Middle School and Under 15 Programs

Fall 2023 Under-15 Rowing

Program Overview:

Who is Under-15? The Under-15 program is for athletes who will not turn 15 during the 2024 calendar year.  This is based on the age group definition created by US Rowing.

Who can participate? Our Under 15 rowing program is for both new and experienced rowers. This season, we will be offering Club and Competitive programs for athletes ages 12 and up, in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. No experience is necessary. Age 12 is based on the athlete’s age as of Jan 1, 2023.

What do you do during practice? Athletes will spend time sculling (2 oars each), sweeping (1 oar), and coxing, so they get to learn and appreciate the different skills required to make our boats move. We work on basic skills, rowing techniques, boat handling, and fitness in a fun and supportive environment. The boats are designed to be stable and sturdy in order to accommodate use by younger and less experienced athletes, which means that they get safe, practical on water experience within the first week, and quickly develop confidence on the water alongside their peers. The Oakland Strokes is proud to have coaches that have rowed and coached extensively, including at National, International and Olympic level, and who make learning to row easy and enjoyable.

When is Under-15 Rowing? The Under 15 program is for athletes in 6th-8th grade, 12 years old and up. We currently run a total of 4 Club Program sessions, two in the Fall starting in September and October and two in Spring, starting in February and March. There are no U15 Club Program sessions in January & December due to the lack of daylight hours for on water training. We run 2 sessions of the Competitive Program, one in the Fall from September to December and one in the Spring from January to April.

Athletes can do one or multiple sessions throughout the year, as their schedule allows. Signups fill up quickly, so if you are interested in participating, we recommend signing up for our mailing list to be notified when registration opens.

For May-August programs, check out our Summer Camps.

We OFFER 2 levels of Under-15 Rowing, based on Age and experience:

Club: Open to athletes 12 years old and up (age on Jan 1, 2024) in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. No experience necessary! We go over the basics of the sport and spend time rowing on the water and cross training on land: ”Beginner” rowers with no rowing experience should enroll in either Session 1 or Session 3.  Those with rowing experience, who have attended at least one school-year session or two weeks of summer camp are welcome to enroll in either or all of the 4 sessions as an “Intermediate”.

Competitive: Open to 8th grade athletes only, who have completed a minimum of two Club sessions (or equivalent summer camps), have achieved the required level of proficiency and are approved for advancement by the coaches.  The Competitive program is 4 days per week, for athletes who are committed to row throughout the season.

Selecting your athlete’s program level: Sign up for the program that most accurately reflects your athlete’s rowing experience and age/grade. In order to maintain a fun, safe rowing environment and a stable cohort, we are unable to accommodate custom schedules. Athletes may only be a part of one session at a time. If you have any questions about which session to sign up for, send us an email.

Location:

Tidewater Boating Center, Oakland

Practice Schedule:

*Note on Holidays: For most Monday federal holidays, we do have practice. Any special schedules will be communicated via email.

The practice schedule is the same for all sessions. We are unable to accommodate custom schedules this season. We do practice in the rain. If there is an emergency (ie high AQI) and we need to cancel practice, it will be communicated via email at least 2 hours before the start time.

SESSION Dates:

Competitive Sessions:

1. September 11 thru December 16, 2023

2. Monday January 15 thru Saturday April 27, 2024

Club Sessions:

1. September 11 thru October 14, 2023 (Beginner & Intermediate)

2. October 16 thru November 18, 2023 (Intermediates Only)

3. February 12 thru March 16, 2024 (Beginner & Intermediate)

4. March 18 thru April 20, 2024 (Intermediates Only)

   * Spring session dates are subject to change.  We will announce final Spring session dates in the late Fall before Registration for Spring opens.

Scrimmage Dates:

An optional scrimmage for each session’s Club and Competitive athletes to row and race at the boathouse so parents can spectate. Details to be emailed to registrants. Scrimmage will be held 11am-1pm at Tidewater.
1. Saturday October 14, 2023

2. Sunday November 19, 2023

3. Sunday March 17, 2024

4. Sunday April 21, 2024

REGISTER

Club Session #3 is now open for regsistration. Registration opens for Club Session #4 on February 9th.

Competitive 8th Grade Rowing: Registration for approved athletes can be completed online. Please send us an email if you are interested.

Spring registration will open in December. Sign up for our Email List for updates.

FEES STRUCTURE

The Oakland Strokes strive to keep fees as minimal as possible while maintaining excellent staff and equipment. You can apply for Financial Aid via this form. If you wish to support the Oakland Strokes work, you can donate here, or get involved here.

More Information

Find out more information about our middle school program here.