The 23rd Annual Brentwood-Green Lake Training Camp

24 October 2023Novella R, Hope ‘25

For the past 23 years, Brentwood has hosted Green Lake Crew for a training camp. Four boats, three days, two programs, and one goal: find boat speed. The 18 Green Lake athletes from the Men’s and Women’s 8+ dispersed across Allard, Whittall, and Ellis Houses, hosted by the Brentwood rowers. From Friday, October 13 to Sunday, October 15, the four crews set out for a weekend of fierce side-by-side competition.

This weekend allows the rowers from both programs to build connections with other clubs and experience highly-competitive training with another crew leading into the fall racing season. Throughout the year, Brentwood athletes get exposure to various clubs such as Shawnigan Lake School, Victoria City Rowing Club, Claremont Rowing Association, Vancouver College, Saint George’s, etc., however, this weekend allows Brentwood and Green Lake rowers to develop relationships that they can carry through their racing seasons. “The purpose of the training camp is to provide a competitive opportunity for Green Lake and Brentwood kids in the fall, similar to what we do in the spring. Heading into Head of the Charles and Head of the Lake, we can find boat speed necessary to be competitive at regattas” explains Mr Brian Carr, Rowing Coach. The opportunity to get competitive with another crew is valuable when searching for boat speed coming up to a regatta; it allows the athletes to find what they have to give and what they need to do for their upcoming race.

The competitive aspect of this weekend is exciting for our rowers as it creates a highly competitive environment outside of racing. Matson H, Privett ‘25 reflected: “It was a great benchmark to see where American crews are at, and having another competitive boat for us to do pieces against helped prepare us for the Charles.” This is an opportunity for the athletes to experiment with race plans and find even more boat speed. The side-by-side pieces helped everyone develop trust and confidence. The development of each stroke and the power behind it slowly started to fall together, and coaches began to fine-tune the crew’s technique. “Learning and admiring a different stroke was interesting, and it was inspiring to see how much time coaches put into perfecting their club’s technique,” observed Isabel H, Mack ‘25.

Heading into the Head of the Charles, the two Brentwood Crews were able to learn and grow as a crew alongside Green Lake Crew. Matson explained “I think that their tenacity and their fight really improved our boat and made us fight harder, and I think if we can take that into the Charles, we will become a better crew.” It was a weekend full of development and bonding. For the athletes, it is a weekend we will remember and continue to benefit from in future training.

It is safe to say we look forward to the 24th Brentwood-Green Lake Training Camp next year.

Novella R, Hope ‘25

Where Students Choose To Be