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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. Even I am surprised to see the level of spirited discussion this topic has generated. After reading overwhelming opposition to football, any second thoughts are now removed. We will stay firm to no football. That leads to a perfect segue into the topic of Crew. The next thing DS asked is particiaption in Crew if he cannot do football. We did not let him sign up because of time committment and he needs to get adjusted to the curriculam. I believe the crew time committment is even more than any other sports because there is travel time to get to practice and back. Other than health and team work benefits, are there any other advantages to this sport. [/quote]

DS has a couple of friends who crew at TJ, including one very close friend, and it is brutal. Probably the most demanding sport or extracurriculars TJ, which is saying something. I thought marching band was bad — 3 weeks of FT marching before school, one at sleepaway camp, full weekend “home camps” early in the season, 3 days afternoons a week (until 6 on Monday and 7:30 2 other days, so home at 7 or 8:30) plus Friday games, 0plus full day (7 am to midnight) Saturday competitions. His crew friends say band was so much less of a commitment than crew. They have been conditioning after school every day for a couple months, with returners conditioning at home year round.  And once the season starts, it seems like they practice on the Occaquan every single day, including holidays and weekends. He has a friend whose family did not go on spring break so she could do 40+ hour a week of practice  trying to make the “best boat” (she did not). Crew accepts no excuses. You get sick, you don’t row. Same for an MD appointment or academic commitment. Kids need the disciplined to get home at 8:30or 9 every night, be physically exhausted, and manage a TJ workload. Not every kid can pull this off.  A lot of TJ sports teams know they will not have a winning season.  They take it seriously and work hard, but within reason.  TJ crew treats it like an Olympic trading camp.   Crew is lots of weekend travel if your kid is any good. And a club sport, so no school financial support.  It quickly gets very expensive, especially if your kid is good and qualifies for extra regattas. Plus you freeze your ** off for hours on the side of a river waiting for a,glimpse of your kids boat zipping by.

But on the flip side, kids who have the right physique,  take crew seriously and work their a**  can start with no experience and end up crewing for Ivy or Ivy caliber school. And the kids and parents who crew are really nice, and a very close knit, supportive group (while at the same time being ultracompetitive on the water).  Just make sure you and your kid know what they are getting into. They need to want it, and be willing to sacrifice. So do you (carpools, $$, lost family time).

I don’t want to seem like crew is all bad. Many of the  kids who do it love it, and think it is one of th highlights of their time at TJ. Just go into it with eyes wide open.  I would let my kid crew— but I would have to believe he could keep his grades up and that he really wanted it.

An FYI— I have heard from someone I consider to be reliable that crew did not cut girls last year, but did cut a handful of full of boys. They only have so many boats. It is slightly harder to break in after freshman year, because their are freshman specific boats.  So if your kid is serious, they should start showing up to condition every day now.  Especially if they are not a freshman.

A lot of this is secondhand info from talking to parents and kids involved in TJ crew.  Parent with kids who actiually crew, 0lease correct me.

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+1 on the fact that crew is a brutal number of hours.  My kid doesn't go to TJ.  We added up and DC spends 40+ hours a week on crew and travel to/from.  Thankfully still maintains a nearly straight A average with many APs. School is boring to DC, so being involved in crew works for DC.  But, I have seen many kids in crew who are not as strong academically and they really struggle to maintain good grades.  Unless you're a really great rower, the grades for rowing trade off is not a beneficial one.  I only a know a few kids who got into schools a significant caliber above what they would have gotten into just based on grades.  
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