Letter From 2020 Committee

A LETTER FROM THE 2020 COMMITTEE

Cougar Crew Days 2020, the 50th anniversary of Cougar Crew: Updates March 20th-22nd, 2020

This coming March Cougar Crew will be celebrating 50 years of rowing at Washington State University. To honor this milestone there will a special edition of Cougar Crew Days. Cougar Crew Days started in mid 2000’s as an annual event to bring alumni, coaches and those connected to the program back together in Pullman. The goal was to provide an opportunity for alumni and current team members to connect over the unique privilege that is rowing at Washington State University. This connection has enabled the Cougar Crew Alumni Association the opportunity to build a strong foundation for today’s student athletes and continue to build our alumni base.

Every Cougar Crew Days is special as new alumni and rowers are brought into the fold, but Cougar Crew Days 2020 will be an event you won’t want to miss. If you rowed, coxed, coached or are connected to Cougar Crew in some way it will be great to have you back in Pullman as every person is a unique piece of Cougar Crew history. Those who have had the privilege to know Cougar Crew are part of a tradition, and a bond that stretches back 50 years. We want to hear your story at Cougar Crew Days.

The previous edition of the Pullhard mentioned some of the highlights from past Cougar Crew Days at a high level, but we wanted to give you all an inside track into why Cougar Crew Days 2020 will be so special. We welcome you to ease into your Cougar Crew Days weekend with an Ice Breaker event that will be held on Friday evening. Some of the highlights from Friday’s icebreaker will include; great food, catching up with old friends and making some new ones, an opportunity to meet the current team and coaches, a chance to tour the team’s current on campus erg/workout facility and a sneak peek of some of the highly coveted auction items that will be available on Saturday evening at the banquet/auction. This is informal gathering that gives everyone a chance to reconnect and reminiscence. Stories will be told, tales embellished and old friends made new. Will it be about how many boat lengths of open water the lightweights beat the heavyweights by at that one practice? (Editors Note from Jaron: this never happened) Or that crazy cross training impromptu practice that was devised due to inclement weather? You remember that one practice or race, that one time, right? These stories are something we all lived and can’t wait to hear more of them from you all. They are the shared experiences that bond Cougar Crew rowers

and coxswains across generations and as the years go on become a cherished memory that with each retelling become fonder.

If you are looking to see the behind the scenes of what makes Cougar Crew tick join us on Friday afternoon for the Cougar Crew Alumni Association (CCAA) Board meeting. This meeting lets everyone know where the team currently stands from coaches and officers as well as updates from the CCAA Board. If you are interested in getting more involved with Cougar Crew this is a great opportunity as there are many great activities to volunteer for at the CCAA Board meeting.

Whether you feel like testing your fitness with a run up our old friend/nemesis the Grade or can’t wait to get back out in a boat on the Snake, Saturday will be a full day of fun at the river. You can row in a Slow Row, a chance to just get back out and shake off the rust with your boat mates. For the more competitively inclined, test your mettle in a race against current team members as part of the traditional class day races. There is also going to be a boathouse tour so everyone can see the current facility the team uses and all of the shells Cougar Crew trains and races with.

Saturday culminates with a banquet and auction that will be honoring the past 50 years of rowing at Washington State University. In addition to honoring the past we will also be looking to build on the strong foundation to propel Cougar Crew for another successful 50 years. Without spoiling all of the fun about the banquet, it will be a great opportunity to reflect on the progress and growth of the last 50 years and see how we all can help for the next 50 years and beyond. It will be a 50-year celebration people will not want to miss!

If you coxed, coached, and/or rowed at Washington State University we want to see you at Cougar Crew Days 2020. If you have not had a chance to check out the revamped Cougar Crew website at http:// cougarcrew.com please do so as it has an enhanced look and a lot of useful information, pictures and details on the current team. You can even RSVP directly on the Cougar Crew website at http://cougarcrew.com/ ccdays.html The RSVP page also includes information to help you get hotel reservations. Please make those soon so we can expand the number of rooms needed as you all fill them up! We cannot wait to see you all in Pullman to celebrate 50 years of rowing at Washington State University. GO COUGS!