It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Dickens’ quote fits men and women’s rowing, or as it is more commonly known, “crew,” very well because it is one of the most strenuous team sports and one of the most rewarding.

Crew practices at least five times a week because they are not competing just against other club teams, but also against varsity squads with scholarship athletes, such as Alabama and Temple.

“It’s a win-win situation. If we win, we are excited because they were sponsored. However, if we lose, we weren’t supposed to win because they were sponsored,” said Jessie Barnett, a junior from Sandy Springs and captain of the women’s team.

According to Blakely Sasser, a senior from Atlanta, crew is the ultimate team sport because rowers must work together to win the race. Her teammates share her opinion.

“It’s all your best friends and you’re encouraging them, but at the same time you want to beat them,” Barnett, a former gymnast, said.

“In gymnastics, it’s all about you, but in crew if you have that mentality, your boat won’t go fast.”

Their boats cost up to $25,000, which is one of the reasons crew is among the most expensive club sports on campus.

“We have a $100,000 budget, but only $5,000 comes from the University. We rely on alumni support, fundraisers and dues in order to cover the rest,” Jamie Lane, the captain of the men’s team, said.

The teams hold two main fundraisers in the spring,
the first being a regatta held on Langley Pond in Aiken, S.C., and the Bow Ball, a silent auction held at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

Another challenge members of the teams face is getting everyone to practice at the same time because they train at Fort Yargo State Park, a 25-minute drive away from Athens.

Crew competes in two seasons, the fall and the spring.

The fall season consists of longer races, in which the boats start in 15-second intervals. However, in the spring the races are 2000-meter sprints, in which there are six lanes of rowers who all start at the same time.

“They’re really exciting because you’re competing head-to-head like a swim meet and you know if you’ve won when the race is over,” Sasser said.

This Saturday Georgia Crew will compete in the Atlanta Erg Sprints at Georgia Tech.