The Hollis-Brookline Crew Team has been ramping up their practices as they enter the autumn competition season. The team is dedicated to helping its members hone their rowing skills as much as possible.

The official autumn competition season begins in late September, running until the end of October with a frequent meeting schedule. “Practices are Mondays through Thursdays for two hours and sometimes on Saturdays. It’s pretty intensive,” says Daniel Aulbach ‘21, 

The coaches, Mark Lewis and Maggie Harding organize groups to go out on the water for each practice. The boats are determined by attendance and experience, as members are classified as either novice (first-year members) or varsity (veterans to the sport). From there, the coaches select the coxswains, the directors of the boats, along with the rowers.

Upon getting onto the water, the coxswains direct the rowers, as per the instructions of the coaches, to warm up. The way they row depends on their variation in their speed and the number of individuals rowing at a time. 

After the warm-ups, the coaches watch the rowers, critiquing them on their form or working with them directly with either long or short pieces to help them improve.

Their persistent efforts and practices pay off. At the Textile River Regatta on Oct. 6, the H.B.H.S. Crew Team had an impeccable performance. 

The newcomers at the regatta performed especially well. Ashlesha Bhojane ‘22, a novice stroke seat, was initially worried that her boat would place poorly, stating, “Seeing all of the teams come up to the start, I said [to my boat], ‘We’ll have to try our best and rely on our abilities. Believe in yourselves because I do!’”

Despite her original concerns, Bhojane and her boat persevered through, even placing first in the race: “I kept on going the entire time. It was like a runner’s high.”

The H.B.H.S. Crew Team won’t just stop with the Textile River Regatta. “The Head of the Charles, [one of the most anticipated regattas for the team,] is coming up, and we’re going to New York at the end of the month…[for] two days, ” Bhojane said.