ROW FOR VANDERBILT
about us
The Vanderbilt Rowing team was established in 1985. Decades later, we're a highly competitive club team recognized nationally and winning medals at the highest levels under head coach Jon Miller.
We race in both the fall and spring, kicking off our fall season with the Music City Head Race (6k) at home in Nashville and ending our year-long season with our national championships, SIRA and ACRA (2k), in May. We have also attended Head of the Charles and occasionally Dad Vail Regatta, and SDCC. We currently race all boat sizes, from a 1x up to an 8+ using our modern and well-maintained fleet of boats. Most of our varsity rowers have experience in both sweep and sculling. Our varsity team trains intensely 6 days a week on the water when the weather allows and on Concept2 PM5 ergs, bikes and swingulators during winter training.
Our team's tenets are dedication and grit. As a club team, we train athletes with rowing experience and without. We are looking to invest in our athletes’ growth while allowing you to achieve a world-class education.
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Frequently asked questions
I haven't rowed before, can I still join?
Yes! We will teach you to sweep, scull, and erg. All we need from you is a willingness to put in the work each day to get better. Athletes with previous experience in cardio based sports usually see a high level of success. For your first year of collegiate rowing, you can compete against other novice rowers in their first year of the sport before moving up to the varsity category.
Is rowing a fall or a spring sport?
We train year-round!
In the fall, we race head races (time trials of around 4-6km). From November until early March, we train indoors on Concept 2 rowing machines. The team holds a spring break training trip following which we begin our spring racing season of 2km sprint races, culminating at the ACRA National Championships in May.
How do I join?
If you are a current Vanderbilt student, look for information about our interest meetings at the start of the semester. From there, there is a two-week try out period where you will learn to row on the erg and on the water and build your fitness.
If you are an incoming Vanderbilt student with prior rowing experience, contact one of our recruitment chairs before arriving on campus to learn about additional training opportunities with our varsity squads.
What is the time commitment like?
We understand that adjusting to the college environment takes time, so for your first weeks on the team you will be scheduled for a few organized practices per week. The time commitment will slowly increase as the semester progresses and by the time the team transitions to winter training, frosh rowers will be practicing a similar amount to our varsity squads.
Our varsity rowers attend organized practice 6 days per week and stay hungry for more; on any given day you can find our athletes using their spare time to put in extra meters in the erg room, run laps of Centennial Park or lift together in the rec center.
What is a coxswain?
Coxswains are an invaluable part of the team whose responsibilities include steering boats, motivating rowers during workouts both on the water and on the erg and executing race plans.
If you are on the smaller side and enjoy being a leader and motivator, this may be the role for you.
Am I a good fit for Vanderbilt Rowing?
We believe anyone who is ready to work hard and be competitive can find their place on the team. Our athletes come from many different geographic and athletic backgrounds and represent a wide range of majors and minors.
Whether you are a freshman or transfer student looking to find your place at Vanderbilt, the friends you will make on this team are lifelong. A testament to this is our strong alumni network who show up to support our team throughout the year.