NEW PARENT CORNER
 
Welcome to Harriton Crew! 
 
We are thrilled that your child decided to participate in this wonderful sport and to have you, as a parent, join our Harriton crew parent community. What does this mean for you as a parent? Of course, there are some financial expectations that are laid out here. But, as this is probably a new sport for you, we hope the information below and on this website will help you become familiair with our sport and practices. 
 
Crew is different than other sports as parents are heavily involved by volunteering and fundraising. We realize that the amount of information can be a little overwhelming at times, but we are here to guide and help you.
 
The best way to stay informed about the latest information on practices and regattas is by signing in to our TeamSnap page and downloading the TeamSnap App on your phone. You will be invited to join as soon as your student registers. We also have a Facebook page you should check out. 
 
We look forward to meeting you along the riverside, and please reach out to us if you have any questions!
 
Two Crew Seasons: Spring and Fall
 
Since October 2015, Harriton Crew has two seasons, Fall and Spring. During the winter, depending on interest, winter work out sessions may be organized to stay in shape.
 
Spring Season (March - May)
This is our main, more "intense" and competitive season and it is focussed on competing in regattas. During this season, you will find that all Harriton Crew rowers, coxswains, managers, parents and friends gather at the “tent” along the Schuylkill River to enjoy the races and a enjoy wonderful food brought by the parents.
 
Parents can sign up for tent crew and help man the tent with the Hospitality team. Families brings food to the regattas depending on what they sign up for via Sign Up Genius.  
 
Spring season is open to all Harriton H.S. students. Please find the Spring 2024 race schedule 
on the More Info/Regatta Schedule page
 
Fall Season (Oct - Nov)
During the Fall season, we compete as Harriton Boat Club as this program is not financially supported by the Lower Merion School District. The Fall season is focussed on staying in shape and improving rowing techniques while continuing to have fun on the water. The team competes in 4 to 5 regattas to prepare for the larger scale Spring regattas. As many students sign up for other Fall sports, the Fall season is scaled down and typically you will find that hospitality (tent and food) is also a scaled down and more "potluck style".
 
Fall season is open to Harriton H.S. Crew members in 10th thru 12th grade. An incoming 9th grader may be admitted if he/she has completed an accredited learn to row program. Please contact the head coach to determine if you qualify.
 
Whatever the season, the parents' enthusiasm on the river truly is a motivation to the rowers and it is important that we support our children in their races.
 
Transportation
During Spring season, transportation to and from practice is organized by schoolbus. The schoolbus is not available for Saturday morning practice and parents are expected to drop their child off at the boathouse. 
 
During Fall season, there is no transportation and kids typically get to the boathouse for practice by setting up a carpool with senior teammates or parents that are willing to drive. Parents drive their children to all Fall regatta's and usually organize a carpool.
 
What should I bring to a regatta?
You should plan on being on the river for quite some time, enjoy the races, meet other parents and take in the fun atmosphere. Suggested items to bring (depending on the weather):
• Binoculars
• Portable chairs
• Sunscreen (important even on gray days) especially important for the athlete on the water!
• Racing schedule; usually available one to two days before the race.
• Something to read
• Rain gear (races are only cancelled in rain if it is really windy or for a thunderstorm)
• Dress in layers, especially early in the season
 
Volunteering and fundraising
As a non-profit organization, Friends of Harriton Crew, relies heavily on fundraising activities for much needed income to maintain our fleet. Crew is an expensive sport and the annual dues alone are not enough to cover all expenses. Please help FHC and our students by assisting us with our fundraising activities. In the past we have organized bake sales, car washes etc. If you have ideas on how to raise money, we are very interested to hear them!
 

Also, we often need volunteers to help us run Friends of Harriton Crew organization. We need expertise on fundraising, legal issues (bylaws), communication, hospitality, fleet management etc. If you would like to get more involved, please reach out to one of the board members to discuss your interest.
 
Donations are also very welcome of course! If you know of a company that would like to sponsor our teams please do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to hear your thoughts.
 
Line up and coaching
The coaching staff decides upon the make up of the rowers in each boat. Boat line-ups depend on various factors such as technique, hard work, erg scores or strength tests, and how the individual rower influences the make up of the other rowers. Line-ups are also dependent on available equipment, and the number of coxswains. This is always determined based on the discretion of the coaching staff.
 
Friends of Harriton Crew, the parent organization, is not involved in any of the line up decisions and all questions regarding line up are best addressed to the head coach. More information about parent-coach protocol can be found on the Harriton High School Website.
 
More information about line up in regattas can be found here. 
 
Rowing glossary