Missing the Cut

At the start of my Grade 10 year, I was told that I would no longer be rowing in the Junior category. Because of my birthdate, I would be rowing for Mr Carr and the Senior Boys. As scary as the new information was, I was eager to be taught by such a legendary coach. I immediately became the “younger brother” of the team. Fetching oars, grabbing water bottles, and constantly trying to remember my latest nickname became part of my daily routine around the boathouse. I still, however,  loved every minute of it.  Three-quarters of the way through the second term, I left my other sports, rugby and basketball, to focus more on rowing. I knew this year’s crew was going to be special and I wanted to be a part of it. I worked six days a week and spent over half of my Spring Break and most of my spare weekends at training camps, striving to become the best rower I could be.  During the seat racing, I was the tenth fastest boy in the program which meant that I was two seats out of the varsity eight. I kept training, however, and worked hard in hopes that there would be another chance for me to earn my spot amongst the top eight athletes.  The boys who placed ninth to twelfth were put into a quad. We trained next to the eight every practice. As a crew, we rowed the quad pretty well but watching the eight row beside me every day only made me want a spot there even more.  One day the coaches pulled the quad aside to discuss possible boatings for CSSRAs. The quad was dismantled and made into two singles, two doubles, and a pair. I was designated to row the heavyweight double and pair. Surprisingly, I was ecstatic even though I didn’t reach my goal of making the Varsity Eight. My coaches had seen my hard work and had given me the opportunity to row at Nationals. I wasn't upset because I had still gained every ounce of improvement during the season. In fact, I think the lesson of perseverance was the most important aspect of the year. I learned that even without making the top boat, I could still make massive improvements. With every ounce of my heart, I can say that I'm extremely proud of my achievements this year.  The Eight won a Silver at Nationals, and I didn’t, but missing the cut has been the best preparation possible for me to be ready to deliver my best in September to begin forging the crew of 2019. Yale H, Whittall ‘20