As the LSU rowing club prepares for the Heart of Texas Regatta on March 2 in Austin, Texas, it will rely on its close-knit atmosphere to push to the finish line.
Rowing is a sport in which a single athlete cannot carry the team to victory, and if someone tries to put the team on his or her back, it often does more harm than good.
Instead, each crew member must be in sync with the other members of the boat. By utilizing the combined strength of the team, a collection of modestly sized men or women can fly across the water and leave a stronger but less organized team in the dust.
Divided into novice and varsity categories, members are placed into four- and eight-member boats with other men or women of the same skill level. According to mechanical engineering senior Carly Loeb, it is not unusual for these boat crews to grow attached to one another over the season.
“One time during my freshman year, [we] scratched ourselves from a race so one of the other members could go see her dying grandmother,” Loeb said. “We were like sisters.”
One of the most important experiences for cultivating those tight bonds is also the most notorious aspect of the rowing club: 6 a.m. practice five days a week.
“Some people hear 6 a.m. and just walk away,” Loeb said.
While the idea of doing a strenuous workout before the sun has risen scares off some potential members, the ones who stick it out claim it just becomes part of the daily routine.
“Once you get yourself out here and around [other people], it’s not too bad,” said kinesiology junior Toneyell Shopshire. “I don’t know what I would do with my time if I wasn’t in rowing.”
Pre-nursing freshman Emily Gundlach said while the early mornings were tough in the beginning, she has finally acclimated after about a month.
The University Lake actually shaves time off the early mornings because it allows crew members to be able to roll out of bed 15 minutes before practice, but other teams such as Alabama have to leave campus around 4:30 a.m. to practice.
When they aren’t on the water, the crew can be seen taking over the University Student Recreational Complex weight and cardio area.
Geology and anthropology junior David Susko said running and circuit training fills in the holes during preparation due to time constraints and lack of equipment.
For members who have been around for several years, like Loeb, a simple reason reveals why they go through all this work.
“I love the physical act of rowing. It’s hard, but I love it,” Loeb said.
