the Spring Season. There are a number of requirements you need to meet, including getting your VHSL Athletic Physical Form signed by a doctor, so get started early. Register for all three programs at LBCrewRegistration. Contact vpa@bruincrew.com with questions.

Fall Rowing

WHERE: Bull Run Marina (12619 Old Yates Ford Road, Clifton, VA)

WHEN: Monday – Friday; 3:45 p.m. – 6/6:30pm (end times may vary)

Winter Conditioning

WHERE: Lake Braddock Secondary School

WHEN: Monday – Friday

NOVICES: 3:30-5:30 p.m.; VARSITY: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

– Some morning practices may be offered.

Spring Season (Pre-Regatta)

WHERE: Bull Run Marina (12619 Old Yates Ford Road, Clifton, VA)

WHEN: Monday – Friday, 3:45 – 6/6:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8 – 10:30 a.m.

Spring Season (Regattas Begin)

WHERE: Bull Run Marina (12619 Old Yates Ford Road, Clifton, VA) or Sandy Run Marina (Van Thompson Road, Fairfax Station, VA), depending on the day of the week and whether you are scheduled to race in the upcoming regatta

WHEN: Monday – Friday, 3:45 – 6/6:30pm; Saturday, time is dependent on what time you are racing (Regattas run from early morning to late afternoon.)

While the Crew Team does not provide official transportation to and from Bull Run and Sandy Run marinas, we do have a Carpool Coordinator to facilitate a carpool network during the rowing season. Athletes are highly encouraged to take advantage of this for several reasons – the country roads can be tough for young drivers; carpooling will alleviate traffic jams; and some practices begin at one marina and end at another. With parent volunteers’ help, carpooling can be painless. 

QUESTIONS? Contact carpools@bruincrew.com.

The Lake Braddock Crew Team does not receive any school, state, or county funding, so all costs for the LB Crew Program is from athlete dues and fundraising. Total dues for the year are $1,150.

Registration dues: $250 due prior to the start of Winter Conditioning; $900 due prior to the start of the Spring Season

• Contact the Treasurer (Treasurer@bruincrew.com) if you need to make special payment arrangements.   

• Multi-student discount: For families/households with more than one participant on the Crew Team in the same year, the first athlete pays full price and each subsequent athlete gets a $100 discount.

Other costs:

• Uniform: New athletes must purchase a uniform for about $170; team jackets and other swag are optional
• Travel regattas: Travel regattas (Stotesbury Cup and SRAA) are optional and by invitation only; fees for these regattas are not included in the regular-season registration dues and will be determined based on cost and number of attendees

Occoquan Boat Club’s Julia Shew Memorial Rowing Scholarship

Details will be released during Winter Conditioning. For more information visit rowobc.org.

RaiseRight

Crew Team families can offset program dues with earnings through RaiseRight, a fundraising program in which parents raise money by purchasing gift cards and/or shopping online.  For more information and to get started, contact the team’s RaiseRight coordinator at raiseright@bruincrew.com.

The Lake Braddock Crew Team would not exist without the support of our volunteers, and we need your help to make the team a success. At minimum, we require each Crew family to participate in one fundraising event and to work two half-day shifts at a regatta. Athletes are required to participate in the Ergathon and Door-to-Door fundraising campaigns, and are encouraged to participate in as many fundraising events as possible. But we have many more volunteer opportunities, ranging from helping to set up before a Team Dinner to taking a role on the Board for a year. Some jobs last an entire season, some last just an hour. We appreciate all the help you’re able to give!

Payment Methods 

• Zelle: Use Treasurer@bruincrew.com
• Venmo: Use @LakeBraddock-CrewBoosters; add 3% if paying by credit card 
• Check: Payable to Lake Braddock Crew Boosters Club; mail to Lake Braddock Crew, P.O. Box 10458, Burke, VA 22009

Refund Policy: Lake Braddock Crew Boosters Club is committed to encouraging maximum commitment of our rowers and families to our program. In order for us to ensure we have locked in sufficient coaching staff and equipment for the season, we plan our program budget in the summer based on projected rower and fundraising revenues. However, we understand that circumstances do arise in which rowers are no longer able to continue in the program. Therefore, we have constructed a fair and equitable refund policy.

• The initial payment of $250 is not refundable after the start of Winter Conditioning for any reason, including injury.
• The remaining registration fee of $900 is fully refundable until two weeks after the start of on-the-water practice. To request a refund, a parent/guardian must send a request to  President@bruincrew.com with “REFUND REQUEST” in the subject line. Please allow 30 days to process the refund. After that, refunds will be considered by the Board on a case-by-case basis. 
• If an athlete is removed from the team for disciplinary reasons, all dues are forfeited.

The Crew Team has several methods for keeping in touch and disseminating information:

1. Slack: The team’s primary source of dispensing up-to-the-minute news. All athletes and parents MUST have the app, or they will miss valuable and timely information. You will receive an invitation to join the LB Crew Team Slack channel upon registration.
2. Newsletter: Emailed weekly during Regatta Season and monthly at other times
3. Email: Most communication is through Slack, but the newsletter, registration and carpool info, and other info may be relayed through email.
4. Social media:  Facebook, Instagram, BruinCrew.com

Rules of coach/athlete communication: 

1. Coaches and athletes may communicate via email IF: 
   1. At least one other adult is included in the thread
   2. Only FCPS email accounts may be used; private emails are not acceptable
2. Slack messages between coaches and athletes are prohibited.

Local regattas take place on the Occoquan River at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax County. The address is 10450 Van Thompson Road, Fairfax Station, VA 22039.

High school Crew races are typically 1,500 meters.

Rowing is a club sport because only select Fairfax County schools offer crew. As a result, we receive NO financial support from the Fairfax County Public Schools or LBSS. Rowing is supported by the dues paid by each rower’s family and by fundraising activities. Income from these sources are used for coaches’ salaries, equipment purchase and maintenance, rack fees for our boats, regatta fees, insurance, and other operation needs.

Yes, rowers and coxswains can earn letters. LBSS Crew athletes meet Virginia High School League and LBSS requirements for participation in sports, and therefore are eligible to earn varsity letters.

Athletes can qualify for regattas outside of the regular spring season. Coaches will create line-ups based on the ability to make the boat move the fastest, attendance, attitude/teamwork and erg score. The travel regattas are usually reserved for the varsity team. Qualified athletes will receive communication when available.

Winter Conditioning is an after-school training program held at Lake Braddock Secondary School designed to prepare athletes for the physical demands of the Spring Rowing Season. Conditioning runs from November until the official start of the rowing season in February. It includes training on the Ergs (rowing machines), running, weightlifting, etc. Coaches will choose and train coxswains at this time as well.

It is not mandatory to participate in Winter Conditioning, especially if the athlete is involved in a winter sport. However, this is the time when athletes start to bond with the team and when Coaches start forming line-ups. 

There is no obligation to join the team once Winter Conditioning is over.

The Crew Team is planning a Spring Break Training Camp. It is optional and is an extra cost, but athletes are highly encouraged to attend. Stay tuned for details.

Reach out to the parent liaison at parent@bruincrew.com with any questions throughout the year. We know Crew has a lot of moving parts and can be confusing, even for veteran parents.

The swim test is required for athletes new to the Lake Braddock Crew Team, including those only participating in Fall Rowing. The entire test must be taken dressed in a T-shirt, shorts and socks, to simulate what a rower would wear on the water. The test consists of three parts:

• Go two lengths of the pool (100 meters) without touching the bottom or sides of the pool
• Tread water for 2 minutes
• Put on a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life preserver while in the pool

Tests are held before the start of Fall Rowing, Winter Conditioning, and Spring Season. Look on BruinCrew.com for dates and signups.

Regattas are held every Saturday during the season. Check the Handbook in the Team Info tab for everything you need to know about regattas — what to bring, where to park, and more!