How long have you been doing rowing?

Answer 1

I don't know what a 'sensible' age is. Most kids start between 12 and 14 (in the 8th or 9th grade in the US) - but it is dependent upon the size of the child. Boats are built for adults - mostly men or tall women. A very short child will not fit well in a boat built for adults. A very tall child can fit well. Smaller kids tend to cox, and then if they grow, they migrate from the stern to pulling an oar. Because rowing does not stress joints like running does, once the child fits in a boat, they can row fine. Rowing in sweep boats is generally a more social experience because there are more people involved. With kids - it should all be about fun anyway - so most junior programs (correctly) focus on making it an enjoyable experience. It is easier for a Junior coach to handle 2-3 eights of kids - so a class of over 20 kids - at a time. If kids start off in sculling boats (suggested below) there is a necessarily much smaller student/teacher ratio, which can be hard to find in many programs. You can start rowing at any sensible age. The best method is to begin with sculling until your muscles are developed before taking on sweep oar.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you live in the Nashville area, Nashville Rowing has a development program for kids as young as 10, and a child can begin racing once they are a freshman in high school.

Answer 2

Rowing as a sport has been traced back to ancient Egypt, so it could have been around for 5000 years. For the purpose of transportation, rowing has likely been around longer than that.

Answer 3

5 years for me