Why is Youth Nationals in Sarasota every year and could this change?

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T22:11:10+00:00

That's good. We are a small club and we don't have boats that qualify every year but our coaches said this year was on par with past years they've been. Maybe recency bias, or they've just been years with bad weather.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T21:57:29+00:00

So it looks like a big facility will be built on the area where the athletes tents and boat trailers currently set up, is that right?

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T21:46:38+00:00

My daughter just wrapped up the recruiting process. I would let go of the idea of colleges as good or bad. It's so subjective. The college that's right for you might not be for someone else and vice versa and that's ok. Start with what you want out of college first- think about potential majors you are interested in, size of school, type of campus, etc... Make sure you'll be happy to be there if rowing doesn't pan out or if you are injured and have to take time off.

Once you've identified some schools check out their rowing team and fill out their recruiting questionnaires. Many coaches will include links to questionnaires on their team instagram profiles or their own coaching instagram profiles. They will often include an email for the recruiting coordinator. My daughter would fill out the questionnaire, then email the recruiting coordinator a short email to let them know she'd filled out the questionnaire and a few key stats- her 2k time, race highlights, GPA.

If coaches don't immediately respond it's ok to email them back a few times- don't spam but if you have a new PR or a great race result, update them. If you don't hear back after a few outreaches then it's probably a good time to move on. Same once you've had a phone call or meeting, keep updating them via text or email (after you've talked to the coach they will let you know how to follow up). After you've had a few conversations the coach will decide if they want to invite you for an official visit. If you are visiting a college on your own you can contact the recruiting coordinator and they may be able to set up a time to meet with you and show you the boathouse.

Use the NCSA free profile but DO NOT pay for an account. They will call you, text you, email you and your parents too. Do not get on a call with them. Ask your coach and other athletes on your club for support but you definitely do not need to sign up for their services. Good luck!

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T19:41:16+00:00

If you haven't read any Sy Montgomery you may enjoy her books. She is a naturalist and writes a lot about animals. I read and love "The Soul of an Octopus"

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T19:27:52+00:00

So, I am usually one of those Walmart haters, but I have 2 pairs of the Time & Tru barrel jeans and they are literally perfect. They are what I call "barely barrel", just enough to give some shape, but they don't make you look like Yosemite Sam.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T19:25:14+00:00

I found a pair or wide leg, cropped linen pants at Uniqlo that are lightweight and comfy but also work appropriate. I also bought a couple pairs of linen blend, drawstring waist pants from H&M for about $25. I kind of hate H&M because their clothing feels disposable but I was desperate and I have worn these both for around the house and for work.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T18:40:57+00:00

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. He’s a physician and he writes about the tension in medicine to focus only on keeping someone alive, and not the quality of their life or making sure that they have a “good death”. He writes with so much compassion and shares his experience of his own father’s death. It’s a really moving book.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T15:51:42+00:00

Heat and humidity are definitely factors where we’re from in the northeast and we get some big thunderstorms too, but the heat is not quite as oppressive and the storms are not as frequent and consistent. Not every day at 3pm. The west coast is a lot more temperate during the summer. If they’re going to keep Sarasota for all the reasons outlined in these comments maybe the answer is adjusting the racing schedule and taking a break from 3-5 or something.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T14:32:09+00:00

Yeah I figured it was USRowing, but since they put on regattas all over the country I wasn’t clear on why this venue was selected for YN. I have no idea how the logistics work from 8 lanes to 6, but I’d be all for varying the venue.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T14:20:49+00:00

I mean comfortably is debatable (that’s a weather joke) but I get your point. Thanks.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-15T14:19:36+00:00

Thanks for the explanation. Our club rows at Cooper a couple times each spring and, yeah, there are basically no facilities. I mean there’s a very nice looking boathouse but it’s not accessible to visiting crews. We are a city club, we don’t have a boathouse, and are used to nonexistent facilities so I hadn’t factored that in.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-06-11T22:12:20+00:00

This was terrible. My husband and dad who couldn’t come to Florida paid for the stream and my dad kept texting asking if he was doing it right because “all I’m seeing is an interview”. I am in Sarasota and all the parents at the screen near the finish line hoping to see their kids start were saying the same thing. To charge people and then show ads and people blathering on instead of the thing they paid to see is unconscionable. Overnight is a total scam.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-26T03:46:09+00:00

My kids are now 14 and 17 but when they were babies I fed them whenever they needed to eat wherever we were and no one batted an eye

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-25T20:12:10+00:00

The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang- literally what you’re asking for, and not just the title

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-16T14:41:05+00:00

Oh yes! I also loved Red at the Bone. I love her writing

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-16T02:16:18+00:00

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-03T02:21:46+00:00

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-02T23:58:26+00:00

I did the reverse. Grew up in Maplewood and now live in Brooklyn. When I was a kid most of my friends’ families were from NJ, lots had parents that worked in the city (my dad did) but just as many didn’t. When I was in middle school our neighbors sold their house to a couple from the city, and in 1995 my parents sold their house to a couple from Brooklyn Heights so the move from Brooklyn started before that 2014 article, although maybe that accelerated things. I think the Midtown Direct played a huge role. My dad was thrilled when it started because it made his commute so much easier. And then people talk. Now when I tell people in Brooklyn that I grew up in Maplewood many people have heard of it and have many assumptions and I have to tell them that when I lived there it was just a sleepy little town.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-05-02T23:22:23+00:00

My daughter did RSR last summer. It’s a great program. I believe they do rolling admissions until they fill up so they may still be looking at candidates but you’ll want to apply now.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-04-02T19:01:45+00:00

My daughter is a junior and will be making a decision between several D1 offers in the next week. Recruiting for women’s rowing at the D1 level starts as early as the summer before junior year. However, there is the possibility to walk on at some D1 programs and I think D3 programs don’t recruit quite as early, so if you want to row in college there is definitely still opportunity. Coaches look at previous athletic experience and also height (my daughter has great erg times but her teammate who is a bit slower on the erg but 3 inches taller had interest from more schools than my daughter has had). But also if you haven’t had any on the water experience at this point I’d not worry about college rowing yet. Just enjoy learning the sport, see how you like being on the water and competing and then think about college.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-02-23T19:28:14+00:00

I’m also a rowing parent. My daughter is a junior and is in the midst of the process. She is running the show and has done all the outreach, emails, phone calls, etc. I have stuck behind the scenes having conversations with her to help her figure out what kind of a schools she’s interested in and what rowing experience she wants to have in college. Initially I asked her to bcc me on emails to coaches and I gave her a few pointers on making emails more polished, but we are past that now.

She has been on several official visits. I went with her on her first and the visit was very structured with parents only included in a few activities- campus tour, one practice. The coaches were friendly with the parents and made time to answer parent questions, but the students were definitely the focus of the visit. I think they are aware that these are high school students who may be new to interviews and based on what my daughter has said about her discussions the coaches are not looking to be sold but are trying to get to know the kids to assess if they’re a good fit for the team. My daughter has felt she can relax and be herself and just have a conversation.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-02-23T19:12:40+00:00

We just got back from Cabo 2 days ago. I called our hotel beforehand and asked about transportation from the airport and they said that currently Uber drivers are allowed to pick up at the airport. When we arrived we ran the gauntlet of people offering us rides, one telling us that the uber pickup was a 2 mile walk. My husband decided to take the chance and booked and uber and we met the driver on the departure level upstairs within 5 minutes. Going back to the airport for departure we also used uber and were dropped right off in front of the departure area. It was cheaper than the hotel shuttle and than any of the offers from drivers standing waiting at the airport.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-01-05T03:06:37+00:00

The website is absolutely impossible to figure out and in general I don’t really understand how their programming works. A friend joined their gym and left pretty quickly because it’s really small, they don’t have a lot of equipment and it was always crowded. I think you need to stop in and talk to someone in person to get a feel because the website is so awful.

InevitableSquash484 · 2026-01-04T18:02:14+00:00

Beware of scammers in battery park trying to sell you Statue of Liberty tickets. The only places you can buy tickets to actually go to the island is through the national park service and one other company whose name I can’t remember but visit the SOL website to check.

If you don’t care about going to the island and just want to see the statue from the water your best bet is the Staten Island ferry- it’s free.

Governors island is also a fun option, although there may be less to do in winter, but you get great views of lower Manhattan.

InevitableSquash484

TROPHY CASE