This past semester, I was able to catch up with URI crew team president Isaiah Kittel. Isaiah is a senior who is on the rowing team here at URI. As a double major in supply chain management and Chinese, rowing has played a significant role in paving the way for Isaiah’s college success.

What got you into rowing?

When I decided to attend URI, my parents were talking to me about the first night on campus. On the first night, there are all kinds of clubs out there. My sister rowed at Georgetown and she met a lot of good friends while on the team. It is challenging, but it is very rewarding. On the first night at URI, I saw the rowing club and I decided why not. I’ve always been into sports my whole life so it was all about finding something to keep me in shape as well as finding people who share the same values as myself.

Who is eligible to be on the crew team at URI?

Anyone is eligible to play. There is no limit. Undergraduate and graduate students. We don’t have cuts either. There is no prior experience needed to join rowing. I, myself, have never rowed before. We have coaches that teach all sorts of levels so that is a huge plus. We are able and willing to take on as many people as we can possibly fit into the amount of boats that we have. We recently had a big donation so we are looking at improving our fleets of boats with functioning equipment for all students.

How much does it cost to register and how do you register?

In order to register, you are able to go on the website and fill out a recruitment questionnaire. After the questionnaire, you will get in contact with the recruitment shares and will soon talk to you and be able  to bring you to practice. For varsity members, it is $750 for the full year and $650 for novices. 

What is the competitive season like for crew? Where do you compete and how often?

You are basically training all year long. Starting in the fall, we have head races. These are typically 5000-6000 meters in length. We would have 3-4 of these races in the fall. Moving towards the winter, the body of water that we use which is the Narrow River freezes over. We start doing inside workouts with a ton of running and lifting to build up strength. The saying is “you win your medals in the winter and you collect them in the spring”. This is because during the springtime is when we race a lot. We go from longer races in the fall to shorter staple races that are 2000 meters in length in the spring.

What happened with the team with COVID last March? What have you been doing in the off time?

We were in the middle of our spring break training trip in South Carolina when the outbreak started. A lot of rowing teams were getting calls about returning back to school including URI because of the virus. No one really knew what was going on. When we got back, our nationals were still on so everyone was training on their own, staying in shape while social distancing. We thought it was only going to last a couple of weeks til we all got the call that it really was cancelled. At that point, our coach told us to take a break and prepare for next season. I’ve been staying in shape by working out to prepare for the upcoming season during the COVID outbreak. Coming back from the fall semester, we still didn’t know what to think of it. We set up our covid guidelines in place which include boat limitation as well as people in the same space. Varsity could not practice with novices because you couldn’t have too many people at the same place at the same time. We do daily check-ins as well as always wearing masks. I feel like it’s really tough on our freshmen because they aren’t able to experience what we experienced yet.

Are there any effects from COVID that have changed the sport?

Definitely, the way that we handle the boats. We are always wiping boat handles and wearing masks no matter where we are. We are a pretty big team but we can’t be all together at times. COVID definitely had an effect on the recruitment process as well. 

What would your pitch be to a new student at URI who is interested in club sports/crew team?

Hey, I was just like you. I ran track, played hockey, and soccer. I never really thought about rowing either. I just signed up and did it. That’s what college is all about. When I was able to come to the first practice and went to the boat house, I was able to see so much history and pride in this team. You will always start from scratch, no matter how big or small you are. Everyone pulls for each other and it’s such a beautiful thing. You are able to meet new people with the same values as you. This is your chance to make it your own and have a good time.

What is your favorite thing about being on the crew team?

My favorite thing about being on the crew team is the leadership opportunities. This is because we are a student run organization so if it wasn’t for the students, we wouldn’t have a team. We fundraise for everything that we have. We clean our own boathouses and do our own landscaping so this gives us a sense of pride and accountability. We wake up every single morning and see the hard work and improvement of everyone including yourself. We have our own executive board with positions for all grades. I was always a shy kid but the crew team helped me come out of my shell. This is practically a second home to me.

How do you balance school and practices/competitions?

So anytime that I tell someone that practice starts at 5:30 AM, they are immediately like “I can’t do that”. I’m not a morning person either, I’ll tell you. Before coming to URI, I was never able to get up at 8 AM. At college, everything comes down to you. Crew gave me the structure I needed. This meant eating the right stuff, exercising, and completing my school assignments after practice. Crew gave me the motivation and the desire to better myself outside of rowing so that I can succeed for those around me. People ask me how I do it as a double major but every other major is very tough too. We have practice at 5:30 AM because no one is busy around that time and so we can head to our early morning classes.

To join the rowing club, click here for their website!

Hey everyone! I’m Eddy, a senior majoring in Communications and minoring in Sports Media. I am so happy to be a part of the URI Campus Recreation team! Writing has been a passion of mine since I was little, and I look forward to not only growing as a writer but as a person too.  My favorite activities include following the world of sports and playing sports. Whether it’s just reading articles on Bleacher Report or going out to the field, I am always doing something related to sports every second of the day! I played football and tennis in high school while running indoor track and field as well. Sports have always been a key role in my life as they made me who I am today. My favorite teams are the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Timberwolves, and FC Porto. I am a very competitive person and will never back down from any challenge. Always ready to bring out the best of the team and myself!