Capital Crew is the Sacramento State Aquatic Center’s Youth
Rowing program for high school students. Since 1988 to the
present, Capital Crew has offered competitive rowing to all
Sacramento area high school student athletes. Annually, the
Aquatic Center’s youth rowing program attracts an average of over
150 participants. The team trains from mid-September to mid-May
and competes against thirty two other junior rowing
programs on the West Coast.
Over the last decade Capital has captured a handful of
Southwest Regional Youth Championships team and individual titles
and qualified numerous times to compete at the USRowing Youth
Invitational. Capital athletes are consistently selected to
prominent college programs and chosen to represent the United
States in rowing at the youth elite, development, and
international level. The program has introduced hundreds of local
high school students to the competitive sport of rowing. Capital
is considered one of the foremost youth rowing programs in the
Southwest District.
If you are interested in our Capital Crew Youth Rowing
Program please fill out our Web
Form.
New to Crew
If your high school child is interested in our youth rowing
program they will start with our new athlete regardless of
age or grade. Tryout period is two weeks long. The
trial period is the opportunity for your child to see if rowing
is the sport for them, as Capital Crew is a no cut program.
After the two week trial the full payment is required for
athletes that wish to participate in Capital Crew.
Please register online below to pay the $100 tryout
fee. Each child must have their parent fill out
the 2025-2026 Capital Crew Athlete Packet. Please see our Fees & Payments page
for more information.
Girls Tryout Registration
Boys Tryout Registration
New Athlete Parent Meeting
Please join us for our new athlete Parent meeting at the Aquatic
Center on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM. This
meeting will cover all you will need to know about our Capital
Crew Youth Rowing Program, you will be able to meet the coaches,
receive paperwork and pay your trial period fee.
First day of Practice
Returning athletes: Monday, August 18, 2025 (rowed
for Capital in Spring 2025)
New athletes: Tuesday, September 2, 2025
What to Bring
Completed Packet 2025-2026 Capital Crew Athlete Packet
Returning Athlete $1175.00
New Athlete Tryout fee $100.00 (cash, check, Visa or
MC)
Water bottle
Running shoes
Workout clothes
Swimsuit for swim test
Practice Times/Info
Practice is held:
Monday – Friday from 4:00-6:00 pm
Saturday from 7:00 – 9:30 am
Training Season
Fall Season
During fall our athletes learn how to row, improve their rowing,
and work on conditioning through various land and water workout.
Returning athlete practice starts at the end of August. New
athlete will start after labor day.
Spring Season
The spring season starts the first full week in January for all
squads. Spring fees are due one week from the start
date for all squads. Spring semester ends in May, except for
any boat that qualifies for the USRowing Youth National
Championships that is in June. The athletes continue to focus on
conditioning and improvement of their rowing and he emphasis is
shifted more towards the racing season.
Fall 2025 Season
Returning Athletes – August 18 - December 11, 2025
First Year Athletes – September 2 - December 11, 2025
Fall Semester fees: $1175.00
What to Bring
Wear comfortable clothing to workout as well as appropriate
running shoes. No flip-flops. Clothing should allow full range of
motion and freedom of movement and should not be loose. Shorts or
shirt tails that are too loose can get caught in the seat tracks.
Also it is important to bring a bottle of water. If you need
workout clothes check out the Capital Crew Logo Wear.
The rowers clothing should be clean and not offensive at practice
and races. Athletic attire must be worn for all practices. No
jeans. Dress appropriately for the weather and it is suggested to
dress in layers as it can be wet in the winter, and hot and humid
in the spring. No bathing suit tops are allowed at practice or at
regattas. At all regattas unisuits will be worn as intended, i.e.
over the shoulders. Treat your racing outfit with respect and
only wear it at races (this is not practice attire).
Attendance
Participating in crew requires a great deal of time and energy.
It is imperative that all rowers and their parents take this
commitment seriously. Crew is a unique sport that requires
tremendous teamwork. Continuity and consistency are key to
creating effective boats.
If you know you cannot attend a practice, it is your
responsibility to tell your coach ahead of time. This includes
when you are sick and not going to school or leaving school
early. Last minute situations should be communicated to your
coach as soon as possible so the boats may be adjusted to have a
productive practice. Missing practice will affect who rows in
what boat and who will row at regattas. Your seat cannot be held
for you if you miss practice.
Cost Payments
All registration is done at the Aquatic Center front office.
Each athlete will have to have their parent or guardian
fill out an Athlete information packet. Athletes
must have all paperwork filled out before they will be allowed to
participate.
Trial Period
We offer a two week trial period for new athletes to come and see
if a crew is for them. The trial period is $100.00 non-refundable
and must be paid on the first day of practice for all new
athletes.
Financial Commitment
The commitment for Capital Crew is in two payments twice a year,
in the fall and in the spring.
Fees
2025/Fall semester $1175.00
Other Financial Expenses
All Capital Crew rowers must become a member of US Rowing.
The cost $65.00 per year and can be paid on their website:
www.usrowing.org (use code: ABACU)
There are additional costs for rowers who travel to away regattas
which vary depending on the distance. To see the calendar
of races please visit the Calendar page. All registration is done
at the Aquatic Center front office. Each athlete will have
to have their parent or guardian fill out a packet and waiver
card. Athletes must have all paperwork filled out before
they will be allowed to participate.
Financial Aid
For athletes of Capital Crew there are two types of Financial
Assistance available. Athletes and parents must complete
forms and return them to the Aquatic Center front office.
Below is a brief description about each and the
applications. Please click on the name to download the
application
Capital Crew Boosters Financial
Assistance
Partial financial support is available for team members who are
unable to afford the full costs of being a member of Capital
Crew. Members who would like to receive assistance need to
complete and submit the application.
Financial assistance is evaluated for each semester individually.
You must complete a form each semester. If aid is
needed in the next semester, you must reapply and complete new
forms.
Boosters Financial Assistance Form
Aquatic Center Financial Assistance
The Aquatic Center is committed to helping dedicated athletes be
a part of our program regardless of financial circumstances.
Financial aid will be awarded for Aquatic Center fees to
four athletes according to established need, commitment to the
sport and responsibility to the program.
All application forms are due to the Aquatic Center front office
by the Friday of the second week of beginning of the
semester.
Aquatic Center Financial Assistance Application Form
History
Capital Crew is a very successful non-profit competitive youth
rowing organization of the Sacramento State Aquatic Center that
has been in existence since 1989. It is based out of the
Sacramento State Aquatic Center on Lake Natoma in Gold River,
California.
Not only does Capital Crew have a successful rowing history; our
team members have also enjoyed success in academics. Each year
many of our graduating seniors continue to row competitively at
colleges and universities, several receiving rowing scholarships.
We have even trained an Olympian, Mary Whipple, coxswain for the
Women’s 8+ that took the Silver medal in 2004 and Gold in the
2008 & 2012 Summer Olympics.
How did Capital Crew get its start?
Capital Crew is the oldest established youth rowing program in
the Sacramento area. It was created through a collaborative
effort between the Sacramento State Aquatic Center (SSAC), the
Lake Natoma Rowing Association (LNRA), and former athletes of the
Sacramento State rowing club. The program was administered
by the Sacramento State Aquatic Center and Capital used equipment
used by the AC and the LNRA.
Athletes were recruited from several local schools, both public
and private. The first athletes came from Jesuit, St. Francis,
Bella Vista and El Camino High Schools. Capital Crew
can boast of rowing alumni that have come as far as Stockton,
Pollock Pines and North Highlands. Capital truly is
representative of the greater Sacramento Area. As the team
expanded, and LNRA joined with the Sacramento State Aquatic
Center, the need to find more equipment and water time resulted
in a shift from early morning practice to afternoon. With
that change even more enthusiastic athletes joined the
ranks.
Capital Crew is proud to represent California’s Capital region in
our name. A desire to have a unique name for the youth program
(instead of Sac State Juniors), the first crew settled on the
name “Capital Crew.”
Capital Crew made regional prominence under the leadership of
former administrator Bob Whitford and Coach Sam Sweitzer. Since
the creation of US Rowing’s Youth National Championships in
Cincinnati, Ohio; Capital has been an annual contender. Several
Capital boats have earned medals and alumni have made it to the
national level representing the US in international completion.
Our Capital coaches have proven themselves to be the best. As
part of the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, many coaches got
their start as Capital athletes. It falls into the
instructional mission of the Sacramento State Aquatic
Center. Many Capital athletes also go on to compete at the
collegiate level.
Capital Crew is a proud program of the Sacramento State Aquatic
Center; a division of the Associated Students Inc. of Sacramento
State University. The Sacramento State Aquatic Center is
designated by the Department of Boating and Waterways as a
“Boating Instructional Safety Center”. The facilities are simply
the best; the water is internationally renowned.
