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Saint Ignatius Chicago Rowing

Registration

NEW TO CREW?

Almost every crew team member will tell you that joining the crew team is one of the best decisions they made at Ignatius. If you are new to rowing you would be considered a Novice. A Novice rower is anyone in their first year of rowing. All subsequent years, rowers are moved to the varsity team. Checkout the snapshot of the practice schedule with some details below:

FOR NOVICE ROWERS: SICR AT A GLANCE

  • Rowing is a year round sport with two seasons to compete
  • Novice Practices: Monday - Friday 3:30pm -5:30pm and Saturday from 8:00am - 10:00am
  • Novice’s take a bus service Mon- Fri  between St. Ignatius, boathouse & return to St. Ignatius
  • Fall, spring, and summer practice are on the Chicago River | Eleanor Boathouse
  • Practices during the winter months are held at St. Ignatius & Eleanor Boathouse
  • Fall Season: The start of the school year - Thanksgiving
  • Winter Season:  Practice starts after Christmas break and through spring break
  • Spring Season: Practice runs through the end of May with regional and national regattas
  • The team participates in major regattas and travels for spring break to Oak Ridge Tennessee.
  • A team tee shirt is provided for the fall regatta season. Once a Novice graduates to the other boats, they will be required to wear a team uniform.
  • In general, the best clothing for rowing is soft, stretchy, breathable, and fairly form-fitting. One of the basic clothing requirements is Spandex shorts/trousers for wearing in the shell. Loose shorts and pants can get caught in the slides under the moving seats, so avoid basketball style shorts.

NOVICE SWIM TEST

Safety is a top priority for SICR.  We need to be 100% comfortable that each team member has the ability to stay afloat, in the unlikely event that their boat tips over.  To this end, all new (novice) crew members are required to pass a swim test before getting in a boat. Passing the test covers you for your entire time on the Crew team.  To pass the test, you must be able to:

  • Enter the water, wearing a full set of crew workout clothes (i.e. long pants with jacket/sweatshirt), and swim 50 meters (any stroke)
  • Tread water for 10 minutes while still wearing clothes
  • Demonstrate the ability to place a life jacket on while treading water

FOR VARSITY ROWERS: SICR AT A GLANCE

  • Practice:  Monday – Friday 5:00am until 7:00am and Saturday from 6:00am-8:00am
  • Transport: students with cars drive and tend to carpool with other team members who don’t have a car or license back to school to shower and start the school day.

FOR PARENTS: SICR ROWING AT A GLANCE

  • SICR also is a club that is separate from the school and is a self-funded 501C3. It has the largest number of athletes participating of any school sport. The club has won many national awards and strives to provide athletes with the best opportunity to compete regionally and nationally against the best of scholastic and club rowing programs.
  • The club is run by volunteer coaches & parents. At SICR Crew, the heart of our programs is volunteering.  Our parents, rowers and friends donate their time and passion to make ours a safe, happy and successful program. There are numerous ways to participate, and a place for everyone to join in. Opportunities will be posted during the season.  Contact any board member with your questions. Here are just a few ways you can join in: Regatta Hospitality Tent, Trailer towing to events, Chaperone at the Regattas.
  • Fees: There are fees for the club for each season and for the spring break trip
  • Novice afterschool bus fees for the bus service is divided among the total number of novice rowers
  • St Ignatius Crew uniforms, gear and apparel can be purchased on this website found on the Uniform & Gear Tab
  • Coaches place rowers in a boat and/or position to benefit the team.  Please respect their decisions.

COXSWAINS:

In a rowing crew, the coxswain is the member who sits in the stern facing the bow. Coxswains are an integral part of any crew: they are critical to safety on the water, navigating the river, strategically maneuvering the boat during races, and motivating the rowers. Furthermore, the coxswain is the communication link from coach to rowers during practice. It is a challenging but fun task that requires focus, decisiveness and a keen sense of responsibility.

If your child is a coxswain you have a few different rules. Your child will row a lot less. They are in command of the boat. Their responsibilities are to navigate getting the boats in and out of the water as well as determining how and when the rowers increase their speed while racing. They are generally required to be at meetings at the regattas at least an hour before the rowers are required to be there. They may be responsible for a “cox box”, an aid to tempo and pace and a microphone to yell commands to the rowers. No rowing or coxing experience is necessary to become an SICR coxswain.

THINKING ABOUT TRYING CREW? 

You are welcome to try the team for up to a week in the "open enrollment" time.  To do so, please contact Ian Hirt  SICR.Registrar@gmail.com

EMAIL A MEMBER OF THE CREW TEAM OR SPEAK TO A NOVICE COACH?  

Email:   SICRNoviceinfo@gmail.com

Winter 2020 Registration

Due to the currently evolving Covid-19 situation, registration for the 2020 Winter training season for new rowers is currently delayed. The season will begin Monday, November 30, 2021 with training to take place at the Cordi Marian Center located at 1100 S. May St., Chicago IL. Please check back for updates or contact Ian Hirt at sicr.registrar@gmail.com. 

2020 Fall/Winter Season

The 2020 SICR Fall Season will end Saturday, November 21, 2020.  While there were no regattas this fall, a successful training season was capped off by an inter-squad scrimmage held on a beautiful November morning.   

Due to the evolving Covid-19 situation, registration for the Winter Training Season is currently closed to new rowers. The winter season will begin on November 30, 2020 and any changes to the registration situation will be posted at this location.

Training for the winter season will take place on socially distanced ergs by rowers wearing masks in groups of less than ten when allowed by the State of Illinois/City of Chicago. Equipment will be disinfected before and after practice, Practice sessions will be held at the Cordi Marian Center, 1100 S. May, Chicago IL.

Please contact Ian Hirt at sicr.registrar@gmail.com if you are interested in rowing.