I got into USC for rowing and I love school. I want to be a Student-Athlete really badly but I’m afraid it’s going to be hard. What is it like being on the female rowing team at USC. What is their practice schedule? What kind of workouts do they do? If there free time to hang out with friends and go to parties sometime? What are the benefits of rowing at USC and what are the disadvantages? Thanks!
It will be hard. You will be working out or at practice or at meetings 20-35 hours per week during your season.
You need to ask current members of the team specifics.
I don’t know about rowing specifically, but any college sport, especially D1, is going to be a lot of work. On the other hand you may find it enjoyable, and something that gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment in doing something that only a small percentage of college students are able to do.
This is a quote from the following reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rowing/comments/3df5fl/mens_rowing_scholarship/ which pretty much sums up life as a d1 athlete in most sports.
“I have to tell you having rowed at a EARC school in college that you have absolutely no idea the hell that rowing is if you haven’t done it intensely yet. I was a walk-on but was in the first boat and it is a slug. 20-30hrs/week dedicated to the sport per week just in erging/training/lifting and transit to/from boathouse. And to be competitive you have to be on the higher end of that scale. More importantly, you will wake up early every day and go to bed early every night except Saturdays, meaning you will be on a completely irregular sleep schedule compared to your non-athlete peers and be incapable of participating in normal parts of undergraduate life. Practices are usually around ~7AM or worse, meaning you have to be up and moving by 6AM, so to get 8hrs of sleep (if you row you will LOVE your sleep so this is a must), you have to be in bed by 10PM. The sport basically comes with the commitment level of a full-time job at the highest level (which is the only level that would really off scholarship money). So just thinking about it from a commitment perspective, are you content with giving up the features of a traditional college experience in exchange for super early mornings and few late nights out, with taking on essentially a full-time job which you must balance with your classwork, and being completely barred from participating in almost any other activities or campus life on account of your rowing commitments? I feel as though you are treating these demands very flippantly and suggesting that rowing a mediocre 500m piece and going to a camp once is enough rowing experience for you to make a four year commitment to a notoriously grueling sport. More importantly, it is a little insulting that you believe you could get scholarship money for the sport after competing in it for under 6 months.”
I don’t think it is that much of a drudge. My daughter also has the early workout/lifting at 6 (so up at 5:30) in the fall, early to bed most night, big restrictions on drinking by her coach (none 48 hours before a game, 24 before a practice so basically Saturday nights). There are parties she can’t attend. She does have a boyfriend, is in a sorority, goes to the beach. She doesn’t have a job. Her team takes up a lot of her time, but they are her friends too. School takes up a lot of time (as it should). College isn’t one big party. Non-athletes that participate in student government or work as an RA or work in a lab also spend time on those activities.
And yes, we consider it her job as the scholarship is half her tuition. It’s nice getting paid to do something you like.
To even get a half scholarship at USC is over $30k. Pac 12 athletes get a stipend too (so another ~$2500 for half stipend?) But it is up to the student if she thinks it is worth it.
@leah32398
You got into USC for rowing but being a recruited athlete did the coaches not bring you out for an OV? That’s where many of your questions would have been answered by your hosts (current rowers on the team) and by the coaches themselves. You also get to sit in on a workout to see what it’s like firsthand. The OV is extremely helpful in determining your “fit” with a team and helping you see what a D1 student athlete life is like.
Did you get any visiting time prior to making your decision?
I do think the Reddit quote paints a bit of a pessimistic picture. D1 sports are not for everyone, but most people I know who participate (or did in the past) really value the experience.