The 2009 Maine Rowing Camp at Colby College will be held from Sunday July 12th – Thursday July 16th, 2009.

The Maine Rowing Camp at Colby College is in its 8th year of providing a comprehensive and enjoyable rowing experience for boys and girls ages 13 – 18 with the backdrop of summer time in Maine.  With the benefit of the full resources of Colby College and the Colby College rowing program and with the help of coaches from top programs around the country for campers to learn from, hundreds of young men and women have come to the Maine Rowing Camp to hone their skills or to learn the sport for the first time.  Campers are placed according to both age and experience level, and our athlete / coach ratio of 10:1, along with the daily specialized instruction geared just for coxswains, allows each camper the chance to significantly improve their understanding of rowing and to do so in a relaxed, enjoyable environment.

Space is available for rowers and coxswains in the following areas:

Level 1 – designed for those with 3 months or less experience rowing (including novices), the focus will be on creating a sound understanding of the fundamentals of rowing.

Level 2 – designed for those with between 4 months and 2 years of rowing or coxing experience.

Level 3 – designed for those with over 2 years of rowing or coxing experience.

Details: the Maine Rowing Camp at Colby College will run from Sunday July 12th – Thursday July 16th, 2009.  Cost for the camp is $685 for rowers and $600 for coxswains.  Tuition includes instruction, transportation to and from the boathouse, room and board, a camp t-shirt and key lanyard as well as a packet outlining the information presented in all of the off the water clinics. A non-refundable $100 deposit is due with your application and the remaining balance must be paid by check/money order on the first day of camp.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR COXSWAINS: Coxswains will participate in all of the on the water practices, meals, lectures, housing, etc... as well as attend daily coxing clinics conducted by Coach Stokes who is a four-time winner of the Head of the Charles Regatta, a four-time U.S. National Champion, and who was the coxswain of the men's lightweight eight on the 1993 United States Rowing Team.  Coxswains will get a chance to discuss specific areas of coxing in detail each morning that they can implement right away on the water to help make their own crews faster. The coxswains will get a packet at the beginning of the week outlining all of the topics to be discussed such as safety, racing strategy and motivation. Space is very limited. The tuition for coxswains is $600.

Check-in / Drop-off: Sunday July 12 from  3:00 – 5:00 PM.  Check in will occur at the dorm in which the campers will be staying and directions to the dorm will be posted.

Pick-up: Thursday July 16 at 10:30 AM at the boathouse at the Colby-Hume Center.  Directions to the boathouse from campus or from Interstate 95 can be found on this web site.  Families are welcome to arrive early and watch the rowing and racing before the wrap-up ceremony.

Airport Shuttle: a shuttle will be available to pick up and drop off campers at the Portland International Jetport for a fee of $25.  It will depart the Jetport at 3:00 PM sharp on July 12 for Colby and will depart for the Jetport on Thursday July 16 at 11:00 AM.  It takes about 75 minutes to drive so travel plans should be made accordingly.

Swim Test: all campers will be required to pass a life guard administered swim test consisting of swimming 50 yards and treading water for 5 minutes in order to be allowed on the water for rowing.

Medical Waiver: all campers must have a completed medical waiver on file, complete with insurance information which should accompany their camp registration form.

What to bring:
•    Swim suit & towel for the swim test & towel for daily showering
•    Rowing clothes for at least 2 rows plus land workouts per day (shorts, preferably spandex, t-shirts/tank tops, socks, athletic shoes, some warmer clothing as well)
•    Sun protection, including: hat, long-sleeve shirts, sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher)
•    Water Bottle
•    Watch
•    Payment for the balance of registration (if necessary)
•    Bedding (including sheets, pillow, blanket or sleeping bag)
•    Toiletries and any medications needed for the week
•    Alarm Clock
•    Small amount of spending money

Daily Schedule
6:45 AM        Wake Up
7:00 AM        Breakfast
8:00 – 8:30 AM    Warm Up, Technique Talk, Coxswain session
8:30 – 10:45 AM    Rowing
11:15 – 12:00 PM    Off the water lecture
12:00 – 12:45 PM    Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 PM    Free Time
2:00 – 3:00 PM    Off the water lecture or dry – land training
3:15 – 5:15 PM    Rowing
5:30 – 6:30 PM    Dinner
7:00 – 9:00 PM    Evening activity (rowing, movie, etc…)
9:00 – 10:00 PM    Lights out

We have two ways to register for the camp.

You can click here to register on-line as well as pay on-line using PayPal.

Or you can click here to download and print out the registration form and medical release form and send it to the address listed along with the non-refundable deposit of $100.

Maine Rowing Camp at Colby College Coaching Staff

Stew Stokes:
Colby College
smstokes@colby.edu

The 2008-2009 season marks head coach Stew Stokes' ninth year at the helm of the Colby Crew and 16th year of coaching.  Stew's Colby Crews have experienced great success with the Varsity Women winning in the 2003 NCAA Division III Rowing Championships and the Varsity Men racing and advancing at the 2005 Henley Royal Regatta.  In the last three years, three recent graduates earned spots on the United States National Rowing Team and competed at the World Rowing Championships. Prior to his arrival at Colby, Stew spent three years as the assistant men's coach at Trinity College, where his crews never lost a dual race and won numerous medals at the New England Rowing Championships and the Champion International Collegiate regatta. Before Trinity, Stew spent three years as the Head Men's coach at the University of Massachusetts, leading them to first-ever appearances in the San Diego Crew Classic and Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) regattas. A 1990 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Stew is a four-time winner of the Head of the Charles Regatta, a four-time U.S. National Champion, and was a member of the men's lightweight eight on the 1993 United States Rowing Team.

Joe Richards
Colby College

jmrichar@colby.edu

Joe is in his first year coaching at Colby following a successful three year stint coaching the men's program at the University of Southern California.  A native of the Syracuse area and a 2004 graduate of George Washington University, Joe was a team captain his senior year and won a silver medal at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Regatta.  Joe has also coached at Yorktown High School in Yorktown, VA.

Directions to Colby College from Interstate 95 (for check – in):
Take Interstate 95 North to Exit 127 Waterville/Oakland (formerly Exit 33). Turn right toward Waterville (east) on Kennedy Memorial Drive (Rt. 137) and take a left at your first light onto Washington St.  This will bring you directly onto the campus once you bear right around the pond.  Look for posted signs directing you to the crew camp.

Directions to the Colby College Boathouse at the Colby-Hume Center from Interstate 95 (for check – out):
Follow Interstate 95 North to Exit 127.  Take a left at the end of the exit ramp onto Kennedy Memorial Drive.  Follow KMD just under a mile and take a left on Country Club Rd.  Follow until the stop sign at the end of the street.  Turn right onto Webb Rd. and follow until the first stop sign, proceed straight across Middle Rd. to the second stop sign.  Turn left onto Snow Pond Rd. (Route 23).  Continue for 2.1 miles.  Look for the blue Colby-Hume Center sign on the right.  Turn right onto the gravel road.

Directions to the Colby College Boathouse at the Colby-Hume Center from campus:
From the campus, take a left at the fork at the end of Johnson Pond onto Washington Ave.  Continue until the street light.  Turn right onto Kennedy Memorial Dr., continuing under I-95.  Stay on this road for about ¾ of a mile.  Take a left on Country Club Rd. and follow until the stop sign at the end of the street.  Turn right onto Webb Rd. and follow until the first stop sign, go through the stop sign (crossing Middle Rd.) to the second stop sign.  Turn left onto Snow Pond Rd. (Route 23).  Continue for 2.1 miles.  Look for the blue Colby-Hume Center sign on the right.  Turn right onto the gravel road and follow the driveway to the left.

From Parents:

"We just wanted to let you know that our daughter thoroughly enjoyed herself at your camp last week.  She said the coaching was superb and she left the camp as a smarter and stronger rower.  The food was wonderful and the dorm experience, her first, was great.  She also made several good friends that she plans to stay in touch with.  So, all in all, she, and we, loved the Maine Rowing Camp."

"This was a great experience for our daughter.  She really enjoyed
herself, thanks so much for everything.  We're already thinking ahead to
next year!"

"My daughter has been here three times.  That says it all!  Great camp!"

"Thanks for the excellent program."

From campers:

"It was great!"

"I learned a lot of good techniques to use during races to help my crew at home."

"Coming back next year!"

"Had a blast!  Great times!"