Competitive rowing, should i do it?

Question

i am 17 (18 in 2 months) and after some foot operations have been without competitive sports for 4 -5 years but i am still very fit. i saw a program in my local newspaper for rowing and was just wanting some opinions especially from current rowers, if i am too old to start rowing or too old to be any good at competitve rowing.

Answer 1

im not a rower..im a paddler..but i know rowing is pretty intense...i dont think ur too old to do it...i'd go for it! =) and with a lot of practice and weight training cuz rowing uses every muscle, then you can be good at competitive rowing.... =)

Answer 2

Rowings a pointless sport. You can't even see where you're going. I wouldn't get into it.

Answer 3

h**l no.

Rowing is about fitness, strength, and endurance, and good strength to weight ratio.

If you live in an area where there is a lot of high school rowing, you are at a disadvantage, but not a permanent one.

I started in college, and working hard I rowed heavyweight crew as a skinny but powerful 145 lbs and 6'0".  Many thought I did not belong, until they rowed with me, and discovered any boat I was in was faster with me than without me.  One guy 50 pounds heavier roomed with me the next year to see my diet and workout plan. Two years later he was a national champion.  I had gotten a couple injuries I did not recover well from.

I saw one guy on a top crew rowing in a lower leg cast.

Answer 4

Honey you are plenty young enough to start rowing.....OH and the being good at "competitive rowing" is completely resting upon your shoulders. It just depends on how far you get in the sport ....and your willingness to work hard to be a good rower.

I started rowing when I was 13. I was part of a club...a good one in fact. (We have one of the best 2k race courses in the world.) ....anyway I would highly recommend it!! If I were you I would start with sweep rowing (that's rowing w/ one oar).  Make sure you learn to row in either an 4 person boat w/ coxswain or 8 person boat w/ cox.  Having a coxswain telling you what you "should" be doing is very useful when your a novice. (the coxswain steers the boat/ directs the rowers)

(one of the great advantages of rowing is that it's not a contact sport....your likelyhood of getting hurt is very slim.  If someone does get hurt it's because they were probablely doing something stupid.  ...or it was some freak accident of some kind)

If you can ....I would attend a regatta  (rowing race) you can get an idea of what it's going to be like.  I remember being a novice and watching the varsity crew...in amazement....their oar timing was spot on ...and they were getting a lot of "run".

When you gain enough experience ....and your boat is "clicking" together and getting "run" ...I swear it's such a high....it's just the best feeling in the world....

  ....When you first start ....it's going to be hard...you have boat terms and technique to learn .  And well ....I gurantee that you are going to be swore.  The first week is always the hardest....you will get blisters (over time you won't notice them).  ....it just comes with the sport.    ....But keep in mind that you will have your teammates.  They will be going through the same things as you.  I'm sure you will meet a whole lot of friends.  I swear rowers are some of the best people.

**************************************...

Sadly I don't row anymore.  I stopped when I was 17. It's not because I didn't like it anymore ....I just found something else that I liked better.  If I had the time or energy I would continue rowing.  

.....At the time it was winter (our off season) and I thought I would take up martial arts to keep fit over the break.  Well to make a long story short I ended up falling in love with Kenpo.  I've been doing it ever since....and I picked up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu about a year and a half ago. I love Kenpo and BJJ a lot!!!  .....I had the "perfect body" for rowing "as said by my coach" and I could have gotten a scholarship.  *....BUT  I made my choice*

....there isn't a day that passes that I don't miss getting to go out on the water and be part of a crew again.

....it's funny rowing is like riding a bike....once you learn you never ....ever ....forget.

Answer 5

you're pretty much never too old to start rowing.  i started my junior year of high school, but i was recently at an indoor rowing challenge and there were some women in their 30s kicking my ***.  definetely check it out, the only discouragement is that it can be pretty expensive through clubs and whatnot.