WARHAWK CREW NEWS

Thanks to everyone who made Mulch Day a success!

April 3-7: Spring Break Training
May 30: End of Year Banquet

**See the full list of regatta dates in the Regatta section.

* Read the 2022-23 Parent Handbook.
* Join us on Slack to make sure you get-up-to-the-minute communications.  See the Communications section for more information.
* Register your student-athlete for the 2023 Warhawk Crew Season: Click HERE to register your athlete.  Contact registrar@warhawkcrew.org with any questions.
* Join/Renew US Rowing and complete the SafeSport Training. See more info HERE.
* Take care of your volunteer credits! See the Volunteering section for more information and/or visit DIBS HERE to sign up now (make sure to scroll through all pages to see all the opportunities)!

As we get ready to move into race season, take note of the dates for our regattas this year below. Athletes are expected to follow coach guidance for arrival times for each race. Expect to be at the race site for most of the day. An absent athlete means a boat does not race. Do not let your boatmates down by failing to communicate with coaches well ahead of race day! Information for parking shuttles, food concessions, and other spectator information can be found on the VASRA - Regatta 101 website (updated regularly) for races except Gunston Invitational, James River Sprints, Stotesbury and SRAAs. Keep an eye out for requests from the Hospitality Committee to support our athletes' nutrition needs during all races.
 
Take Note!
Transportation to and from Gunston and James River will only be by adult-driven carpools. Athletes should not drive themselves to these competitions. Parents/Guardians! We will have carpool driver signups on Tuesday, March 14th starting at 6:45 outside the board meeting room at JMHS just before the bus arrives back from practice. All forms required by FCPS will be available for you to complete and turn in on the spot. Permission slips will be distributed to athletes the week of March 13th for parents to sign and return for all regattas requiring carpool transportation. Permission forms should be returned by Friday, March 17th to Ms. Jopeck, Away Regattas Coordinator, at practice.
 
Coming Soon! Signups for:

• Stotesbury Boat Chaperones (FCPS volunteer badging required)
• Spectator support at all Away Regattas
• Coach/athlete support at all Away Regattas

 
Spring 2023 Warhawk Crew Regattas:
Saturday, March 18 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Polar Bear Regatta (Varsity Boats Only)
Saturday, March 25 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Regional Park Regatta
Sunday, April 2 (Centreville, MD) - Gunston Invitational Regatta
Saturday, April 8 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Darrell Winslow Regatta
Saturday, April 15 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Ted Phoenix Regatta
Saturday, April 22 (Richmond, VA) - James River Sprints Regatta
Saturday, April 29 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Al Urquia Regatta
Saturday, May 6 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championship Regatta (Day 1)
Saturday, May 13 (Sandy Run Regional Park) - Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championship Regatta (Day 2)
May 18-20 (Philadelphia, PA) - Stotesbury Cup Regatta (all athletes will attend)
May 26-27 (Oakridge, TN) - SRAA National Championships (qualifying boats only)

Contact Valerie Jopeck, Away Regattas Coordinator, via Slack with any questions.

We have made some significant progress with filling most volunteer needs to date. Be sure to visit the DIBs site HERE often for new opportunities that will pop up over the season. Please know you only need to claim volunteer jobs to fulfill the required credits you 'pledged' during registration. No need to go overboard; leave some opportunity for others to fulfill their requirement. For most, that will be 6 credits based on the option you selected at registration. GOOD NEWS, if you have more than 1 athlete registered for this season, the board has made the decision to require only credits by family, not multiple athletes.
 
VOLUNTEER UPDATE:
We have some amazing volunteer support going on and it's about to get REALLY B-U-S-Y! Regattas kick off on March 18 (only 12 days away)!

• Volunteers have been trained on Launch Boat Training for VASRA Regattas support - Thank you @Ken Lee & @Christopher L!
• Team Dinners have already begun - Thank you Hospitality Members and parents for donations!
• Parents have been on the bus now since last week - Thank you Bus Chaperones!
• Weekly Gas runs started the week before water training - Thank you Operations Members
• VASRA Workday have been active since mid-February (setting up the racecourse!) - Thank you @John Lilienthal!

Quick Update:
We have a total of 382 Credits posted so far this year and as of 2/28, 302 or 79% have been claimed! There are 80 credits available with the majority in the Board & Committee Positions category (See DIBS). You can see the current status of meeting your volunteer commitments HERE!
 
I expect we will have more volunteer opportunities added at a later date, focused on Stotesbury Away Regatta support (Operations, Hospitality, Bus & Parent Chaperones, etc.), but don't delay in signing up to help support our team. We need to engage our volunteers early - before Regattas kick-off! It really is a GREAT opportunity to get involved and learn more about this amazing Competitive Club Sport.
 
Current Categories Completion rates:

• Bus Chaperone: 100%
• Operations - Weekly Gas Runs: 100%
• VASRA Regatta Support: 100%
• Hospitality - Crew Dinner Host: 85% (3 needed for Women's Team)
• JMCBO Board & Committee Positions: 65% (29 openings remain)

 Quick DIBs Facts &Tips:

1. What is DIBs? DIBs is our volunteer management system in which jobs will be posted throughout the season for volunteer needs. A DIB session typically has a list of items (jobs) assigned to it.
2. What does DIBS stand for? We have no idea! It is a component of SportsEngine we activated. The dictionary.com definition of dibs: rights, claims (noun)
3. How do we track Volunteer Credits? We list volunteer opportunities in DIBs by session and manually track completed and scheduled sign-ups. Volunteer credits associated with the job are typically listed in the session overview or the list item. 
4. How do I find out my Volunteer Credit Fulfillment Status? The credit summary (by athlete) is posted to the website under Volunteers HERE. Please note this is Manual​ (and our first year of implementation), so if you see any discrepancies, contact volunteers@warhawkcrew.org or Tarrin Pakes via Slack.
5. Where can I find DIBs? All Warhawk Crew DIBs Sessions are located at www.warhawkcrew.org/dib_sessions
6. Tips for searching in DIBs:
   • Check the filters to be sure you have checked both: "Has Date/Time" and "Has no Date/Time"
   • Be sure you fill in the filter dates with enough time (past & future) to capture all list items.
   • Most DIBS Sessions will have list items assigned to them. Be sure to check if there are multiple pages.
7. What if I need to cancel my DIBs claim? Most jobs have a cancelation period associated and all you need to do is Request Cancellation under the "Claimed Items" header of the associated DIBs session when you are logged in. If you cannot cancel, contact volunteers@warhawkcrew.org or Tarrin Pakes via Slack.
8. What if I need to cancel my DIBS claim and the cancellation period has passed? It is your duty to find a replacement and contact volunteers@warhawkcrew.org or Tarrin Pakes via Slack to notify her of your replacement.

Warhawk Crew uses Slack to share updates and reminders as well as help team families stay connected. You can download Slack for iOS here or Slack for Android here. If you aren’t connected to our workspace us on Slack, contact communications@warhawkcrew.org and let us know who your rower is when you do so.

Below is a listing of the Channels on Slack that have been created by JMCBO to facilitate communication about Warhawk Crew. Anyone may ask to join any channel. Board Members have access to all channels for purposes of oversight. After every season, year-specific channels will be Archived. Anyone can create a channel, which is why the list below may not be complete.

Coaches typically create team specific channels to communicate with their team (Varsity Men, Varsity Women, Novice Men, Novice Women) and invite team members to these channels. These channels usually include discussions about workouts, lineups, other team specific information. 

#General: Everyone is automatically subscribed to the “General” channel. However, posting on “General” is limited to Board Members. The General Channel is where team-wide information (e.g., team dinners, practice cancellations, fundraising opportunities, volunteer opportunities, operation workdays) will be posted.
#Parents: This is a channel to ask questions or communicate with all crew parents and the Board.
#Carpools: This channel is useful to parents who want to arrange carpools for their athletes.
#Pictures: This channel is where parents and students post pictures.
#Random: Random thoughts!
#2023_Novice_Parent: This is a private channel for new parents moderated by the JMCBO’s new parent liaison, Tim Ballew, and the JMCBO President.
#Parents-Stotes: This channel was created to keep parents informed of the happenings at the Stotesbury Regatta.

Each Board Level Committee has its own channel to facilitate committee level communication. These channels are: #Fundraising, #Hospitality, #Operations, #Recruiting.

Our annual Mulch Sale was a success with 10,200 bags of mulch sold and delivered by our athletes! Thank you to all who volunteered their time and made this a success!

Our last Dining for Dollars event is coming up - March 11, 2023 (5:00pm-9:00pm): @ Chipotle (213 Maple Avenue East).  Dinner is taken care of after crew practice!

You can also raise money towards your personal fundraising goal without spending anything extra by shopping with RaiseRight (formerly Scrip). Through Raise Right, you earn money to support Warhawk Crew through your everyday purchases. Once you join the program, you can purchase gift cards online and use them to pay for purchases at a wide array of stores (e-gift cards are received immediately, physical gift cards are shipped to Tracy McHone 1-2 times/month). You can even double up by using a gift card at our Dining for Dollars event - if you purchase a $100 Chipotle e-gift card which shows a 10% rebate, the e-gift card you receive immediately has a balance of $100 and Warhawk Crew automatically receives a $10 rebate from Great Lakes Scrip Center, credited to you. It’s a win-win!  Download the RaiseRight mobile app and enter this enrollment code:2A5CEL1C33648.

Does your employer utilize matching through Benevity or some other platform?   If you are the owner of a business or frequent a local business, Warhawk Crew is always looking for Corporate Sponsors!

Contact Tracy McHone on Slack or fundraising@warhawkcrew.org for questions or more information.

During the regular regatta season (starting March 17), we will have team-specific Friday night dinners before every home regatta. Please consider hosting an upcoming weekly Friday Warhawk Crew Team dinner! This is to provide the space ONLY - food items will be taken care of by others. No place too big or too small. The athletes don't have to fit in one room, on one level, or all have chairs. They will make themselves fit. Sign up HERE for one of the two remaining host slots for the women. Host responsibilities include providing a clean environment, floor space, and the ability to receive all the food & drinks prior to dinner at 6:30. The host supplies paper plates, cutlery, cups, napkins, water and garbage bags.

Separate, weekly sign-ups will be posted on Slack for parents to contribute food for the dinners.

Join the @hospitality Slack channel for other opportunities to feed our athletes!

Everyone should be registered by now, but this is a friendly reminder for those who have not registered yet for the 2023 Warhawk Crew season.  Registration is HERE and is a multi-step process and all steps are required before water practice (find out more HERE). Questions or need help? Contact Tim Ballew via Slack or email registrar@warhawkcrew.org.

Spread the news about MadCrew and recruit more rowers and coxswains! In an effort to make the 2023 season as successful as possible, we are initiating a Recruiting Challenge. Now is the time to invite, persuade, or cajole a novice/freshman rower or coxswain to attend Winter Training. If you manage to do this, please email the registrar@warhawkcrew.org with your name and the contact information for the new athlete (name, email, parent's email at least). We will follow-up and if they register with the team, you will earn a $50 Amazon gift card (through Raise Right) for your team-building efforts.

More information to come!

For Monday - Friday practices at Sandy Run Regional Park: 

• Our charter bus transportation runs every weekday (excluding Spring Break week).
• The bus will pick up students in the back of the high school, by the cafeteria (Door #4).
• The bus will be at Madison at 2:45pm and will depart by 3:15pm each day. 
• Between February 20 - April 14, the bus will depart Sandy Run at approximately 6:30pm with an estimated return to JMHS (Door #11) by 7:30pm.
• From April 17 - May 17, we are extending practice by 30 mins so the bus will depart Sandy Run at approximately 7:00pm with an estimated return to JMHS (Door #11) by 8:00pm.
• The bus has WIFI so the students can do homework while riding. 
• The bus also has a bathroom.

 Athlete Guidelines While On The Bus:

• Athletes MUST clean up their own trash on the bus.
• We have been asked that the athletes use the restroom at Madison or Sandy Run instead of using the bus lavatory for our short trips to / from practice — unless there is an emergency. Thank you for understanding.
• When an athlete that takes the bus to practice will not be returning on the bus back to Madison, their parent has to email the Transportation Chair at transportation@warhawkcrew.org at least 24 hours in advance. We have to let our chaperones know in advance so they don’t have to search or call to verify at the time of departure.
• Athletes must remain seated on the bus and may not sit backwards in the seats or lean over the backs of the seats.
• Excessive noise, foul language, inappropriate physical contact or controversial topics are all prohibited.
• Athletes must listen to the bus driver for any other safety instructions and treat the adult volunteers with respect.

  Bus Chaperone Duties:

• A huge thank you to all that volunteered to chaperone the bus. All of our volunteer spots are 100% claimed!!
• FCPS does NOT permit us to offer this bus service unless a parent accompanies the bus as a chaperone. If the Bus Chaperone does not show up or find a substitute, our rowers won't be able to practice that day.
• CAN'T MAKE YOUR SHIFT? You must find a substitute with appropriate FCPS volunteer badge and email the Transportation Chair at transportation@warhawkcrew.org with the name and phone number of the person who will be doing your shift.
• More chaperone info such as badging requirements and other duties can be found HERE

Carpool Planning:

• Reminder! There is no bus transportation for Saturdays and Spring Break to Sandy Run. Plan ahead to coordinate carpool groups to help with Saturday and Spring Break practices, Saturday regattas, and other events at Sandy Run. 
• We will be coordinating carpools driven by adults for two away regattas on April 1 (Gunston School in Maryland) and April 22 (Richmond). More details will come in early March. 
• We will also help coordinate carpools for athletes in the 1st Varsity boats for the Stotesbury Regatta in mid-May and any athletes who qualify for SRAA National Championships in late May. 

If you want some spirit wear, contact Jessica Khurana on Slack or email (jesskuhn@yahoo.com) for what she has available.

Athlete Time Commitment
Winter Conditioning is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended November-January. Those involved in fall and winter sports are still able to participate in crew as long as the coaches are informed. However, come late winter and early spring, athletes are expected to participate as fully as possible.

In-season training (on-the-water-training) usually starts in mid to late February on the Occoquan at Sandy Run. Until regattas begin, training is typically 6 days a week (2-3 hr. sessions). Please note that on-the-water-training is held over Spring Break. Attendance is mandatory for in-season training (your boat is depending upon you!).

Where We Practice
Winter conditioning is conducted at James Madison High School. Water training will be held at Sandy Run Regional Park starting February 20.

Financial Obligations
Warhawk Crew is not financially supported by Fairfax County Public Schools. Our booster club, JMCBO, works diligently to keep student cost to a minimum. Expenses associated with the Warhawk Crew program are derived from a combination of yearly dues and fundraising activities.

Volunteer Obligations
Warhawk Crew is a volunteer-run organization. Each family is expected to contribute their time and talents in some way in order to provide the best experience for our rowers.  For a summary of the parent volunteer requirements for each Madison Crew family, please visit our Volunteer page.