CLEVELAND YOUTH ROWING ASSOCIATION Integrity/Discipline/Teamwork/Respect MOVE AS ONE TEAM POLICIES Rowing at CYRA The Cleveland Youth Rowing Association, CYRA, aims to create a Varsity level competitive experience for youth rowers in Cleveland. Practices are designed to develop an athlete’s technical skills and physical fitness. Practices are on par with the intensity of other high school varsity endurance sports. As such, the Junior Program is designed with performance and competition in mind. Attendance is mandatory and athletes will work to earn their seats in the boat every practice. Registration No rower will be permitted to participate in practices until the online registration steps are complete and fee payment has been made. Registration is done online through the Cleveland Youth Rowing Association website at ​
www.cyrarowing.com​
. ​
A parent/guardian is required to initiate registration and will become the account holder. Please retain your password, this password may then be used for all future CYRA registrations. Each family member on the account must VALIDATE the associated emails sent in order to receive communications. As part of the registration but under a separate website, each Parent/Guardian must complete the online USRowing waiver/profile. Please access the waiver here: ​
https://rosters.usrowing.org/​
. The club access code is: “​
DBBBA​
”. Instructions to complete the US Rowing waiver can be found here: https://www.teamunify.com/reczcsra/__doc__/317392_1_USROWINGFall2015PROFILEWAIVE
RINSTRUCTIONS.pdf​
. The list of forms for the registration process is as follows, the CYRA Waiver, The Foundry Waiver, Swim test form, Medical Release Waiver, Concussion Acknowledgement, Media and Travel releases, Athlete Expectations of Crew & Team Policies, and Payment / Refund agreements. In order to be fully registered a parent must: ● Register /Pay online with CYRA at ​
www.cyrarowing.org and accept the CYRA Waiver, Medical Release Waiver, Concussion Acknowledgement, Media and Travel releases, and Payment / Refund agreements. ● Register / Renew online with USRowing at ​
https://rosters.usrowing.org ● Print and turn in required forms: Foundry Waiver and Swim Test, Athlete Expectations of Crew and Team Policies. Fees Fee payment is done at the time of registration, either online by credit card payment or by check to CYRA c/o ​
The Foundry, 1831 Columbus Road, Cleveland, OH 44113​
. If paying by check, Fees must be received by CYRA by the first on ​
water practice of each season, typically the middle of March for the spring season and the middle of August for the fall season. While CYRA is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization, fees for participation are not tax deductible. The Fee is used to pay for CYRA’s operational and regatta registration expenses including but not limited to coaches’ salaries, insurance, boathouse membership fees, equipment maintenance, boat storage and registration, trailer towing & gas, a portion of regatta race registration, uniform, and some travel and lodging expenses. Additional Fee payments for Ancillary costs incurred each season will be discussed during the parent meeting. Refund Policy Full refunds will only be made for cancelled programs. Programs may be cancelled if minimum enrollment is not met. Should an individual be unable to complete a program due to significant medical reasons, a prorated refund will be issued upon receipt of an acceptable written notification from a licensed physician (medical excuse). Credits will be issued on a case­by­case basis should an Intro­Row or RTX participant decide to withdraw from a program and only if a written request is made and approved by CYRA. A Team level refund of the CYRA portion will be made in full ​
only if notification of withdrawal is given in writing to the Coach during the first week of practice. Thereafter, no refund will be made. Rowing is an expensive sport ­ the team registrations received are quickly and irretrievable committed to the season logistics of competitive racing. Fees beyond the program fees/membership, such as transaction fees or credit card fees, will not be refunded at any time. There is no refund if a rower is dismissed for his or her disruptive actions, attitudes or performance or failing to comply with the Team Policies and Expectations of Crew, as may be amended from season to season. Medical Notes Any Medical notes concerning your rower indicated during the online registration process are solely for information and reference. Please understand that the coaching staff, directors, volunteer administrators, volunteer parents, and other nearby athletes and representatives have no medical ability to assess or manage your child’s medical condition should a noted emergency occur. CYRA will not assume any duty to provide, and will not provide any medical care. Parents or guardians who register their athletes with known medical conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes, Severe Allergies or other conditions which may require “action plans”, “advanced care” or “medical prescriptions for treatment” are doing so at their own risk and must provide a written letter of approval from their child’s doctor authorizing participation in a sport as physically demanding as rowing. Please Note: ● All athletes are participating ​
at their own risk​
. ●
●
Any parent indicating medical notes including; Asthma, Diabetes, Severe allergies or other medical conditions, prescriptions or remedies of advanced care needs to speak to a coach along with the athlete each season prior to participating. CYRA coaches/ administrators/ parent volunteers / fellow athletes or boathouse / regatta communities do not have medical training, to assess or manage "action plans" or “advanced treatment” and will have no duty, will not provide care / management of medical conditions. Official Team Communications Both rowers and parent/guardians must provide AND VALIDATE an e​
mail address (that will be checked regularly) to receive all CYRA communications. Announcements regarding practice schedules/cancellations, regatta updates, volunteer updates, and all other general information will be send through email. Shorter messages may come through as texts. Once the coach has confirmation from the Regatta Committee that all registrations are firm for a regatta an email and Letter of Instructions (LOI) will be sent out to all team athletes, parent/guardians with race day line ups, equipment schedule, and important race day instructions. Please look for this to arrive by mid­ week of the scheduled regatta. Practices Team members are required to attend practices. Excused absences will only be granted to those participating in official School sanctioned trips. Athletes will not be excused for family vacations, attend dances, proms, or other social activities. Rowers who are unable to attend practices or regattas must inform their Coach as soon as possible in person and by email, cell messages to the coach should be limited to urgent matters. Lack of attendance at practice may effect being boated in both practice and races, including seat races Coaches’ Expectations Participation in crew requires dedication and practice. To perform at a high level, a rower needs to complete numerous hours of practice to develop the technical skill and fitness required for competition. Performance Standards The Coaches will work with each athlete to develop performance goals and targets that aid in the overall objectives of the team along with strategies and tactics to achieve said goals and targets. Each athlete is encouraged to ask questions about their performance and progress. The coaching staff will inform athletes of how their actions, attitude, and performance are influencing their standing on the team. Nutrition Individual nutrition is a key component to competing. Rowers will be held to a high standard at every practice. An athlete cannot perform if they are eating junk foods before practice, or not eating at all. Rowers are encouraged to eat a nutritious snack before practice and they are also encouraged to bring a snack for consumption immediately after practice. Boat Selection Criteria All lineups are at the coach’s discretion. and no seat is safe until the second boat launches. Our coaching staff uses a 7­point plan to help establish the lineups. 1. Technical Ability (Strong Factor) 2. Attitude (commitment, dedication, effort) 3. Fitness: Erg Scores, strength testing, other fitness testing (running, circuits, etc.) 4. What creates the fastest crews (boat moving ability as a crew) Who works well together (boat chemistry) 5. Attendance 6. Seat racing 1. Select athletes may take part in “seat racing”. Seat racing consists of racing a particular line up multiple times over a set distance or time period, switching one or two athletes, and then re­racing the new line ups over the same distance or time period. A measure of the delta in distance or time is gathered and inputted into formulas to determine scores for each athlete. 7. Strategy (looking at what categories the team will be most competitive in) Athletes may not race at every regatta pending their performance under the 7­point plan Regattas CYRA attends 3 or 4 regattas each season, on weekends. These take place in Ohio and neighboring states, typically in Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. A regatta schedule will be produced and distributed at the beginning of each season. Equipment ­ Rigging, Re­Rigging and De­Rigging Rowers will learn how to appropriately handle all equipment in a careful manner, protocol and disciplines are part of crew. Rowing shells are expensive ($35­40k) and any damage to shells will result in a significant loss. Regarding regatta preparations, typically, after an abbreviated practice, the trailer is loaded Friday before the regatta, or, Thursday for an overnight regatta. All team members are expected to help prepare the boats for, and load them on, the trailer. The trailer and Cargo Trailer depart from the boathouse at an agreed upon time Thursday or Friday prior to the regatta. Re­rigging will take place after each race. Attendance All rowers must attend all practices and regattas on time and without exception. All rowers must come prepared for all practices. These attendance requirements will be enforced. The following are acceptable reasons for missing a practice or race: 1. Family emergency 2. Illness that requires absence from school (if you missed school, do not come to practice) 3. Religious or spiritual obligation If, because of the reasons above, an athlete is scheduled to miss practice, please send an email to the team coach. If an athlete wishes to be excused from a practice for any other reason, he or she must see a coach in person, and follow up with an email. Excessive unexcused absences throughout the season can result in an athlete not participating in one or more regattas. Since practicing in set lineups is crucial to the crew’s success, an athlete with two or more absences (excused or unexcused) during a race week risks not racing at that regatta. Parents: Please do not contact the coaching staff about an absence before your rower has spoken to a coach. Injury Any team athlete not participating in a workout / practice due to injury will need to secure a doctor’s note clearing them to resume normal practices. A team athlete will not be permitted to practice until a doctor’s note is presented to the coaching staff. ​
Notes from parents / guardians will not be accepted. Prohibited Substances Policy Athletes cannot use drugs, alcohol, or tobacco, including the “smokeless” varieties, or vaporizers/electronic cigarettes (even without nicotine) . Violation of this policy will result in expulsion from the team. Trendy supplements such as Caffeine, pre­workout, and protein drinks should be monitored closely by a parent. Parent Communication Attempts at direct communication between Parent and Coach regarding an athlete’s performance, boat position, etc. will not receive responses.​
Instead, coaches will communicate with the athletes. If an athlete has a question or concern, it is up to the athlete to engage the coach. The athlete can then inform the parent after any such conversations have taken place. Thank you for honoring our established channels of communication. Athlete → Coach Coach → Athlete Athlete → Parent Parent Support Parent support is essential to successful program operation. CYRA Parents support the rowers by respecting their rower’s dedication to the crew team, respecting the domain of the coaches, providing an atmosphere of encouragement, promoting restfulness between races at a regatta, and helping run the hospitality tent when the team travels. Parents play an important role off the water by assisting their athletes with time management for studying, encouraging good sleeping habits, and eating a nutritional and healthy diet. Parent volunteers can help with the following: ● Seasonal Food Coordinators (2) ● Rotating Family Commitments to manage tent (5 per regatta) ● Job Sign ups ● Trailering of Equipment or Cargo Trailers ● Hotel / Travel ● Apparel / Uniform Coordination ● Fundraising ● Recruiting Events ● Team Travel meals ● Team Building Dinners /Events Host On the day of the regatta, the athletes are on site to race and the coaches are there to coach. Parent participation is key to making regattas a success. Upon arriving at the regatta site in the morning, parents should look for the team cargo trailer and begin to unload and set up the team tents, tables and begin any scheduled food preparations, rowers meet with the coaching staff and rig boats. All rowers must remain at the regatta site until the last boat is de­​
rigged and loaded on the trailer. At Regattas, a tent city is constructed for the day of racing and as shelter and refueling for the athletes. Ten Dollars per regatta has been built into the registration amount to purchase provisions for regatta day athletes. CYRA Power Ten Parent Team (volunteers) will set out a plan for providing a tent lunch and breakfast items, drinks and snacks to refuel the athletes on race days and to and from regattas. Parent/Guardians will be asked to supplement by donating food items to fill in the menu. For families attending, we recommend packing plenty of beverages, food for the day (unless otherwise indicated), blankets, folding chairs, binoculars, sunscreen, and anything else one may want to make a full day outside more comfortable. FYI: some venues have food vendors and crew gear for sale. Water is provided in large dispensing coolers, and each rower should provide their own reusable water bottle. Disposable water bottles will not be provided by the team. Travel Requirements All athletes must travel with the team to away regattas. This includes traveling on the team bus / van & staying at the team hotel / location where shared arrangements for overnights are required. Traveling and staying as a team assures teamwork for early morning regatta activities while keeping costs for all at a minimum. Volunteer prepared team meals and snacks may be provided, if your child has a special consideration they may need to provide their own bus meal or travel separately with a parent, please speak to their coach prior to registering. Parents/guardians are welcome & encouraged to attend regattas and may make their own travel arrangements either at the team hotel or otherwise. Any athlete who is unable to comply or has team approved conflicts for a specific regatta should discuss the situation directly with their Coach prior to registration. There may be circumstances where parent assistance with transportation becomes necessary. Excused Travel​
: A Rower that has had prior communications with their Coach and has been excused from the team bus should plan to; travel to & from the regatta for the duration of the race event with their parent/guardian, stay overnight the evening before (highly recommended as the team depends on all rowers to be present at the start of the day) with their own parent/guardian, adhere to the Letter of Instructions (LOI) meeting the team at the regatta site the morning of the race and plan to return to the boathouse after the regatta for derigging. Travel time from the boathouse to the regatta site is usually between 2 and 5 hours, so please plan accordingly. For safety reasons, the rowers parent/guardian must provide transportation for their rower with prior approval to be excused from the team bus. Rowers are not permitted to drive themselves or other athletes to or from regattas. Team Travel​
:​
At regattas, at the hotel and at meals rowers must behave in a manner befitting the representation of the Cleveland Youth Rowing Association and The Foundry. Rowers must conduct themselves as not to call attention to themselves or to disturb those around them. Each member of the crew will follow the coaching staff’s instructions as to times for going to bed, waking up, watching, and arrival time for meetings. Boathouse/Foundry Access​
: Except during practice when the coaching staff is present, the boathouse is OFF LIMITS. Once our season has ended, athletes are not authorized to be at the boathouse unless they are with a parent or are participating in a sanctioned Foundry function. There are no exceptions to this rule. Time Management ­ ACT /SAT Testing Schedules It is expected that during crew season, crew will be given priority over other school activities except your studies. Put simply, the priorities of this crew are: Family School Crew Rowers should not expect to be excused from a practice because they need to “catch up” on their studies or “finish a paper or report.” Rowers are expected to plan their ACT and SAT testing so that it does not conflict with our regatta dates. Rowers are expected to plan their college visits so that it does not conflict with our practice or racing schedules. Rowers will not be excused from a practice or regatta to attend dances, proms, or other social activities. Academic Eligibility CYRA athletes are expected to keep up their grades and academics. Athletes are expected to communicate to their coaches if any grade falls below a ‘C’ average. Coaches may ask for current report cards at any time. Failure to provide requested report cards or to improve said grades may be grounds for dismissal from the team. Safety Safety is the paramount consideration at the boathouse and on the water. CYRA is a member of both the U.S. Rowing Association and The Foundry and adheres to all safety requirements of each organization. Boats practice under the supervision of a safety​
qualified coach who accompanies the shells in a coaching launch. In order to avoid conflicts with other river traffic, each coach is in radio contact with other vessels on the Cuyahoga River. Fraternization Policy This is a co​
educational team, and rowers are expected to conduct themselves as teammates, not boyfriend/girlfriend. No public displays of affection will be tolerated during practice, while traveling or at regattas. At regattas where rowers are staying in a hotel, there will be no boys in a girls’ room and no girls in a boys’ room, unless a guardian or adult coach is present. Any infraction of this policy will result in a rower being sent home from a regatta as soon as practical. Additionally, Rowers must comply with all policies established by The Foundry. CYRA Mission, Vision & Values: Mission
To provide a competitive rowing experience to positively impact the mind, body and spirit of young athletes in the Greater Cleveland Community.
Vision To be a premier competitive junior rowing program in the region. Values: Integrity​
: Directly saying what we mean, matching our behaviors to our words and taking responsibility for our actions. Discipline​
: The will to train, prepare and sacrifice so that we realize our potential and compete at our highest level. Teamwork​
: The belief that succeeding as a team is greater than succeeding as an individual.
Honesty​
: In word and deed, behaving with sterling character and staunch uprightness. Respect​
: Valuing our differences and fostering an open and inclusive environment which treats our coaches, teammates and competition in a manner that reflects our values. Coaches & the individual athletes will be asked to evaluate the rower’s performance as it relates to these values on a regular basis. I have read and understand the policies of the Cleveland Youth Rowing Association. ______________________________ _________________________________ Participant/Rower Primary Guardian ________________________________ ______________________________ Date OR Participant & Primary Guardian have agreed & consented to the Team Policies during online registration. ______________________________ _________________________________ Participant Name Primary Guardian Name