One of the most important decisions of my freshman year was joining the USC Men’s Crew team; I joined because I was interested in rowing, but I would have never guessed the amount of technique, discipline, and skill that it required. Originally, as most people do, I thought that rowing was mainly an upper body sport, but I quickly learned that the legs were the main thing moving the boat—I felt it the entire next day after my first practice. I still remember getting in the boat for the first time, having one of my greatest experiences (although I had absolutely no idea what I was doing) and not being able to control the genuine smile that my first row gave me.
At the moment, we are coming to the close of our racing season. Besides rowing in Los Angeles, I have had the privilege to compete as a part of the top novice boat in Arizona, Newport, San Diego, and Sacramento. In fact, we are also headed to the national championships in Georgia shortly after school ends!
In high school, I played both football and doubles tennis, which introduced me to teamwork, but crew has taught me the true meaning of synergy. Having all eight people move unanimously in near perfect synchronicity, there definitely is something about the boat dynamics that really makes the sport something special.
Outside of the boat, many of my teammates and I get along very well. We study together, we eat together, and we hang out together. A little bit of everything, actually. USC Men’s Crew has definitely given me a community of friends that is tied together by hard work and dedication.
