Mission Statement

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BLS Crew is a competitive, as well as welcoming and inclusive, program. We strive to attain the highest possible ranking and placements within our leagues. We hold high expectations for athletes’ dedication to their training during both the competitive season and the pre-season months. BLS Crew coaches make challenging yet reasonable demands of the athletes and expect them to work hard. At the same time, BLS Crew aims to provide its athletes with a supportive and nurturing community in which to develop their skills and athletic potential. We understand that every athlete comes to us with different experience and ability levels; the coaches' goal is to ensure that each student is given the encouragement and instruction needed to attain his or her highest athletic potential. We understand also that sport, especially at the middle and high school levels, is more than a venue for competition but also one for developing vital life skills and a strong sense of self. With these two goals, competitive and developmental, in mind, we aspire to meet the following guidelines:

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• To provide a robust financial aid program to make BLS Crew affordable for all BLS families, and to ensure that no rower will be deterred from participating due to the financial burden of rower fees.

• To ensure that, regardless of personal athletic ability, any student willing to meet our requirements for practice time and team activities (including fundraising) will be a fully supported member of the team.

• To provide athletes and their parents with clear and objective expectations and requirements for participation.

• To develop qualities of self-reliance, a strong work ethic, and team cooperation through ideals of competitive spirit.

• To cultivate a sense of individual and community responsibility.

• To involve athletes in the training process such that they obtain an understanding of their bodies’ physiological needs and development.

• To enable athletes, through technical instruction, physical training and mental development, to surpass self-perceived limitations and to attain their full athletic and competitive potentials.

• To provide a training plan and instruction that will allow our crews to achieve top rankings in the Massachusetts Public High School Rowing Association and New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) leagues, and when possible at the USRowing Youth National Championship.

 

In order to achieve these goals, we receive support for the program from the following:

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• BLS Athletics Department, which supports us in its community of athletes as a varsity sport and provides a link to the BLS administration.

• Boston Latin School Association (BLSA), which provides financial support as it does to other BLS athletic teams.

• Coaching staff, who provide training, technical instruction and structure for the program.

• Friends of BLS Crew, who as parent volunteers manage the finances and logistics of the program, including raising funds, communicating information to rowers and parents, managing equipment purchases and repairs, coordinating regatta food and other needs, providing logistical support to coaches, and more.

• Parents, who support the program through payment of rower fees (to the extent of their families' ability to afford them) and in many other ways.

• Team captains, who act as liaisons to the athletes and help with team organizing and fundraising.