Matt Shoop

During a practice after school, eight Jefferson girls on the crew team row down the Occoquan river. “Over my years here at [Jefferson], I have noticed that the girls are driven to succeed. They show great respect for each other and the coaching staff, as well as the officials and members of other teams,” coach Matt Shoop said.

Traditionally seen as a male-dominated sport (NIH), the world of crew at Jefferson is experiencing a dramatic shift. Across Jefferson team, the girls crew boats are filling up fast, challenging the assumption that some may have about who belongs on the water.

As of last season, the amount of girls on the team started increasing, with this year’s team having more members than the boys team. 

“My sophomore year, there was definitely a difference. The girls had a total of three boats and I think the guys had nine,” senior captain Katherine Jimenez said. “Then, last year, we got more girls, and there were fewer guys.” 

As the focus shifts to understanding the surge in girls joining the crew team at Jefferson, it becomes clear that several factors are driving this trend.

“I think the decision to tweak the admission policy has led to more girls in the [Jefferson] population,” program director Matt Shoop said. “With more girls available, we have been able to recruit more for the team. I also think the widespread growth of women’s sports on TV and social media has made it more popular for women to be athletes.” 

With the orientation of the crew team transforms with an increase in female participation, it sheds light on how this shift is perceived and experienced by the male members of the team.

“The team dynamics have changed a lot, but not because of the decrease in the number of men on the team. Our head men’s coach was actually let go last year, and the novice coach at the time is now our head coach,” senior captain Cater Ellis said. “This has had a pretty significant positive effect on the culture of the men’s team, but unfortunately we are a lot smaller than a few years ago due to poor retention and two extremely large classes of seniors.”

Despite the growing number of girls, there are little to no challenges emerging from this trend.

“Nearly all of us are actually very close friends, and again, while we are technically the same team, the men and women don’t practice together, so being ‘majority female’ doesn’t really impact anyone,” Ellis said. “Our women’s team is growing, which I think is awesome.”

This cohesive and supportive atmosphere within the crew team underscores a culture of mutual encouragement and respect amongst its members. 

“The team is extremely supportive in a lot of different ways. For one, we’re all friends, so anything you’d expect of a group of friends is also generally true for the crew team,” Ellis said. “We have weekly pasta parties before races, which are really fun, and everyone is willing to lend a helping hand in terms of academic support and things like that.”

However, the growth of the girls roster hasn’t been the only positive development during the previous seasons. Motivation and encouragement throughout the team has increased, fueled by new teammates. 

“I think the more we see girls show up, the more we want to work harder and push and do better for our school,” sophomore Dhwani Menon said. 

The sheer size of the girls roster has fueled a new drive and determination to work harder. This motivation has made the team a source of pride and happiness for its rowers. 

“It’s so fun [and] it’s really nice to be outside. It’s the people too, hanging out with them you get really close to the people on your boat,” Jimenez said. “The people on the guys team I’ve been close with [too].”

The girls’ commitment and enthusiasm have not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff, who have been impressed by the team’s dedication and sportsmanship. 

“Over my years here at [Jefferson], I have noticed that the girls are driven to succeed. They show great respect for each other and the coaching staff, as well as the officials and members of other teams” Shoop said. “Our culture is very supportive, and the girls get excited for their teammates when they are successful.”

Despite the incredible achievements made by the girls on the crew team, some girls may still feel hesitant or intimidated about joining the crew. However, the current team members are eager to encourage and inspire others to do it, highlighting the benefits and the supportive team. 

‘“I think you shouldn’t be hesitant at all. It’s a great community. Don’t be afraid of being like the only girl on the team because you’re not going to be,” Jimenez said.