Polo.
Crew.
Golf.
Sailing.
Tennis.
I don't know what to say really. Eight minutes in the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Either we heal as a team or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch, stroke after stroke, till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen (and ladies). Believe me and we can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us
or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.
Now I can't do it for you. I'm too old. I look around and I see these young faces and I think I mean I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make. I uh....
I pissed away all my money believe it or not. I chased off anyone who has ever loved me. And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know when you get old in life things get taken from you. That's, that's part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is Rowing.
Because in either game: life or crew the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or to early you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch the other boats. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in drop of water, every stroke, every second.
On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that's going to make the fucking difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING.
I'll tell you this in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch.
And I know if I am going to have any life anymore it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is. The six inches in front of your face. Now I can't make you do it. You gotta look at the guy (or girl) next to you. Look into his (or her) eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy (or girl) who will go that inch with you.You are going to see a guy (or girl) who will sacrifice himself for this team because he (or she) knows when it comes down to it, you are gonna do the same thing for him/her.
That's a team, gentlemen and ladies and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.
That's Rowing.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?
"Inches"
"Any Given Sunday"
(Slightly adapted to make more relevant)
Does Privilege Still Exist in the Sport of Rowing?
All of these sports have been associated with the very affluent members of society. However, this is primarily due to their high fixed costs. As opposed to some of these sports that revel in their exclusive reputation, Rowing is becoming more accessible to inclusive to participants.
The purpose of this website is to explore the link between crew and elitism. In presenting the expensive factors inherent to the sport, both sides of the recent public protest in London, and my own personal experience, I hope that it causes readers to dwell on how sports are indicative and can be the catalyst of social change. To those who have had little to no exposure to the sport, I hope it provides a general and informative overview. To those who may have a more nuanced understanding, my hope is that it causes you to reflect on your own experience and how it fits (or doesn't fit!) into the larger context of the sport.
Acknowledgments: I'd like to thank all of the people who have encouraged me financially or emotionally and to all those who I have --Particular thanks to Meghan Solomon, Nick Jaroszewicz and JJ Englander for sharing their opinions and experiences.
