Walk-ons and Alabama Women's Rowing
The University of Alabama Rowing Team is in its sixth year as an NCAA Division I program. This is a varsity team, not a club sport, but we are always looking for athletic, highly competitive, hard working, dedicated young women to join the Crimson Tide and represent their University in intercollegiate competition. Rowing is one of the few sports where you can begin your career in college and go on to enjoy great success at both the national and international level.
If you think you might be interested in trying out for UA the women's rowing team and are a Freshmen or Sophomore, we encourage you to read through the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) below and then fill out the
walk-on questionnaire.
NOTICE: If you are a student-athlete enrolled at another four-year institution or if you have been enrolled at another four-year institution in the last year (Division I, II or III), NCAA rules and regulations strictly prohibit us from having any communication with you, directly or indirectly, until that institution grants our institution permission to contact you or until you enroll full-time at the University of Alabama. You may obtain this permission to contact at the compliance office of your current or previous institution.
Alabama Rowing FAQ
- Do I need to know how to row?
- Walk-on athletes are not expected to know how to row. Many of Alabama's rowers started their careers as walk-ons.
- Why should I row?
- Of everything you might become involved with while in college, becoming part of the rowing team is the one that will get you in the best shape of your life, give you academic support, outfit you with team apparel, and let you compete at the NCAA Division I level.
- Employers love collegiate athletes, especially rowers, because they know the value of hard work, dedication and teamwork.
- You will meet people that you will know for the rest of your life.
- Can I earn a scholarship?
- Being an NCAA university sponsored team, we do have scholarships to offer. Typically, students will have to complete their first year of rowing to be eligible for any athletic scholarship consideration. Every year several student-athletes who started as walk-ons earn scholarship consideration their second year on the team.
- What about academic support?
- Once the roster has been decided by the coaching staff, all the athletes on the team will have access to the Center for Athletic Student Services as well as advisors, tutors, and early advising through the athletic academic services.
- Do I need to know how to swim?
- Yes. With rowing being a water sport, you will spend much of your training and racing time on open bodies of water. While there are always safety measures in place, rowers are required to know how to swim and will have to pass a swim test prior to practicing on the water.
- What is practice like and what times?
- Initially, practice will be a combination of on land conditioning/cross training, rowing machine practice, and practice in the boats.
- During the fall, the coaching staff will run multiple shifts a day to get all walk-on athletes prepared for competition.
- In the spring, there will be a combination of water practice, land conditioning, and weight training each week. There will typically be morning and afternoon practice sessions.
- What are the characteristics of a successful walk-on?
- Typically, rowers are tall (taller than 5'7"), but the defining characteristics the coaching staff is looking for are highly competitive, athletic, dedication and a consistently powerful work ethic. Rowing is a physically demanding sports and the staff looks primarily for students who aren't afraid to "go after it."
- Freshmen and Sophomores only
- I am ready to try out, what do I need to do?
- First step is to fill out our
walk-on questionnaire. From there, we will guide you through the process of getting physicals and completing the NCAA eligibility paperwork.
Continue to Rowing Questionairre
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