College Fair Offers Opportunities for Club National Competitors

The 2015 USRowing Club National Championships in Bethel, Ohio will again play host to the 12^th Annual College Fair, where coaches from all over the country are eager to get a look at some of the nation's best youth rowers in action. 

The college fair is open to all rising high school senior competitors and will feature over 60 schools. For a complete list of participating schools click here. 

“The recruiting fair is a great outlet for us to meet athletes from a variety of clubs that we may not have had the opportunity to speak to before,” said West Virginia University’s Assistant Coach Stacy Van Order. “We also get to meet, in person, recruits that have been in phone and email contact with us, it is nice to finally meet those athletes face to face.” 

“In previous years we have met rowers and coxswains for the first time at the fair and they are now athletes on our team.”

This event will be the best opportunity for many of these young athletes to showcase what they can do on the water on one of the biggest stages in rowing.

Often, a young athlete's recruiting process can be as one-dimensional as filling out their size and erg scores on a recruiting questionnaire.

Although those aspects may remain crucial to the rowing recruiting process, a coach being able to see their results on a national stage can be a great addition for a prospective rower's résumé. The opportunity for networking with these coaches face-to-face is also invaluable to these junior athletes. 

“This fair is an excellent opportunity for athletes to learn about all different types of college rowing programs,” said event planner Helen Moore. “Everything from collegiate clubs to division I programs will be represented at the fair.” 

The fair will be held on Sunday, July 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the pavilion located next to the racecourse. 

As the list continues to grow, over 400 athletes have already signed up to take part in the college fair. Those who would like to attend can register online here. 

Additionally, athletes are encouraged to bring a rowing resume, an example can be found here. 

It should be noted that the college fair is only open to athletes who have completed their junior year of high school. Speaking to a coach before completion of one’s junior year of high school violated NCAA recruiting rules, risking the loss of any potential scholarship opportunities.

Watch the live broadcast of finals beginning at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 19 on the USRowing’s You Tube Channel. Video clips of the A, B and C finals will be available to download following racing for $5 on the USRowing website.