Cabrini’s rowing team begins to start the regatta on the water. The water is choppy and a greenish blue and the wind is blowing. A girl is releasing her nervous energy by envisioning herself getting a first-place medal by getting to the end. She is playing a relatively new sport on campus.
Additionally, Cabrini Rowing was established in 2017. The team features six players, Emma Valentine, Jess D’ Angelo, Rachel Hetrick, Evelyn Sperry, Gabrielle Cellucci and Marisa Canuso.
Today’s spotlight is on Emma Valentine, currently a sophomore at Cabrini. Valentine joined the rowing team last year. She is very passionate about rowing. A funny coincidence that Valentine discovered when thinking about joining the rowing team was that she lived next to the assistant coach her whole life without even knowing it. Since the other coach was also named Emma, she thought it was meant to be that she joined Cabrini’s team.
Rowing as a sport is actually one of the oldest traditions of the world. It was originally a method of transport and warfare but in college is a competitive sport. Rowing is a morning practice sport. Cabrini Rowing shares a boathouse with a bunch of other teams, which makes time on the water hard to secure so the team must be on out there very early in the morning. Valentine noted that the early start helps improve her mood and makes her feel refreshed to start the day off right.
Rowing competitions are regattas with either spirit or head races.
Valentine said, “The head races are when each team starts at a different time, but you are still racing each other down the racecourse. It is about a three-mile race on the water, so you must keep pushing no matter how tired you are. However, the sprint races are when all teams are lined up and start at the exact same time, so it feels more like a race to me. Also, sprint races are shorter which I like. They are only 2000m races.”
She also has experience rowing on both sides of the boat. Port is rowing on the right side of the boat and starboard is on the left.
Valentine takes her responsibility on the team very seriously.
She said, “My responsibility on the team is to keep not only myself but my teammates motivated to keep trying their best.”
When it comes to social media coverage, Valentine said that she’d like to see Cabrini promote rowing better on social media platforms such as Instagram so the team can get the recognition it deserves. In addition to sports like lacrosse, soccer and basketball, Valentine said the Cabrini Rowing team would love to be on the Cabrini Athletics page.
“I would love to see social media interviews of the players. It creates this image of who the players are outside of their sport. It shows their individuality and I love that,” Valentine said. “I think Cabrini needs to start doing social media interviews of sports players so they can get the recognition they deserve inside and out of their sport.”
While Cabrini did not secure a winning position in the first regatta of the year held Head of Schullkill River on Oct. 30, they have another chance with races coming up.
Cabrini’s rowing team’s schedule can be found at this link- 2021-22 Rowing Schedule – Cabrini University Athletics (cabriniathletics.com)
