Gainesville Area Rowing offers a Middle School rowing program. The middle school sculling program is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, get fit and make new friends!
Interested? Contact Coach Glynn Hayes, Email: glynn.hayes@gmail.com, Phone: 407-670-9370
The middle school sculling program is open to any middle school student. We teach them how to do sculling with two oars and sweep rowing with one oar. Our focus is to teach children how to row and be a member of a team and have fun getting in good shape. We do not require the rowers to compete although we offer several opportunities to race each season. Our seasons follow the school year and new rowers can begin at any time. We practice twice per week for two hours and we offer an optional practice on Saturday mornings. Practices are held on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4:15-6:15 pm and Saturdays from 7:45-10:15 am. The cost is $60 per month. Rowers are encouraged to wear shorts that aren’t too baggy, t-shirts, socks, running shoes, and bring a water bottle. On days with cool weather we also recommend dressing in layers that aren’t too baggy. We practice indoors at our facility when it is raining, very windy, or too cold to safely row on the water. We are always accepting new rowers and look forward to watching our team grow and row faster! Our program functions to provide a positive experience in rowing and preparation for our competitive high school program.
Our first day of practice for the 2011-2012 season will be on Tuesday Aug. 30th from 4:15-6:15 pm! Please go to the Members tab, select youth, then select forms to download, print, and sign your forms and bring them to practice. Please also complete the “GAR Registration” which will get you registered in our accounting system and emergency contact database.
Looking forward to meeting all of our new rowers and welcoming back our returning rowers!
GAR Summer Camp!
GAR is offering 3 one week summer camp sessions this summer. These sessions are open to children in grades 6-12 and they do not need to have any previous rowing experience but should be comfortable around water. Each session will be divided by age group when possible and a child can take more than one session to further their skill development. Rowing is not a sport that needs to be started when a child is young so if you have a high schooler who wants to try something new and fun, we have a seat for them too! If you have a middle or high school student who is very petite we can also train them to be a coxswain. Coxswains are the brains behind the brawn and they steer the boats and help rowers with their technique and timing. We would love to have some potential coxswains come to our camp too, we will teach them all they need to know!
GAR stands for Gainesville Area Rowing and we are a club rowing team for middle school and high school students. We have a fall and spring season each school year. Our middle school program offers students 3 practices per week and a few fun races each season. Our high school program is a competitive program that practices five days per week and races 5-6 times per season. Our team is like a huge family with supportive and very positive coaches, great children who are supportive of each other and work hard, and parents who volunteer and really make our club successful. Anyone can learn to row regardless of their athletic experience, if you provide a child who is interested and excited, we can do the rest! Even juniors and seniors in high school can join our team and be successful, attitude is everything!
Camp Location: Melrose Bay Park, Melrose FL
Located just 15 min from Gainesville, this beautiful park allows GAR boat storage and access to Melrose Bay and Lake Santa Fe. This is a temporary location for us as our water levels are too low to use Newnan’s Lake, where our facility is located. To get to Melrose Bay Park, take 26 out to Melrose and turn left down either Quail St. or Trout St. and then you will go onto Devonia St. (If you took Quail, you will run into the beach park). If you turn left on Trout St. instead of Quail, turn left on Devonia and the park will be on your right. You can stay at the park during camp to swim, kayak, or relax or shop in Melrose and support the community who has been so terrific to GAR this year. Melrose Bay Park is a little piece of heaven!
Click below for our camp registration form:
If you have any further questions, please contact GAR Head Coach, Jen Figueroa, at murphymurphy@hotmail.com or (352) 219-0717
New Rower Checklist!
When you become involved in a new organization it’s hard to know what you should do first. Below is a checklist of things that every parent of a new rower should do:
- Join the GAR list serve so that you know all of the important news. Go to the contacts tab and follow the instructions under GAR Youth and Parents Mailing List.
- Complete all of the waivers listed. Some of them are online and some will be hard copies. This is a large set of waivers but should cover us for most of the races this year. Go to the members tab, then youth, then forms. Have your rower bring all hard copies to the boathouse and give them to their coach.
- Complete the online GAR registration. This sets you up in our accounting system and provides emergency contacts for our emergency database. Coaches can access this database with their smart phones at practice. Go to the members tab, then youth, then registration.
- Use the GAR google calendar! You will see every event coming up from races to fundraisers. Go to the calendars tab, then select youth.
- Read the GAR handbook. Go to members, then youth, then guides and rules.
If you have any questions at all about GAR, please contact the coach of your child. They will either assist you or if they cannot, they will make sure that your question goes to the appropriate GAR member who can help you.
Welcome to our team!
Jen Figueroa
GAR Head Coach
GAR Middle School Racing Schedule 2011-2012
Here is the 2011-2012 Middle School Racing Schedule. Competing in regattas at the middle school level is not mandatory but is encouraged, they are a lot of fun!