50p
The Week of Anticipation and Preparation: CSSRA Training Camp
A week before leaving for their National Championship, the Brentwood rowers spent the last three days of their May Midterm Break preparing for their competition in Ontario. At the Canadian Secondary Schools Association (CSSRA) Regatta, Brentwood will race against the fastest crews in the country. For some, this is their second year attending, but this is a new experience for most. Unlike the regattas on the Island, CSSRAs are attended by thousands of people and are one of the few regattas in the world that are treated like an event - with the exception of the Brentwood Regatta! The competition is fierce, the stakes are high, and the nerves are strung, providing a new experience for many rowers that tests mental and physical strength.
Our three-day camp mentally prepares the athletes for the significance of the competition. It is the week leading up to the biggest race of the season. With up to nine practices, each program dedicated time to perfecting its race plan and connecting as a crew. The painful hours of commitment and hard work, testing the physical and mental capability of each rower, is for a seven-minute race down the course. Every practice and every early morning was to prepare for the Gold Medal race on Sunday, June 5th. As part of their preparation, the Senior Men’s 8+ even trained with the Canadian Women’s National Team 8+ featuring Brentwood alumna Sydney Payne.
Marin A, Alex ‘24 explained: “This camp has allowed us to dedicate all of our time to our boats and given us the confidence to race fast in St. Catharines. It has also mentally gotten us into race mode that unified everyone with a competitive mindset to feel eager and ready to get our bow ball ahead.” Likewise, Peter D, Privett ‘25 observed, “Training camp has set a standard for my teammates and me. It has allowed me to see the commitment needed in this sport as well as the hard work and dedication needed for it. The work we put in during this camp helped directly with our fitness and our ability to row. Our coaches can focus on each rower more thoroughly, helping each person progress.”
Midterm Training Camp differs from Spring Break Training Camp as it is dedicated to the set crews and allows them to prepare for CSSRAs, while Spring Break Camp was intended to polish technique and introduce the training and commitment to prepare for CSSRAs. “In these three days, we can fine-tune all of the crews heading to Nationals before putting the boats on the trailers and racing down the course” explained Mr Brian Carr, Rowing Coach.
Having the camp allows the rowers to take time to recover without feeling sore when they return. Ms Spencer Manton, Rowing Coach, explains, “My goal for the Spring Break Camp was to get on the water and build a team culture, whereas this May training camp is a time to just finesse. It is the first time we are finding speed together in a boat as a set lineup, and we are focusing on one goal. Every practice leads up to May Midterm as people are locked in with their finalized seats.”
Over the three-day regatta, Brentwood will be sending 21 crews down the race course. The hours of dedication will be displayed as they row their biggest race of the season. The trust and connection within the crews will turn the regatta into a core memory, regardless of the result. Marin A, went on to say, “The camp was a great bonding experience for everyone - staying in the houses together brought all of the individual teams together even more.”
Beyond the sport, the connections made in rowing make it even more memorable. Peter D, revealed, “This camp showed the community created within the group of hard workers, where each student-athlete supports one another. It goes to show why people row: we row for each other.”
Novella R, Hope ‘25
Our three-day camp mentally prepares the athletes for the significance of the competition. It is the week leading up to the biggest race of the season. With up to nine practices, each program dedicated time to perfecting its race plan and connecting as a crew. The painful hours of commitment and hard work, testing the physical and mental capability of each rower, is for a seven-minute race down the course. Every practice and every early morning was to prepare for the Gold Medal race on Sunday, June 5th. As part of their preparation, the Senior Men’s 8+ even trained with the Canadian Women’s National Team 8+ featuring Brentwood alumna Sydney Payne.
Marin A, Alex ‘24 explained: “This camp has allowed us to dedicate all of our time to our boats and given us the confidence to race fast in St. Catharines. It has also mentally gotten us into race mode that unified everyone with a competitive mindset to feel eager and ready to get our bow ball ahead.” Likewise, Peter D, Privett ‘25 observed, “Training camp has set a standard for my teammates and me. It has allowed me to see the commitment needed in this sport as well as the hard work and dedication needed for it. The work we put in during this camp helped directly with our fitness and our ability to row. Our coaches can focus on each rower more thoroughly, helping each person progress.”
Midterm Training Camp differs from Spring Break Training Camp as it is dedicated to the set crews and allows them to prepare for CSSRAs, while Spring Break Camp was intended to polish technique and introduce the training and commitment to prepare for CSSRAs. “In these three days, we can fine-tune all of the crews heading to Nationals before putting the boats on the trailers and racing down the course” explained Mr Brian Carr, Rowing Coach.
Having the camp allows the rowers to take time to recover without feeling sore when they return. Ms Spencer Manton, Rowing Coach, explains, “My goal for the Spring Break Camp was to get on the water and build a team culture, whereas this May training camp is a time to just finesse. It is the first time we are finding speed together in a boat as a set lineup, and we are focusing on one goal. Every practice leads up to May Midterm as people are locked in with their finalized seats.”
Over the three-day regatta, Brentwood will be sending 21 crews down the race course. The hours of dedication will be displayed as they row their biggest race of the season. The trust and connection within the crews will turn the regatta into a core memory, regardless of the result. Marin A, went on to say, “The camp was a great bonding experience for everyone - staying in the houses together brought all of the individual teams together even more.”
Beyond the sport, the connections made in rowing make it even more memorable. Peter D, revealed, “This camp showed the community created within the group of hard workers, where each student-athlete supports one another. It goes to show why people row: we row for each other.”
Novella R, Hope ‘25