For Parents | Hickory Crew

What you need to know

You are joining a great group of people! We are more than a rowing club, we are a family, and we work together and support each other, as one.

What to expect

Hickory Rowing Club is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization and is responsible for its own operation. We are not affiliated with Chesapeake Public Schools, Hickory High, or Hickory Middle Schools. As such, we rely on our parents for all the supporting functions that allow this club to operate and compete on the scholastic rowing stage.

We completely understand that you may be just as in the dark about rowing as your new rower is. But our veteran parents in our organization will provide you with the benefit of all their experience and ease the transition. We think that you’ll come to really enjoy your time with the team!

By far the most important thing that you can do as a parent to support HRC is to see that your rower gets to practice! Crew is a sport that responds best to sustained repetition. There’s no better way to assemble a fast boat than to get them on the water and to row, row, row,… Mile after mile, stroke after stroke. This is not to say that rowing should be the primary event in their lives, but like any sport, success requires commitment. If your rower is going to miss a practice, please inform their coach.

Also, since this is a club sport, we don’t have ‘cuts’. If your child attends practices regularly, we’ll find a way to get them into a boat for races. Minimal attendance may cause your child to miss out on an opportunity to race in favor of those who do make the commitment.

How you can help

Since we rely on our parents we have a list of club chores that parents can undertake, these include:

Practice Parent - we give practice parent training throughout the season and most parents get to be practice parents at least once per season, but if you want to do more we welcome that! The practice parent helps with setting up the practice session and tidying away the equipment after the practice has finished.
Regatta Management - whilst the rowers and coaches are responsible for the boats and equipment they need, there is a lot of other elements to a successful and enjoyable Regatta.
- Transportation - boats, trailers, awnings, tables, cooking equipment all need to be transported to and from the Regattas
- Fundraising - we welcome any new fundraising activities and ideas and support to undertake them too
- Board Membership - we have a number of club board and chair positions if this is your field of expertise
- Marketing - we have a website and social media which need constant updates
- Uniform Representative - uniforms are required for both Fall and Spring season Regattas, managing orders, printing and distribution

Site set up - we like to secure prime locations at the Regattas and we have an outdoor kitchen and servery, plus the much-needed coffee, tea, and hot chocolate station (some of those early mornings can be chilly!)
Food and Beverage donations - a list of requirements go out to all the members and you can select what you are willing to contribute

As you can see, we are quite the operation! But we work as a team both on the water and on land and we are notorious for having some of the best cuisines on offer to our Crew and Crew parents!

What else do you need?

We suggest the following athletic attire:
- Shorts should be snug. Not too tight, not overly large. As the weather cools, leggings and sweatpants are fine, so long as they’re not too baggy. Clothing should not restrict freedom of movement.
- Tops should not be overly large or tight either. Short sleeves, long sleeves, sweatshirts, etc. as the weather dictates. Clothing should not restrict freedom of movement.
- For Regattas, you will require a Hickory Rowing Club uniform, available through the member portal.
- Running shoes. They may get wet, muddy, etc. Don’t need to be top of the line but should be comfortable. We don’t run a lot, but we do run.
- Hats or sunglasses. The canal where we row is aligned east-west. When rowing in the afternoon, the sun is in your face half the time. We don’t recommend fashionable shades as there is always the possibility that they may end up on the bottom of the canal.
- Sunscreen or insect repellent, depending upon their susceptibility.