About Us & How to Join

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="13c785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>UTC ROWING.net</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="UTC ROWING.net"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>About Us & How to Join</B>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Regatta Schedule "><U>Regatta Schedule </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pictures"><U>Pictures</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2010 Silent Auction"><U>2010 Silent Auction</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fundraising"><U>Fundraising</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TN Indoor Championship "><U>TN Indoor Championship </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TN Indoor General Information"><U>TN Indoor General Information</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Merchandise"><U>Merchandise</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TN Indoor Results 2010"><U>TN Indoor Results 2010</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U>Contact Us</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="13dd2b03.jpg"> <div> For more information please contact <A HREF="mailto:robert-espeseth@utc.edu" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:robert-espeseth@utc.edu"><U>coach Espeseth</U></A> at </div> <bR> <div> 423-425-5333 (phone)<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>About Us & How to Join</I></div> <div> <B>UT Chattanooga</B> began collegiate rowing in 1984 under Dr. Terry Carney (a UTC Engineering Professor). </div> <div> The UTC Rowing team is a club sport program.  This means that the program is not part of the athletic </div> <div> department nor is it funded by the University (there are no scholarships).  </div> <div> <B>The team is responsible for raising all funds needed for competition, equipment, and all other operating expenses</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>. </B></FONT></div> <div> UTC Rowing raises their funds by  charging all rowers a fee each semester.  </div> <div> The team also does some <I>fundraising activities</I>, which include hosting the Tennessee Indoor Rowing Championship </div> <div> (late January), the Outback Steakhouse @Hamilton Place Luncheon (mid February), selling T-shirts at regattas, </div> <div> Alumni- and parent donations, and being part of the <B>BI-Lo and FOOD Lion Booster </B>programs. </div> <div> The UTC Rowing team is open to any student who wishes to join the team. </div> <div>  There are no cuts or bench warmers, as everyone get's to race. There is no experience needed to row in College either,</div> <div>  as about 95% of collegiate rowers start when they get to school.  Rowers come in many sizes (from 4'10" to 6'8") </div> <div> and weights (from 80 lbs- 250lbs). Rowing is a sport that anyone can do, and you can do it for the rest of your life.  </div> <bR> <bR> <div> More Information</div> <div> <B>UTC</B> Rowing is open to any <B>UTC</B> student. </div> <div> The program competes as a collegiate club sport team, racing teams (both club and varsity/athletic department funded) from</div> <div> throughout the South. There are over 90 collegiate rowing programs in the Southeast Region that we race against.</div> <div> To be a member of the UTC Rowing Team, you <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#CC0066" FACE="Book Antiqua" >do not need any prior rowing experience</FONT>.</div> <div> We will teach you everything you need to know. </div> <div> In fact, in your first year, everyone that you compete against is also in their first year of college rowing; </div> <div> about 95% of collegiate rowers start when they get to college. This is called the “Novice” category at regattas.</div> <div> Practices for the new/novice rowers are at two times Monday thru Friday. <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" >There is a</FONT></div> <div> practice at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Book Antiqua" >3 PM</FONT> and another one at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Book Antiqua" >4:30 PM</FONT>; so practices last for 1 ½ hours. The team</div> <div> does practice five times a week, but if a student cannot be there due to a class or work</div> <div> conflict one day a week, that is not a problem to work around. The two times accommodate</div> <div> more flexibility for students, provide for safety by dividing the “novice” rowers equally into two</div> <div> groups each afternoon, and makes sure that there is enough equipment for the rowers to use.</div> <div> UTC Rowing is a club sport, which means that there are no scholarships, and the program </div> <div> must raise the funds necessary to operate. The Rowing Team does get some money from</div> <div> the Student Government Association. We also do three fundraising events early in the Spring</div> <div> semester each year (the Tennessee Indoor Rowing Championships, the Outback Steakhouse</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" >at Hamilton Place luncheon, and the Silent Auction). There is a</FONT> <B>fee charged to the students</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>to row each semester, it is $70 per semester, or $125 for the fall and spring semester.</B></FONT><B> </B>This</div> <div> fee covers all expenses for regattas (entry fees, hotels and transportation) as well as for the</div> <div> food that will be available for each regatta during the event. We also depend on alumni for</div> <div> financial support to help with upgrading and purchasing equipment rowed by the team. </div> <div> <U>The Fall Regattas</U> are the Intra-squad Regatta, the Chattanooga Head Race, the Head of the</div> <div> Tennessee Regatta (Knoxville, TN), the Hobbs Island Regatta (Huntsville, AL), the Head of the</div> <div> Hooch (Chattanooga, TN) and possibly the Head of the South (Augusta, GA). </div> <div> <U>The Spring Regattas </U>usually include Tennessee Cup (site TBD annually), Raoul Cup (vs Tulane</div> <div> in New Orleans, LA), President’s Cup (Tampa, FL), SERCS (Aiken, SC), Clemson Sprints (Clemson,</div> <div> SC), John Hunter (Oak Ridge, TN), Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Championships (SIRA in Oak</div> <div> Ridge, TN) and the Dad Vail Regatta (Philadelphia, PA). </div> <div> For more information about the UTC Rowing Team, please contact Coach Robert Espeseth at</div> <div> 423-425-5333 or via e-mail at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><U>robert-espeseth@utc.edu</U></FONT>. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>