USA U19 Selection Camp Resources
The opportunity to represent the United States of America on the Junior National Rowing Team is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences a young athlete can have. As a coxswain, you will be responsible for leading and motivating your team on the water, and using your skills and knowledge to bring together rowers from all different teams and from all over the country to form one united team... Team USA!
The 6 coxswains invited to camp will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches and athletes in the country, who will help you continue to develop the skills and strategies needed to succeed at the highest level. Interested in coxing for Team USA this summer? See the first few steps to gaining an invite and some resources to do so below...
USRowing Chief High Performance Officer Josy Verdonkschot explains "The new U19 Olympic Development Program should be viewed as having three stages: youth development, selection development, and ultimately, high performance. The high-performance stage, under the direction of Casey Galvanek and myself, will field the World Rowing Under 19 Championship squad and the CanAmMex squad via selection camp and trials. The first two stages, under the direction of Chris Chase, will implement talent identification and development leading up to high performance. This includes the U19 ID camps, youth development camp, and selection development camp."
Initial U19 Application Steps:
Pick both a race and a practice recording that best represents you as a coxswain (execution skills, style, technical knowledge, tone). For the race recording, crop it down to go from the start of the race to just a few seconds after it ends to cut out any unnecessary audio.
Write a resume highlighting your racing experience and boating history, and have your high school coach write you a letter of recommendation.
Fill out the USRowing “U17 & U19 Athlete Information Form," and upload your audio recordings, coxing resume, and coach recommendations on this page.
Find your nearest ID Camp location and date. Camps start on 1/22 and go through 3/26 across the country. You can sign up through RegattaCentral!
Attend ID camp and express your interest in USA U19 involvement. Arrive well prepared and ready to showcase your coxing skills and leadership ability.
*Note: Athletes must be born in 2005 or later, and hold United States citizenship or be a resident of the United States, with a current USRowing membership, to participate in an ID camp.
Coxswains will be selected based on their skills and abilities, and should also be at or close to coxswain's racing weight as well.“We are looking for coxswains who are confident and composed, and who can execute practice in a way that allows the coaches to both teach the mechanics of the stroke and meld a crew of athletes who have never rowed together before” explained Mike Wallin last year before coaching the U19 W8+ to a gold medal at the 2022 U19 World Championships. Wallin coaches for the 2022 National Champion-winning team Chicago Rowing Foundation, as well as for the U19 Junior National Team during the summer.
Use the spring season and the next few months to improve your coxing, expand your skillset, and differentiate yourself. This will help your home team boat this spring, as well as improve your chances of receiving an invite to cox at a U19 camp. For tips on selection camp coxing, click here!
If you are looking for a little extra support this spring in hopes of making the USRowing Junior National Team, explore the resources linked in this article, or feel free to reach out to see if it might be a good fit to work with InsideTurn! We offer 1:1 coaching, technical development, recording review, leadership growth, and recruiting/selection camp guidance.
Resources:
USRowing U17 & U19 Athlete Information Form
U19 Selection Procedures Document
U19 ID Camp Dates and Locations - Link to sign up through each camp
USRowing U19 National Team Homepage
Verdonkschot, J. (2022, December 28). Under 19 National Team Updates. USRowing - U19 Team. Retrieved from https://mailchi.mp/usrowing/2023-u19-national-team-update?e=%5BUNIQID%5D
Weiss, I. (2022, September 16). Coxing at Selection Camp. Inside Turn. Retrieved January 15, 2023, from https://www.insideturn.com/post/tips-and-tricks-for-selection-camps
*This post is not made in collaboration with USRowing, but instead made to make their resources and application process accessible and digestible to anyone who is interested.