Some misconceptions that plague our campus surround a sport that is commonly known as Fall Crew. Though it houses some of Hill’s strongest athletes, the Fall Crew program is one that many students consider illusive. With this status of mystery comes many misconceptions that fail to reveal the true nature of the athlete experience. 

The title itself, “Fall Crew,” mischaracterizes the way that the Fall Rowing team approached training and competition. Head Coach Will Scully explains, “Crew is not an accurate term and that small boat training or sculling would be a better name for what we do in the fall.” Coach Scully and rowers Micheal Rapp ‘24 and Colin Mclengan ‘24 elaborated on the difference between the Fall season and Spring season, which is the boats and rowing styles used. During the Fall, singles and doubles are rowed instead of the 4s and 8s that are rowed in the spring. The fall boats also have two oars, compared to the singular oar one would use in the spring. 

Another misconception that surrounds Fall Small Boat Training is that the athletes only stay on campus to erg or go hang out in boats. However that is not the case, as Coach Scully expressed that the staff and rowers try to create an enjoyable environment of hard work. The team’s hard work is undoubtedly shown throughout the rigorous practice plans that the coaches have put together. Their practices are 2-4 hours long with a variety of different workouts, including distance rows, working on technique, conditioning, and strength workouts depending on the days described by Micheal Rapp ‘24. 

Although rowing workouts can prove challenging, the team environment is still very welcoming and patient with beginners. The Rowing team is known throughout campus to be very close-knit and spends hours on end together. Paige Barnhart ’25 states the close-knit nature of the team: “To be successful you have to have a strong relationship and team bond.” Having those bonds not only makes the physically tasking practices a bit more fun but it allows the rowers to make friendships that they might not have made otherwise in the classroom or dorm. Annie Gaither ‘24 recollected her favorite parts of the season. “I love team dinners. Every day after practice, whether it was good or bad, we get together and don’t talk about practice but about our lives and anything over the moon.”  

As the Fall season concludes and these athletes look to their Winter sports, the rowing community will continue to be active in training and bonds with one another.