Required Forms and Registration Link
Novice Program Overview
The Mercer Novice Team is our introductory competitive rowing program for athletes from 9-12th grade. 8th graders who wish to join must have permission from a Head Coach prior to registering. Please contact Coach Emma (Novice Girls Head Coach) or Coach Brian (Novice Boys Head Coach) for more information. The program is designed to prepare young athletes to successfully train and race on the Mercer Varsity Team.
While our varsity programs are competitive in nature, we strive to create a positive atmosphere for all athletes. We believe that through a good development process and a supportive team environment, athletes of all abilities who put in the work can be successful in the sport. This is a beginner level program designed to introduce young athletes to all aspects of rowing. Practices focus on technique as well as improving fitness. In addition to spending time in rowing shells, athletes will do a lot of land training (erging, running and calisthenics).
There are 4 programs offered throughout the year (click the hyperlink for more specifics on each program):
Fall
Introduction and racing opportunities
Dates: Early September through mid-November
Registration Active: July 15-August 31
Winter
Indoor conditioning/fitness
Dates: Week after Thanksgiving through early March
Registration Active: October 15-November 15
Spring
Main competitive season for rowing
Dates: mid-March through mid-May (or early June if invited to Nationals)
Registration Active: February 15-March 15
Summer
Available for rowers/coxswains with at least one season of rowing
Dates: late June through early/mid-August
Registration Active: May 1-June 15
Transportation:
MJRC does not provide transportation to/from the boathouse for practice. There is a Facebook page for parents (Parents of MJRC) where parents can coordinate carpools. This is a closed group only for parents and you must be a current Mercer Parent to be accepted.
Program Prerequisites:
This program is open to all 9th-12th grade students with one or fewer seasons of prior competitive rowing experience. Participation in a prior novice season or one of our novice summer camps is recommended but not required. 8th graders who wish to join must have permission from a Head Coach prior to registering. Please contact Coach Emma (Novice Girls Head Coach) or Coach Brian (Novice Boys Head Coach) for more information.
Sign Up/Registration:
Registration Link
We use a third party website called RegattaCentral for all of our registrations. If you are having issues with your account please contact RegattaCentral customer support at (614) 360-2922.
Please make sure your account information is up to date, including a current email and emergency contact number. We only utilize this information in the event we need to contact you and in the event of an emergency we need it to be correct! $70 of the registration fee is a non-refundable processing fee.
Late Registration Policy: A $15 late fee will be added to any registration that is not paid within 2 weeks of the start of the season or the date of the event.
Novice Guide: This helpful guide was prepared by the parent of a Mercer Junior rower to help demystify the sport of rowing.
Novice Parents Guide to Rowing
Attendance Policy:
As the program grows and we have more athletes rowing on every team, it is more important that our coaches are prepared to run practice. We are asking all of our coaches to come prepared with the boatings for the day already assembled. To facilitate this, we are asking that all athletes give at least 24 hours notice for a missed practice. If an athlete is boated and missed practice without notifying the coach, the athlete’s boat will not go out on the water that day and the athlete will be on land the following day. We use TeamSnap for athletes to mark availability and absences. You will be given access to TeamSnap when registration is complete.
Rowing is a team sport. For optimal team performance, a crew needs to practice together to prepare for competition. Therefore, being absent from practice is a factor in determining race line-ups.
Regatta Registration
Regatta fees (aka ‘Trip Fees’) for out-of-region races (ex: Head of the Charles, Youth Nationals) are paid in addition to standard programming fees. A registration link will be posted on the Registration/Forms page on our website prior to the event and should be paid by the day of the event. A $15 late fee will be assessed if payment is not made within 2 weeks of the event.
