Rowing is an exciting, competitive sport that takes place on the water in sleek, narrow boats, known as shells. This sport involves high degrees of endurance, strength, teamwork, mental toughness, and an ability to continue on when your body wants to stop. Rowing is a full-body workout using muscles in the legs, torso, and arms.

There are boats for eight, four, two, or one person. An eight (8+) or four (4+) person boat have an on-board captain known as the coxswain. The biggest and fastest boat is for 8 people, measuring over 50 feet long but weighing only 215 pounds! That’s impressive! During the fall & spring season, single gender crews of equal experience row in equal-sized boats and compete against each other in races called regattas.

• FITNESS – Pound for pound, rowers are the strongest athletes on earth! Rowing exercises every major muscle group, builds cardio & aerobic stamina, and has the lowest injury risk possible. It is truly a lifetime sport!
• NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED – Our coaches teach you how to row!
• EVERYONE RACES – If you practice, you compete. No bench warmers!
• INCLUSIVENESS – We have both a men’s & women’s crew team. All rowers compete with other rowers of similar size & experience from all over the area.
• FRIENDSHIP – Rowers build new friendships and memories to last a lifetime!
• TEAMWORK - Rowing is the ultimate team sport; athletes work together to balance the boat, row in perfect unison, and achieve success!

The USC Rowing Association is fully sanctioned by the USC School district as a Club sport. A major difference between Varsity and Club sports is funding. Varsity Sports receive financial support, equipment, etc. from the school district, whereas Club Sports are funded primarily through dues and fundraising. The USC High School does recognize the rowing program with Varsity status and Varsity Letters are awarded to rowers who meet certain criteria.

Students in 7th through 12th grade in the Upper St. Clair School District are eligible to join the USC Rowing Team. We are a co-ed team; however, each crew is of one gender and row separately. Beginning rowers will be given instruction to learn how to row. New rowers are known as novices and compete only against other novice crews. After rowing two seasons on the water as a novice, rowers may advance to either Junior Varsity or Varsity boats.

We offer 2 programs to accommodate both high schoolers and middle schoolers:

• HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM – For high school students interested in full-time rowing, we offer water and land sessions 5 days per week during the fall and spring seasons. Winter conditioning sessions are 5 days per week and included at no extra cost if participating in either the fall or spring season. Rowers compete at regattas/erg races & participate in fundraising activities. Cost $1,025 per season.

• FORT COUCH DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM – A great way for 7th and 8th grade students to get introduced to the sport of rowing with a commitment of just 2 days per week during the fall and spring seasons. Students learn the rowing technique through both water and land sessions. Winter conditioning sessions are 2 days per week and included at no extra cost if participating in either the fall or spring season. Rowers participate in fundraising activities & may compete at regattas/erg races. Cost $500 per season.
• High school rowers are required to purchase a one-piece unisuit. Fort Couch rowers are required to purchase a team t-shirt. Optional team apparel including long sleeved warm up shirts, jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, duffel bags, and hats/visors may be purchased at an additional cost.

The USC Rowing Association is a Club Sport; therefore, financial support from the school district is very minimal. Most of the cost is attributed to equipment, maintenance, and coaches’ salaries. Boats (shells), oars, ergometers, launches and motors are expensive. All equipment must be purchased, maintained, and ultimately replaced. The club must also pay fees for boat storage and regattas, insurance, and general operating expenses.

Rowers’ tuition fees cover a large percentage of the club’s total cost. Rowers and their families raise the rest through a series of fundraising events. Our biggest fundraiser is the Pie Sale in the fall and spring. Each rower is expected to sell and deliver a certain number of pies for the year. Other fundraisers are car washes, local restaurant “spirit” nights and spirit wear sales. Fundraising is a great way to get connected with the team and to promote our organization in the community. We welcome families to help at any event and offer new fundraising ideas.

Rowing extends throughout the entire school year and is comprised of three seasons: Fall, winter and spring. Students may participate in any or all seasons. Rowers participating only in the spring racing season should also participate in the winter conditioning season, including the indoor erg competitions, to prepare and condition for the spring races.

• FALL SEASON (late August thru October) – Rowers are trained and conditioned on the water (weather permitting) in preparation for head races.
• WINTER SEASON (November thru mid-February) – During this “indoor training” season, students use rowing machines called ergometers (ergs) to work on strength training, conditioning, endurance, and technique. Rowers compete at indoor erg competitions.
• SPRING SEASON (mid-February thru May) – Rowers are trained and conditioned on the water (weather permitting) in preparation for sprint races.

The time and location of practices depends upon the season as follows:

• FALL & SPRING SEASON: Monday – Thursday (4 PM to 7 PM) & Saturdays (8:30 AM to 11:30 AM) for high schoolers; Tuesday & Thursday (5:30 PM to 8:00 PM) for middle schoolers.
  • Students meet at the USC High School parking lot and are transported via school bus to the Montour Marina in Coraopolis and practice on the Ohio River (conditions permitting).
• WINTER SEASON: Monday – Friday (4:30 PM to 6:15 PM) for high schoolers; Tuesday & Thursday (6:15 PM to 7:30 PM) for middle schoolers.
  • Students practice indoors at the USC High School on rowing machines called ergometers (ergs). In addition, an outside trainer provides strength training instruction two hours per week.

Yes! Some rowers stay after school to do homework and then go straight to the bus for practice. Some do homework or study on the bus. Others have free periods during the school day when they get school work done. Students who participate in activities often perform better in school than those who do not. Rowing will help you learn time management skills!

Rowing is one of the few “year round” sports. Due to our practice and racing schedule, it is difficult to participate in another sport while on the team. However, many rowers join various clubs & activities and students are welcome to participate in a different sport during the winter season instead of rowing.

Regattas are one- or two-day racing meets with a large number of teams competing in a wide array of events. The USC Rowing Association has one or more tents set up to serve as a meeting and food service area. The team owns several large tents, tables, grills, and other equipment. In between races, the team relaxes in the tents, takes in nourishment, and tries to conserve energy for up-coming races.

There are 3 types of races:

• Fall races are typically Head Races, where boats race individually in a time trial format.
• Winter races are Erg Races, where rowers race using indoor rowing machines.
• Most spring races are Sprint Races, courses that have space for six or seven boats to race at once. Events with more than six registered boats have qualifying pre-races or heats. The top two or three boats in a heat advance to semi-finals or finals for that particular event.

A typical racing schedule for the year may look like this:

• Fall Season – 2 races in October. One is the Head of the Ohio (Pittsburgh, PA) and in the past the other has been Speakmon Memorial Regatta (Columbus, OH), Head of the Schuylkill (Philadelphia, PA), or Head of the Muskingum (Marietta, OH).
• Winter Season – 1 race in February. Erg in the Burgh (hosted by North Allegheny Rowing Association).
• Spring Season – 3 races in April & May. Pittsburgh Scholastic Sprints (Lake Arthur in Moraine State Park), Midwest Scholastic Championships (Milford, MI) and Mercyhurst Regatta (Erie, PA). We sometimes scrimmage against local teams in Pittsburgh.
• Some races are local, one-day events while others are 1- or 2-day events that require an overnight stay with parent chaperones.

Yes, there are opportunities to receive scholarships from colleges and universities! The USC Rowing Association is proud to have both male and female alumni who have received rowing scholarships in recent years. While rowing is increasing in popularity, we are one of the few schools in the area to offer rowing as a club sport. Combined with the Upper St. Clair School District’s exemplary curriculum and reputation, you will have an advantage when applying for admission to colleges and universities looking for new athletes for their rowing teams!

Even if you don’t want to participate in sports after high school, USC Rowing looks great on your college resume! Admissions counselors at colleges and universities know that rowing takes up a considerable amount of time and commitment and they look for that type of dedication in students who apply to their school. Being a part of the rowing team is also great for your social life. Since we spend so much time together on the bus and at practices, we build great friendships! The pasta dinners, regattas, and overnight trips are a lot of fun, too! Plus, as we said before, rowing is a sport that you can enjoy for a lifetime!

Parental support is absolutely vital to maintaining this great varsity program! It’s not like a basketball game, for example, which is played indoors, takes an hour or so to complete, and only requires a couple of referees and a clock operator. On the contrary, running a Rowing Regatta involves significant logistical support from many parents. Our races take place away from the school campus, can stretch for hours, and require a host of volunteers. Parents are asked to volunteer for any one of the many tasks that make regattas, fundraisers, and social events great successes. All families are expected to volunteer, but we will try to match you up with a job you will enjoy!