It is not often that out of the blue, a crew team sails into view. However, the mighty Falcons have been fortunate to form one, comprised of middle and upper school students.

Athletic Director Lenny Paoletti said that the sport was initiated due to such high student interest. “We currently have 19 students participating. Additionally, our student population typically attends colleges and universities that offer crew as part of their programs, so we thought it was prudent to offer our students the opportunity to learn the sport,” Paoletti said.

Sophomore Victoria Arias and Junior Ian Sharff both decided to join crew because it was something new the school was offering and were interested in trying it out. Sophomore Gaby Pung joined to gain upper body strength.

The crew team’s first practice was held on February 18th in the school’s bayou with their newly welcomed boats. This novice team needs to continue to strive to become expert rowers in the years to come.

Andreas Leichtfuss, the new crew coach, described the team as novices who are keen to learn: “They are very enthusiastic and driven to perform well,” Leichtfuss said. He hopes to “keep the rowers enthusiastic and make them skilled in rowing.”

The integration of crew into the school’s athletics is now in the developmental stage. Leichtfuss said that this first spring season will be simply learning how to row.

“Hopefully, the majority of the rowers will continue to row at Sarasota Scullers Youth Rowing Program in the fall,” he said.

Coach Paoletti believes that these first two years will serve as a time for a development of skill and passion, so that by the third year, the team will compete in regattas. “Of course, this is all dependent on the student ambition and commitment.  If the coach believes they are ready sooner, then we do it sooner.  If the development takes longer, then we compete later,” Paoletti said. He believes that in about five years there will be “a solid crew program competing under Saint Stephen’s colors.”

Arias said that she was eager to try something that would help her beyond the high school years. “I enjoy being out on the water and am [excited to be on the team,” she said.

Rowing is a sport where one builds on mental tenacity, an important characteristic to have in academics, too. Going out on the water twice a week, with additional available practices with the Sarasota Scullers, the sport will build perseverance and resilience, which largely carries over into academic success.

Sophomore Gaby Pung said that learning how to set up the boats was the hardest, while Arias said:  “Learning how to row and steer and how to keep the boat balanced [was difficult],” she said. “We are just now starting to go out on the water, but it is difficult learning how to do everything properly.”

Throughout the season, a rower can attain various qualities, some of which Leichtfuss mentioned include “being a good team player, becoming skilled in your rowing technique, and improving basic physical capabilities, like endurance, strength, and overall fitness.”

Pung said, “I’ve always had very weak arms and core muscle, and I wanted to improve that before I graduate from high school because there is a big chance that I will need the physical strength later.”

Paoletti said the rowers need to be physically strong enough to work their way down the Manatee River, and they need to know how to handle their boats. “Crew is not a sport for the casual athlete. Conditioning is a major element in the sport.  Rowers will spend many hours training to row and not actually on the water or in the skulls,” he said. “Of course, they must be very strong swimmers.  If they flip their boats, which happens a lot especially in the beginning stages, they must be able to flip their skulls right side up, climb back in and continue to row.”

In addition, being a rower requires a team effort attitude: “When rowing in a multiple person skull, they will learn quickly that each member must be in sync with each other or their efforts will have a counter effect on the outcome,” Paoletti said. “A rower will develop mental toughness.  Rowers row regardless of the weather.  This spring we’ve experienced some very cold and windy weather.  Rowers row in all weather, and the water can be very cold.”

While crew is a strenuous sport, it has still not been accepted as an official school sport by the Florida School Athletic Association, as Paoletti explained, and is instead a club.

“As a club team, they can train and compete year round.  However, many of our students participating in crew do other sports as well, so we will only be offering crew, in the beginning, as a spring sport.” Paoletti added, “Although, if the team develops and attracts crew-only students, then they could train year-round at Saint Stephen’s.”

Crew is a sport like no other—the amount of skill that must develop in a rower in addition to the mental and physical strength is immeasurable. Leichtfuss described crew’s uniqueness in comparison to all other sports: “Rowing needs an infrastructure, like a launching dock, a motor boat for coaching, storage for the rowing boats. To build up, you need knowledge and a high amount of commitment.”