No. Few, if any, students entering LBSS have had any rowing experience.

Crew demands endurance, strength and discipline, which we build through regular exercise throughout season and pre-season Winter Conditioning training.   Most freshmen rowers have never tried rowing before, so skills and discipline of crew can be learned.

High school crew races are typically 1500 meters in length.

Crew is a spring sport. The rowing season begins in late February and concludes in late-May. Daily practices (Monday through Friday) take place on the Occoquan River (Bull Run Regional Park).   Saturday practices are in the morning. Rowers are strongly encouraged to take part in pre-season winter conditioning at the school, which begins in mid-November.

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

The LB Board has a volunteer carpool coordinator who will circulate a signup sheet for parents to assist with transportation to Bull Run Marina.   Though it may seem overwhelming, the details will come out at the beginning of the season and parents make it happen.

Details to follow.  Separate fees for Winter Conditioning and Spring Season.

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.

Yes. There are additional expenses for required crew uniforms, parking at Sandy Run regattas, Spring Camps, and travel to out-of-town regattas. The purchase of optional team apparel such as sweats, polo shirts, hats, visors, jackets, etc. is extra.

Yes. All parents are required to volunteer for at least one VASRA position, and one LBSS Crew position at a Regatta. Parents help plan and conduct the activities with the various LB Crew Board and at-large Members, including fund-raising activities, team pasta parties, volunteer assignments at the Occoquan, the annual end-of-season picnic, etc. Parents are also asked to serve as chaperones.  Support of, and participation in, fund-raising is especially important. These activities not only make it possible to have a crew program but also provide a way for parents to be involved in their children’s lives and get to know their children’s friends and other LBSS parents.

It takes a village to run a crew team, and every family must contribute volunteer hours. Luckily, there are many opportunities, both during the season and through out the year, to contribute.

All families must:

• Volunteer for at least one LB Crew Job
• Volunteer for at least one VASRA Regatta assignment

More information coming soon about what these Volunteering activities entail.

The LB Crew team has a board of directors elected annually for a one-year term. The election is held each year at the end-of-season crew banquet. The board meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month during the school year. All parents are welcome to attend!   Check out your TeamChat Calendar for details.

Regatta days are hectic times at the Sandy Run boathouse, and there are a few ways to get there. Parents can drop off students at the boathouse, but be prepared to pay a fee (currently $20 for a car with two or more persons).  The parking lots close to the boathouse fill up early in the morning and access can be limited. If you want to park near the river, you may have to park in the Loisvale Road lot, and walk on the gravel path through the woods to the boathouse, or you may have to park in the upper lot on Van Thompson near Hampton Road and take a shuttle bus from the parking lot to the boathouse. Finally, an off-site shuttle bus runs as well to the river on regatta days and details will be shared prior to regattas so you can prepare accordingly. The roads on the way to Sandy Run are always clogged with traffic, so if you plan on parking near the river or being dropped off it’s a good idea to arrive early.

Although there is a time when the coaches try to end practices, the schedule is ultimately up to the workout, conditions, and boat traffic each day. During winter training, conditioning ends quite consistently around 6:15pm, but times may vary. When the rowing season officially starts, the crews have until dark to get off the water, but, especially at the start of the season, the end of practice can range anywhere from 6:00pm to 6:40pm. Different boats also get off at different times, so carpools across multiple boats should plan on waiting. After daylight savings starts, practice is generally over by 7:00pm. The times for Saturday practices can vary, so you should pay attention to the coaches and captains for Saturday practice times.

Almost once a month on Friday night before the regattas, the crew team holds a pasta party at the LBSS. Everyone eats massive amounts of spaghetti and garlic bread to build up their carbs for the regatta the following day, and good times are had. When attending a pasta party keep in mind that each rower is assigned a food item based on their seat, and that everyone should plan for it to last no longer than 10:30pm. Attendance is not mandatory.

 For details like addresses and food assignments one should check TeamSnap app or talk to the captains. Pasta Parties are lots of fun, and they provide a nice big meal before regattas. Just be sure not to eat too much!

For anyone who wants to view a race the grandstands are one of the best (and only) places to cheer for the team. The grandstands provide a great view of the last 500 meters of each race and there are refreshments there during regattas. On regatta days there are two ways to get to the grandstands. First, there is a gravel footpath that leads to the grandstands from the upper parking lot (Lot C). The walk is about ¾ of a mile and it can be a little steep at times but still by no means strenuous. The footpath runs along the side of the river. The second means of transportation to the grandstands is a shuttle bus that sometimes runs from Lot C to the grandstands. There are no official pick up or drop off times, and the bus just does a continuous loop. There is a  fee to ride the grandstand shuttle.

Details on Service Opportunities will be shared on TeamSnap Calendar and in the Bruin Crew Newsletter.

Information about regattas held away from Sandy Run, is available under What are Regattas?.

Information about hotels rooms for families traveling to Stotesbury and SRAA Nationals should be available on the website in January. Then, in mid-April, eligible rowers will receive a travel packet outlining costs and other details from the LBSS Crew events coordinator.

Winter training is non-mandatory conditioning held at LBSS during the regular winter sports season. Sessions are held at the school from 4pm to 6:15pm, four days per week. Although attendance is not a team requirement, it is HIGHLY recommended. Winter training gives teammates a chance to bond as they work out together, and builds fitness. In the spring season, fast rowers make fast boats!

Yes! Spring break the team plans a Spring Break Camping trip.   Details to follow.

If info isn’t on the website, feel free to contact our our head coach at coach@bruincrew.com or our admin team at VPAdmin@bruincrew.com.