I am writing in regard to Ashley Herzog's column on Title IX and its effects on athletes of both genders. While I believe that she makes some very valid points in her article, there is one statement that I object to and wish to clarify. This statement purports that crew is a sport that is easy to learn.
Crew (rowing) is a sport that requires high amounts of self-control, both physically and mentally. Nearly all body parts, including the legs (rowing is about 70 percent legs), back, abs, arms and hands are engaged in each stroke. Novices to the sport begin learning technique on rowing machines called ergometers, which provide a very simplified version of the stroke, before they are allowed into a boat. Once in the boat, they must master proper oar technique and the art of keeping the boat balanced.
I'd like to pass on a quote from the U.S. Rowing Web site, www.usrowing.com. Rowing looks graceful
elegant and sometimes effortless when it's done well. Don't be fooled. Rowers haven't been called the world's most physically fit athletes for nothing. A 2 000-meter rowing race demands virtually everything a human being can physically bring to an athletic competition.
The OU Women's Crew team accepts any woman who is willing to work hard and learn the sport, regardless of previous experience, when we recruit at the beginning of fall and winter quarters. We wish to extend an invitation to Herzog to join us for any of our 6 a.m. practices so that she can find out for herself just how easy to learn the sport really is.
Caitlin Steinert is the public relations chair for Ohio University Women's Crew.
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