WYRA hopes that each of you have a SAFE and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Even with all the chaos 2020 has presented us with, there is still so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We’d even argue one of the greatest gifts this challenging year has given us was a new perspective on the things we’ve been taking for granted all this time! A new perspective on just how grateful we are for the simplest of things. And while many are still struggling this Thanksgiving, all of us at WYRA hope you are able to take a moment during this busy week and practice some gratitude for all the lessons 2020 has brought us.

Lou

WYRA Winter Program

Our Winter Registration page is open.
“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”
Bobby Unser

The Winter program focuses on improving rowing technique and efficiency, as well as developing and building all areas of mental and physical fitness.

Click on the following link to register and learn more:
https://www.wyra.org/page/show/2712305-winter-crew

As most of you probably know our fall season is coming to a close. Our final official practice this fall is next Saturday the 14th of November. First, we want to thank everyone for a great fall program during this unusual time in all of our lives. As a staff, we really feel like we achieved our goals. Even without regattas, our team not only grew in physicality and speed, but it became more connected on a personal level too. We are excitedly looking forward to a full spring regatta season and going to Nationals.

There is a Celtic/Galic phrase "Idteannta A Cheile", which means Together as One! I truly feel that this applies to the bringing together of our teams to build a bright future for the remainder of 2020 and beyond.

Our winter program will begin Monday, November 30th and run through Friday, February 20th (end date is tentative). Our training runs Monday through Friday from 3:30-6:00 just like our weekday practices in the fall. Our training consists of workouts on the erg, lifting, body weight circuits, rowing in the tanks, and on warm days we will go out on the water. With our current numbers and facility size we are confident that we can host a full winter training program. Like past years we will be able to have certain athletes on cardio workout in, and have other athletes lifting working on strength endurance. We will be able to use our full erg room to have athletes get to spring being in the best cardio shape of their lives by doing our already planned monthly training plans. In the weight room we will emphasize strength endurance, muscle coordination, and injury prevention.

The Winter Program registration page will be up and running by Monday, 9 November.

GUIDE to COLLEGE RECRUITING for Rowers and Parents

As part of our continuing series on rowing and college admissions, I have attached the link below that will take you to an article from USRowing. It is a general overview of the recruiting process for student-athletes looking to row at the collegiate level.

https://usrowing.org/sports/2016/10/24/9128_132107092146779593.aspx

SUPPORT WYRA on OCT. 14th & 15th

Help Support WYRA at Boscov's on Concord Pike - October 14th & 15th! Make a purchase there or online and mention the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association and WYRA receive's 5% of your purchase.

WYRA COLLEGE ADMISSION PROGRAM

This is the first in a series of posts on the college admissions process. The link below discusses the many myths of the admissions process. As we move forward with this series, we will be including information on sports and the admissions process for those who are looking to row at the next level.

https://www.usnews.com/.../common-college-admissions-myths

Update on COVID Testing

I have received emails from several families from Chester County that since their child has no symptoms or has not been in contact with someone with symptoms, they won’t test her. This was an unexpected development. If you are in a community that will not test because of being asymptomatic and not having contact with someone with symptoms, then please let me know at louis@wyra.com.

WYRA COVID-19 Testing Information

As part of the overall efforts to maintain the health and safety of the WYRA community, we will be requiring all staff and rowers to go through COVID-19 testing prior to the start of the fall programs on Wednesday, September 9th.

We apologize for the short notice regarding testing, but we wanted to ensure that we had the correcting listings of test sites located in the State of Delaware, Chester County/Delaware County Pennsylvania, and the State of New Jersey.

• State of Delaware: https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/testing/#find-a-testing-location-near-you

• Delaware County and Chester County: https://www.chesco.org/4460/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Testing-Information

• New Jersey: https://covid19.nj.gov/index.html?query=testing+&tabOrder=all%2CpromotedContent%2CNJfaqs%2Clocations%2CAASfaqs%2Ccoronavirus%2Cresources%2CjobPostings

LOOKING FOR A FALL SPORT?
WYRA WILL BE ON THE WATER!

WYRA will begin its Fall 2020 program on Wednesday, September 9th. Our Boathouse will be following all guidelines that have been put forth by Governor Carney for youth sports clubs.

Until then, our coaches and staff are at the WYRA Boathouse from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday for tours.

Please feel free to stop by for a tour, get in our indoor tanks, or get on the water.

As the Executive Director, I can also be emailed at louis@wyra.org

WYRA is lowering our Fall 2020 enrollment fees

The Board and staff of WYRA are fully aware of the negative effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on our community, on our economy, and on our rowing families. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the normal regattas scheduled for this fall to be cancelled. However, we are planning to have one team vs. another competitions.

To that end, we are reducing our Fall 2020 fees. The “Early Bird” discount will be $1025, down from the traditional $1500. This “Early Bird” discount will run through Wednesday, September 9th. A reduced standard fee of $1150 will take affect on Thursday, September 10th.

As WYRA has always had in place, we do have a limited amount of financial aid that is available.

Fall Rowing will take place!

Saturday - 15 August: WYRA will be having fall 2020 schedule. The Board and Staff are working to develop a program that follows all pandemic guidelines. These plans will ensure maximum safety for our rowers and coaches all the while providing a complete rowing experience.

A complete announcement and plans will be forthcoming within the next few days. Please check back to this page or reach out to our Executive Director, Lou Salvadori, at Louis@wyra.org.

Monday - 10 August Update:
While Fall High School and Middle School sports are not taking place in Delaware, the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association (WYRA) has been approved as a youth sports team to have fall practices and one on one team competitions.

Rowing is considered the "Ultimate Team Sport". It is a full body workout and is all about teamwork. In this sport, you’ll make great friends and you’ll learn to work hard/well with others, a vital skill for any person. Additionally, rowers are highly sought after for colleges and universities.

We invite all middle and high school student-athletes and their parents to consider having them join WYRA this fall. No experience is necessary. Visit our website, www.wyra.org, or you can email louis@wyra.org to schedule a time to visit to learn more.

WYRA has provided the link to the State of Delaware Official COVID-19 website:

https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/

Friday - 21 May Update:
WYRA is in the process of developing our reopening plans for the Summer. Please stay tuned for additional information and a projected date. As you all realize, this will be dependant on Governor Carney's phased plan for the State. 

Monday - 18 May Update:
WYRA is joining forces with EDiS who is very generously donating to help keep local business and nonprofits afloat during this difficult time. Even better, it's a fun, healthy activity you can do with your family. CLICK on the WYRA and EDiS home page banner to learn more and get involved.

Wednesday - 15 April Update:
As you know approximately four weeks ago, as part of the national response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19, we at WYRA decided to close the Boathouse and the Spring 2020 season until such time that it would be safe to resume.  We knew that, had we stayed open, our boathouse could have become a significant threat to our WYRA’s community's health.  But that knowledge did little to assuage the profound disappointment of our action, especially in the face of two weeks of practices full of encouraging enthusiasm.

In the meantime, we've done what we can to keep our rowers training and our organization running smoothly.  Our ergs are available for loan to WYRA rowers and we have shared physical training regimens to minimize the lockdown's disruption to their fitness.  WYRA coaches have been making full use of Zoom conference calls to keep in contact and to ensure no function of WYRA is allowed to default to autopilot.

Monday - 6 April: On the Good News Front - The past few days WYRA has been participating in the Rowers Choice March Mania tournament. We had a men’s team and women’s team enter. Each team is composed of four athletes, and they submitted a 2,112 meter erg piece to be seeded. Today the first round results are in. Unfortunately the guys team will not advance. However, our girls team is still in it! They are the “Female Wombat Squad” and the #8 seed in the B bracket. The next round is a 2,500m piece and will be posted on April 9th. Good luck to our girls as they prepare for a tough matchup these next few days!  Here’s the link to the tournament website:

https://www.rowerschoice.com/marchmania

Friday - 27 March: Pursuant to Governor Carney's declaration, WYRA will remain closed until further notice. Please continue to monitor the WYRA website and your email for updates. We are constantly monitoring the situation. PLEASE Stay Safe and Healthy! 

Thursday - 19 March: In an abundance of caution during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association (WYRA) will be suspending our WYRA practices for an additional week, that being the week of 23 March through 28 March. We will continue to update as new information becomes available.  We must take care of ourselves, our loved ones, and our WYRA family.

Please note that WYRA will make erg machines available to take home for our WYRA rowers so that they can stay in shape and be ready for our upcoming regattas.

We are continuing to monitor the situation, CDC announcements, USRowing, Row2K, and the regatta websites to ensure we have the most up to date information. At this time the regattas that we are planning to attend, with the exception of the Neczypor, have not cancelled or postponed. Please note that the Steve Neczypor regatta cancellation is unrelated to the COVID-19 outbreak.

As mentioned above, WYRA will remain closed for the next week, the week of March 23rd – March 28th.  We will be continuing to reassess the situation and we will be keeping everyone updated via e-mail, Facebook, and our website, www.wyra.org.

WYRA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that introduces the wonderful sport of rowing to kids ages 10-18 through fun summer camps and in our after school competitive program. We are a composite program made up of  public, private, home schooled and  parochial schools from the Delaware, Maryland, southeastern PA and southern New Jersey areas. Our goal is to promote physical, mental and social wellness in young people of all backgrounds, using the sport of rowing.

Keep connected to your crew. Get schedules and team updates for every athlete in the house, plus a way to message other members in your crew and a way to give coaches a heads up about practice. Enjoy unlimited access to scores & stats, photo/video sharing, and more.

Adding a Mobile Phone

Once you've created your account, add your mobile phone so you can receive text messages from your coach.

Enabling Text Messaging

Now that you have your mobile phone on your account, make sure you enable text messaging.

Forwarding Athlete Messages

Need a second parent, other family member to get messages about schedule changes or race times? Add a second email address to forward all communications.

Sending a Message

Do you need to send a question to another parent about a ride? Follow these instructions on how to send messages using the mobile app.

RSVP to Game or Event

Coaches need to know if you are going to miss a race or practice. Easily RSVP using the mobile application.