Middle School
Under 15 Programs
2024 - 2025 Under-15 Rowing
Program Overview:
Who is Under-15? The Under-15 program is for athletes who will not turn 15 during the 2025 calendar year. This is based on the age group definition created by US Rowing.
Who can participate? Our Under 15 rowing program is for both new and experienced rowers. This season, we will be offering Club and Competitive programs for athletes ages 12 and up, in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. No experience is necessary. Age is based on the athlete’s age as of the start of the rowing session.
What do you do during practice? Athletes will spend time sculling (2 oars each), sweeping (1 oar), and coxing, so they get to learn and appreciate the different skills required to make our boats move. We work on basic skills, rowing techniques, boat handling, and fitness in a fun and supportive environment. The boats are designed to be stable and sturdy in order to accommodate use by younger and less experienced athletes, which means that they get safe, practical on water experience within the first week, and quickly develop confidence on the water alongside their peers. The Oakland Strokes is proud to have coaches that have rowed and coached extensively, including at National, International and Olympic level, and who make learning to row easy and enjoyable.
**NEW** What is Under 13 Rowing? Lifejacket Requirements for 12 year old athletes. Due to California law, anyone in the Club program who is under the age of 13 will be required to wear a life jacket while rowing, no matter their swimming ability.
Athletes can do one or multiple sessions throughout the year, as their schedule allows. Signups fill up quickly, so if you are interested in participating, we recommend signing up for our mailing list to be notified when registration opens.
For May-August programs, check out our Summer Camps.
WE OFFER 2 LEVELS OF UNDER-15 ROWING, BASED ON AGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Club: Open to athletes 12 years old and up in 6th, 7th or 8th grade. No experience necessary! We go over the basics of the sport and spend time rowing on the water and cross training on land: ”Beginner” rowers with no rowing experience should enroll in either Session 1, 2 or 3. Those with rowing experience, who have attended at least one school-year session or two weeks of summer camp are welcome to enroll in either or all of the 4 sessions as an “Intermediate”.
Competitive: Open to 8th grade athletes only, who have completed a minimum of two Club sessions (or equivalent summer camps), have achieved the required level of proficiency and are approved for advancement by the coaches. The Competitive program is 4 days per week, for athletes who are committed to row throughout the season.
Selecting your athlete’s program level: Sign up for the program that most accurately reflects your athlete’s rowing experience and age/grade. In order to maintain a fun, safe rowing environment and a stable cohort, we are unable to accommodate custom schedules. Athletes may only be a part of one session at a time. If you have any questions about which session to sign up for, send us an email.
Club: | Tuesdays & Thursdays (2 days/week), 4:30pm-6:30pm |
Competitive: | Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 4:30pm-6:30pm & Saturdays 9:30am-11:30am (4 days/week) |
*Note on Holidays: For most Monday federal holidays, we do have practice. Any special schedules will be communicated via email.
The practice schedule is the same for all sessions. We are unable to accommodate custom schedules this season. We do practice in the rain. If there is an emergency (ie high AQI) and we need to cancel practice, it will be communicated via email at least 2 hours before the start time.
SESSION Dates:
Club Sessions:
September 10 thru October 12, 2024 (Beginner & Intermediate)
October 15 thru November 16, 2024 (Intermediates Only)
February 11 thru March 16, 2025 (Beginner & Intermediate)
March 18 thru April 19, 2025
* Spring session dates are subject to change. We will announce final Spring session dates in the late Fall before Registration for Spring opens.
Competitive Sessions:
September 9 thru December 21, 2024
January 13 thru Saturday April 26, 2024
Scrimmage Dates:
An optional scrimmage for each session’s Club and Competitive athletes to row and race at the boathouse so parents can spectate. Details to be emailed to registrants. Scrimmage will be held 11am-1pm at Tidewater.
1. Sunday October 13, 2024
2. Sunday November 17, 2024
3. Sunday March 16, 2025
4. Sunday April 20, 2025
REGISTER
Club session 2 registration is currently open.
Competitive 8th Grade Rowing: Registration for approved athletes can be completed online. Please send us an email if you are interested.
Spring registration will open in December. Sign up for our Email List for updates.
FEES STRUCTURE
Club: | $575 per session |
Competitive: | $1800 per session |
The Oakland Strokes strive to keep fees as minimal as possible while maintaining excellent staff and equipment. You can apply for Financial Aid via this form. If you wish to support the Oakland Strokes work, you can donate here, or get involved here.
More Information
Find out more information about our middle school program here.