“I think rowing is a sport where you have to be bought in 100% of the time, and everyone in the boat has to be bought in 100% of the time. So really building that connection and drive together is really important,” UPrep alumn Nava Ruthfield (‘25) said. 
According to the school’s website, UPrep has produced 12 collegiate level rowers since 2007, even without an official team on campus. Students row at local clubs, competing in regattas and dedicating early mornings to practices on nearby lakes.
Sophomore Ainslie Hebb has rowed at Pocock Rowing Club, located on Lake Union, for more than two years.
“With rowing, if you’re in a boat and someone’s not pulling their weight, it directly affects every single other person and the way that they’re rowing,” Hebb said.
Because each person’s movement impacts the entire boat, rowers often develop a close bond with one another.
“I have such a strong community at the club I row at now,” she said. “Teamwork is a huge aspect of rowing. Everyone on the team is so close.”
Unlike many school-based sports that require minimal equipment, rowing demands boats, oars and a nearby body of water— all factors that add to the cost.
Transportation is another hurdle for students interested in joining. According to an article by Devonne Piccaver for JRN News, a news center that solely reports on rowing and rowing news, rowing has historically been associated with elite universities and private prep schools, a legacy that contributes to its reputation as an expensive and often exclusive sport.
For many students, these logistical and financial hurdles can make rowing difficult to access, even as interest continues to grow.
Junior Isaac Lavely believes that these details would deter UPrep from getting a crew team.
“Rowing is a very expensive sport. Just generally, you need a building for it, you need equipment for it, you need a body of water for it. You need the kids to do it,” Lavely said. “I don’t know if we really have the money to start a rowing program, and water space is already getting pretty crowded by other schools.”
Currently, Holy Names Acade
my, Seattle Prep and Lakeside School have rowing teams, while Bishop Blanchet, Ballard High, Roosevelt High, and Garfield High have their athletes row through clubs like Green Lake and Pocock.
Director of Athletics Rebecca Moe agrees and confirms that a UPrep rowing team will not be created anytime soon.
“We’re kind of at a point where we’re not adding anything, and rowing is super expensive with the boathouse and things, but also, the kids have access through Mount Baker rowing, Green Lake rowing, Pocock Lake Union,” Moe said.
Despite the challenges, the sport continues to attract students due to its physical rigor, mental focus and potential benefits when applying to colleges.
Ruthfield was recruited to Stanford University as a coxswain, the person who steers, motivates and strategizes for the boat. Ruthfield believes that rowing gives students a leg-up in the recruiting process.
“Women’s rowing uses the Title IX rules to balance out the roster numbers on a football team. So rowing is one of the biggest team sports you’re going to find,” Ruthfield said. “That’s a huge team where obviously more people are going to be in that than, say, swimming or soccer or something. Obviously that’s a much smaller team.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title IX rules prohibit any and all sex-based discrimination in activities and education programs that are funded by or receive federal fund assistance.
Ruthfield also believes that rowing is a sport that can be started later in life, allowing anyone to have a chance to get recruited no matter when they started the sport.
“Rowing is a sport a lot of people often find later in life, like in high school or the end of middle school because it is a sport where if you’re really fit and if you’re really athletic, you have the potential to be good at rowing,” Ruthfield said.
“I would definitely say, try it. It’s not for everyone, which is totally understandable, but like, there’s no harm in trying it,” Ruthfield said. “Also go in with an open mind. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be different than any sport you’ve done before, but take advantage of the opportunities and the coaching you’ll get.“
