Who remembers their first ever race as a junior? It was most likely in an 8x+, and coupled with not much sense of what you had signed up for. Before you knew it, you had become addicted to the sport and had an enthusiasm for going off the start line of a head race or regatta grinning madly as a cox yells at you to stride out onto race rhythm.
Five years ago, I took my first competitive rowing strokes at Hampton Head and the sport has become a large part of who I am. For these first-time racers, Sunday’s event will cover a range of emotions from nerves to joy, and hopefully entice them to delve further into what the rowing world has to offer them.
What is there to say about the J14s crews? Nothing. No, seriously. There have been no events with J14 categories so far this season that can give a strong enough indication of which crew will come out on top of the men’s and women’s sides. The only information I can use to potentially form a preview is the reputation of each club, which does not always prove to be useful. However, it is worth noting that the 3 clubs of St Paul’s School BC, Westminster School BC and Putney High School BC all have 2 crews entered to race. It is promising to see such depth exhibited so early on in the J14 calendar, usually squad numbers start to club in the summer terms, as pupils move away from other sports they would usually play during winter.
Here at Junior Rowing News, we will be keeping a close eye on these results, even though it may be the first and last head race that the J14s get to race. When it comes to regatta season, all bets are off from the head season, especially with less-experienced rowers.
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