It's a great art, is rowing. It's the finest art there is. It's a symphony of motion. And when you're rowing well, why it's nearing perfection. And when you near perfection, you're touching the Divine. It touches the you of yous. Which is your soul. -- George Pocock
If you've come to this page, you may be actively thinking about joining the Langley High School Crew Team. We know that you probably have lots of questions. Is the program physically demanding? It is and then some. Maybe you've heard crew training requires a certain amount of dedication and time. We can certainly tell you it requires both. Not everyone is cut out for this great sport, but for those who are, being a part of our team is one of the greatest things you will do during your time at Langley. Our program has grown into one of the top high school programs in Virginia and we regularly create top rowers, top boats, and championships galore. Maybe even more important, our rowers graduate from our program as stronger individuals who regularly make lifelong friends rowing for the Saxons.
Q: Why Row with Langley?
A: There are a lot of great reasons to join Langley Crew
Q: What does a typical year look like?
A: Fall: Learn to Row, a six-week program at the Occoquan where coaches and team members teach potential new rowers basic techniques and get them on the water to see what rowing is all about.
Winter: Winter conditioning begins in mid-November and concludes in late February.
Spring: Water training begins in late February. Regattas are held between late March and the end of May.
Summer: Many of our rowers join nearby clubs or rowing programs to further develop their skills.
Q: When is the Crew season?
A: Crew is a spring sport, but practices begin in the late fall. Winter conditioning normally begins in mid-November and involves strength and endurance conditioning, including rowing on the rowing machines, called “ergs.” Winter conditioning is held at Langley, every afternoon after school and on Saturday mornings. Water practice will begin in late February. Weather permitting, students will go to the Occoquan every afternoon and on Saturday mornings to row on the water. In bad weather, students will practice at Langley
Q: What happens at practice?
A: For winter conditioning, you’ll spend most of your time on the ergs, but you’ll also do some endurance and strength training. For water training, you’ll spend time on the water, rowing with your boatmates to perfect your timing and technique. You may also do some erging or other training at the Occoquan.
Q: Crew seems to be a large time commitment. What about school?
A: The crew team learns how to be really good at time management. You take a bus from Langley to the Occoquan for water training, and the buses have wifi, so most of the team do homework on the bus, and there’s always someone to help with the homework if you need it. The crew team has generally had the highest GPA of all Langley teams, with 50-70% of the crew team having GPAs over 3.5.
Q: Can I do other activities as well?
A: Yes, depending on the activity. Some team members do fall or winter sports, while others do other non-sport activities, such as band or other clubs.
Q: When does the rowing season begin and how long is it?
A: Crew is a Spring sport. The rowing season begins in late February and concludes in late May. Practices take place on the Occoquan River after school Monday through Friday, and on Saturday mornings. Rowers are strongly encouraged to take part in winter conditioning, which begins in mid- November.
Q: How many regattas are there in a season?
A: There generally are five or six local regattas. The Langley Crew team generally goes to two out-of-town regattas—the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in mid-May on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia and the Scholastic Rowing Association (SRAA) Nationals regatta. The SRAA is held Memorial Day weekend, and only qualifying boats will be invited to attend this event.
Q: How do we get to the Occoquan for practice?
A: The Langley Crew Boosters Club provides transportation for athletes from Langley to the Occoquan and then back to Langley HS on weekdays through a private bus carrier. Although some upperclassmen opt to drive themselves, using the bus transportation is promoted for safety reasons. Rowers and their families must provide their own transportation to practices during Saturday practices and regattas.
Q: What do I wear for practice?
A: That depends a little bit on whether you're practicing at the school for winter conditioning, practicing on the water in late February or March, or practicing on the water in spring. For winter conditioning, you'll want to wear a short-sleeved shirt/tank top and athletic shorts, and sneakers.
For practice on the water, you will want to make sure you have the essentials:
For cool-weather practices on the water, wear layers so you can adjust to the temperature. A warm, water-resistant jacket is helpful, as are long, tight-fitting pants or tights.
For warm-weather practice, warm-weather shirts and shorts. Most boys wear compression shorts while the girls generally wear athletic shorts. Most importantly, you will need to bring extra socks (they'll get soaked in the boat) and not wear long, loose shorts.
Q: Who can answer other questions about the crew program?
A: Please email us at Langleyrowing@gmail.com. We will do our best to answer whatever questions you may have!
Where We Row
We row at the Sandy Run Boathouse on the Occoquan River.
10450 Van Thompson Rd
Fairfax Station, VA
Want to learn more about Langley's Crew program?
Check out the New Rowers’ Guide or contact us at Langleyrowing@gmail.com
Click on these links for even more information:
New Rower’s Regatta Survival FAQs