Learning Resilience This past fall, the Syracuse Women’s Rowing team was fortunate enough to train on the waters of the Onondaga Lake and Seneca River for six weeks, while some NCAA teams were prohibited from returning to their respective campuses. While the team recognizes how fortunate we are to have had the successful fall we did, it did not come without adversity. Before we arrived in Syracuse, the team was broken up into four training “pods.” Each pod was created based off of living arrangements, and each coach was assigned a pod for the fall semester. The first month on campus was a test of our patience as the team endured one month of individual training before official team practices could begin. Classes started in late August, and practices began in late September. To protect our team from a potential cluster of COVID-19 cases, we had to limit our social circles to our “pod-mates.” We could still visit with teammates and friends outside of our pod, but we knew we had to stay vigilant in wearing our masks and with social distancing.
^ Freshman 4+ Cox Emma Dziedzic, Bow Mae Sweeney, 2 Julia Comerford, 3 Maddi Segarnick, Stroke Sarah Haney.
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There was too much at stake, and a slip-up could have been detrimental to our training efforts. The creation of the pods brought new friendships, virtual pod competitions, new workout-buddies, and bonds with our coaches. Many pods got together for “pod-luck dinners,” which proved to be a nice break from the stress and frustration of navigating COVID-19 on a college campus. The first morning back at the Boathouse felt like Christmas morning. Everyone was smiling ear-to-ear underneath their masks, and I would argue that the positive energy that day was more contagious than any virus.
^ Bow Lily Moffly, 2 Haley Uliasz, 3 Emma Braun, 4 India Aikens.
^ Stroke Ellen Pozzi leading her crew in practice pieces on Onondaga Lake. The Orange Oar
