April 16, 2004

By Maura Vizza
Volunteer Assistant Coach

Keeping track of 39 rowdy female athletes on a bus isn't as scary as it sounds. Sometimes they do ask a lot of questions or board the bus late, and sometimes I am subjected to unique conversations and questionable singing, but it's still not bad. These road trips with the team give me a chance to relive my rowing days, bond with the team, and of course watch the athletes put all those hard practices into action on the race course. From April 1-4, the Carolina women's rowing team experienced the Midwest at the team's first official overnight regatta in Bloomington, Indiana.

Thursday, April 1: After a brief and windy white-capped practice Thursday afternoon, the entire rowing squad, three coaches, a trainer, lots of snack food, and many pillows and blankets filled a charter bus ready to hit the open road. All the athletes were required to wear matching Nike-issued attire for the bus rides, from sweatshirts to shoes, and needed to stay constantly hydrated. While boarding we received our boxed sandwich meals from Jason's Deli along with some granola bars and choice of Gatorade. Myself, assistant varsity coach Laura Baylor, athletic trainer Teresa Delano, and the varsity athletes took the front seats while the novice and volunteer coach Paul Campbell filled the back. David, our bus driver, would lead us 11 hours to our final destination, Lake Lemon, the rowing venue for the University of Indiana's crew. For many rowers (and a few coaches), it was the first trip to the Midwest. As a Midwesterner I was excited at the prospect of seeing the flat cornfields I love and know so well. For the sake of our sanity and the rowers' adequate physical rest for maximum racing performance, we would stay at a motel in West Virginia this night and continue the journey the next morning.

The first few hours were a bit rowdy with laughing, talking (sometimes amplified), and two "chick flicks". Around 7:45 p.m. we stopped at a rest area. We had no idea what state we were in, but as long as it contained a larger bathroom facility everyone was happy. Some athletes bounded off the bus, cameras in hand and recorded every goofy kick of the leg or crazy hand-washing/drying antic by fellow teammates. A lot of energy was cooped up in those three bus hours.

As evening progressed, the windshield wipers quickened tempo to wipe away a wintry mess of sleet, slush, and rain. I could hear increased cell phone usage as more athletes called family and friends to shock them with news of our drive through wintry weather and it officially being springtime. The drive through this mess was brief, and around 10:45 p.m. we reached the Comfort Suites of Charleston, West Virginia. Baylor checked the team in and passed out keys to randomly partnered athletes. No one wasted time stretching out on a comfortable, cushioned bed.

Friday, April 2: At 7 a.m., we awoke to a rainy, fog-filled morning and headed toward the continental breakfast. Those poor, unsuspecting motel guests had to maneuver through 39 hungry athletes. For that many people in the breakfast area, it was a fairly calm waffle-making morning. We loaded up on carbs, boarded the bus, and hit the road by 8 a.m.; only six and a half hours left. I think the extra maple syrup or Danimals super creamy yogurt riled up the group as we started off, but the call for sleep and studying by some varsity members prevailed. Many athletes had to share a seat; folding into the fetal position against the window with a pillow or lying on the narrow walkway were main sleeping options. People with a seat to themselves tried to find a sleeping position in that narrow rectangle, legs hanging over the side or pressed against the seatbacks and arm rests. For those who could not sleep on the bus, they listened to their headset or attempted to do homework amid the bumpy ride.

Lunchtime arrived around 12:30. Baylor pre-packed lunch items in a cooler beneath the bus. Atkins-lovers beware; this lunch is not for you. Racing weekend meals usually consist of bagels, bananas, various granola bars, peanut butter sandwiches, string cheese, yogurt, crackers, and other assorted fruits. We pulled it out and had a picnic beside the bus at a rest area for half an hour in the cool, sunny afternoon.

Back on the road the athletes had a tense moment: what movie to watch next. Varsity athletes Mary Miller and Michelle Hall were the movie monitors and tried to take a consensus, 'Gladiator'? No. 'Daddy Day Care'? No. 'Dirty Dancing'? An overwhelming yes. However, the movie that ended up playing was 'Son-in-Law', which helped lighten up the remaining two hours on the bus. The movie made time go by because soon we were driving along the winding, and sometimes nauseating, roads to Lake Lemon. By 2:30 p.m. we reached the lake. Head coach Sarah Haney and novice coach Laura Fogt had arrived the day before with the trailer containing all the boats. Carolina was the first crew there and was greeted by Indiana's head coach, Steve Peterson. For April in the Midwest, it was surprisingly sunny and warm. However, showers preceded our arrival and the grassy field for the athletes to rig and lay their boats was wet and muddy. Regardless, the athletes took a 20 minute jog around the mud pit to rejuvenate the "bus legs".

Thus far our trip had gone smoothly, too smoothly. When rigging the boats the novice four discovered one of their foot stretchers was missing, which wouldn't be a problem if the rower didn't need her feet strapped into the boat. It was screwed into the boat before the trailer took off for Bloomington, at some point fell out, and currently was enjoying the shoulder of some unknown stretch of the highway. The varsity eight, second varsity eight, and novice eight took off rowing over the foreign body of water for 45 minutes, while Fogt searched for a foot stretcher, and eventually borrowed one from Indiana. Within a few minutes the four was shoving off the dock and beginning practice.

As a coach, I didn't have much to do except hang out around the trailer with the other coaches and spare rowers/coxswains and watch other crews arrive. While waiting for the athletes to finish their row, I noticed that most of the competing teams sported the same team color- red. Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Indiana had some red, while Eastern Michigan wore green and Carolina in blue. I also noticed the increasing wind on the water. When they returned, most athletes were cold and drenched from the crashing waves. They strapped their boats onto the trailer and quickly changed on the bus for a nice carb-loading dinner at Grazie's Italian Restaurant. Khaki pants and a white Carolina shirt was the athlete attire for tonight.

At 6:30 p.m. we made it to Grazie's, a slightly fancier version of the Olive Garden. Pasta and bread flowed freely, but caffeine and fried foods (and dessert for the novice) was prohibited on pre-race night. Everyone enjoyed the meal.

By 8:30 p.m. we arrived at and were assigned our rooms at Motel 6. Separate team meetings for varsity and novice were set in the coaches' rooms for 9 p.m. and bus time in the morning was 7:50 a.m. because racing began at 9:30 a.m. The evening meetings were only a half hour long, but calmed and prepared the athletes' minds for the next day of racing.

Saturday, April 3: 7:50 a.m. seemed to come quickly, especially by judging the groggy faces that boarded the bus and some late stragglers. The day looked promising with blue skies, calm winds, and a cool temperature. Breakfast was on the bus, a gourmet meal of fruit, cereal bars, bagels with bananas, peanut butter, and/or honey, and of course Gatorade. The drive to the lake was brief. By 8:30, all the coxswains and coaches were gathered around Coach Peterson for rules of race day and a view of the entire course via a nicely drawn map.

On race day, the athletes make sure all the equipment is tightly screwed together and ready to endure some intense rowing, they go for a 20-minute loosen-up jog, come back for a pep talk by the coach, then take their boat to the dock and shove off for the start line at least 35 minutes before race time. The coaches can only watch and hope for the best, very nerve-racking. As the day progressed, the wind picked up speed and white-caps reigned. It didn't help when speed boats occasionally jetted across the race course and increased the waves along the racing shells. Despite the wind, Carolina had a productive day with a sweep by the varsity eight and novice four. In jubilation, the coxswains from the varsity eight, novice eight, and novice four were thrown off the dock in honor of their first-place finishes. It was definitely a photo opportunity, especially when the coxswains belted their frigid water screams and scrambled out of the water.

After a quick change out of their unisuits, the team members boarded the bus and headed south. Dinner was supposed to be a quick stop at Denny's restaurant, but turned into a two-and-a half hour sitting. In a restaurant's defense, it is a challenge to eat somewhere that accommodates 40 people quickly and efficiently. Regardless, the athletes had ample time to release their giddiness and excitement from the day. At 7:46 p.m. we drove off. This time we drove straight through the night, so everyone had to find a comfy spot on the bus.

The ride home from a regatta is usually calmer because athletes are catching up on the homework they didn't get done on the way to the race site and are trying to rest from the hectic day of rowing. Sleeping all night in tight spaces on a bus is usually restless. This night, however, was daylight savings so when we switched the bus driver at 2:30 a.m. we not only lost our original driver, but an hour as well. At 6 a.m. we pulled up to the University Lake parking lot, where many athletes stored their cars for the weekend. Many sleepy bodies slipped off the bus, grabbed bags of excess snack food, and headed home to get some rest for school and practice on Monday.

Going on the road with the Carolina rowing team is always interesting and fun, not to mention a carboholic's dream come true. So next time you're on the highway and you see a charter bus driving beside you, check and see if its from Carolina.