The college experience for many students invokes dreams of freedom and weekend carelessness. But for the members of the Northwestern club crew team, different words come to mind.
These words - sacrifice, dedication and teamwork - are clear in their 5:45 a.m. practices and their additional workouts throughout the rest of the week.
So when sleeping in until noon is a coveted prize during college years, why give it up?
"I feel I do it for my coaches and my teammates," said sophomore Bette Marston. "I've bonded with the other girls on the team and most of my best friends at school are on the crew team. I don't want to disappoint them."
Junior Kristin Behrmann, who has been rowing with NU since her freshman year, sees no obvious sacrifices. She said most of the people on the team are involved in a lot of school activities and organizations despite an unusual schedule compared to other students.
Marston (a former Daily staffer) emphasized that a rower also has to do it for themselves or it is tough to make it through the season.
"It's hard to live a regular college life," Marston said. "I get up early and take 10-15 minute naps throughout the day. You are constantly tired. But it also keeps me in shape and makes me eat healthier foods."
Every weekday morning she and her teammates, along with the men's team, go through a rigorous two-and-a-half hour workout before many of their friends have hit the snooze button. These workouts include running, lifting, using a rowing simulator called an erg and practicing out on the lake.
The workouts set by the coaches vary in activities, but one of the most important exercises is their rowing drills. These drills revolve around achieving the perfect stroke, which is important to creating and maintaining speed.
Another common exercise is interval rowing, in which team members row at a certain pace for several minutes.
"Because our crew has only had roughly three weeks to train together before their first race, they've had to be extremely passionate about their training and gelling together as a team," men's varsity coach Joe Kayse said. "The example set by team captain Joe Buckley, as well as the rest of the older guys, to training with passion and purpose, has been the cornerstone for the team pulling together so quickly."
Though 5:45 a.m. practice may be a deal-breaker for many student-athletes, the crew team seems to thrive on the early morning hours. With so much time spent together, the team develops unity and an unusual amount of reliance on each other. The factor that keeps the club members coming back for more is their trust in each other.
"Trust is key," Buckley said. "You can get eight tall, strong, athletic people in a boat, but if they don't trust one another, or are not willing to give up control, then the boat will not move quickly. It won't even be balanced."
Senior Annie Baltes, the women's captain, added that the biggest asset for a rower is a willingness to set the team's agenda above the individual's agenda.
"There are no individuals in the sport of rowing," she said. "We're only as good as our weakest teammate. A crew with all of its rowers committed to one another is bound to achieve great things."
The men's and women's club varsity crew teams will get a chance to showcase their talent very soon. Along with North Park University, they will co-host the North Shore Channel Challenge on Oct. 5.
Competing in 6K regattas with four- and eight-person crews with a coxswain, the team will row against five other schools: Washington University in St. Louis, University of Chicago, Michigan State, North Park University and Augustana College.
Even though NU is a club team going against the highly selective varsity teams from other schools, the team is secure in its abilities.
"We may be slower because we don't have as much experience as the NCAA teams, but we're pretty close," Marston said. "We're a very self-motivated team."
The team will be looking to have a strong showing at the event and also to get used to rowing together again. NU may have a slight disadvantage because of the late start to school. But the team remains confident that its hard work and early hours will pay off.
"The team goal is always to win," Buckley said.
jordanhelton2012@u.northwestern.edu
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