ARION Development: pre-elite and U23
ARION offers summer training opportunities to a select group of women
ARION is committed to developing the next generation of high level rowers
Whether you are a post collegiate athlete with national team aspirations, or a U23 just beginning your journey into elite rowing, ARION offers a summer experience to assist you on that journey.
Residential Camp Options
Optional Early Bird: May 30 - June 3rd ($0*)
Open to Camp I registrants only
CAMP I: June 4 - July 16th ($3000*)
Training for Summer Nationals or U23 World Championships.
Cost is inclusive of coaching, equipment and trailering, regatta fees, weight training fees and gear. Athletes responsible for room and board apart from regattas (see below) and transportation to/from regattas. If qualified for World Championships athletes also responsible for USRowing trip fee.
CAMP II: July 17 - Aug 13th ($2200*)
Training for Canadian Henley
Cost is inclusive of coaching, equipment and trailering, regatta fees, weight training fees and gear. Athletes responsible for room and board apart from regattas (see below) and transportation to/from regattas.
*ARION will assist in finding local housing. To help with your budgeting, expect to pay around $125 a week for housing. We have found more and less expensive options over the years, but $125 seems to be a safe bet. One of our most reliable housing options is a large farm house a few miles from the boathouse. We have also found in-law apartments and houses on the lake over the years. While ARION will help you identify housing options, you will be responsible for the rental. You will also be responsible for your own food during the camp.
Regarding transportation, it is helpful to have a car, but because there are multiple athletes living together not everyone needs individual transportation. Having a bicycle is also recommended.
The Water Training
Most of the on the water training happens 6 mornings a week in coached sessions. Athletes spend significant amounts of time in singles, doubles, and pairs. The women train together and practices are sometimes combined with the elite team. A competitive piece day may include the elite women in singles and the U23 women in doubles, or the elite in doubles and the U23 women in quads. It is not required for an applicant to be super accomplished in a single, but some familiarity with sculling and a willingness to train at a high level are required. Follow "The Training" link above in the navigation bar to see more information regarding training with ARION.
The Cross Training
Along with the water meters, the ARION program incorporates a lot of cross training. Most cross training sessions are done on the afternoons and weekends and include running, biking, erging, lifting, and hiking. Saratoga Springs is just outside the Adirondack Park and has very easy access to fantastic country riding and running through farm land as well as hiking the peaks of the Adirondacks. It is encouraged that the time spent in Saratoga includes outdoor athletic adventures off the water as well as on. For the lifting, ARION collaborates with Saratoga Peak Performance for lifting and those sessions are coached by Bryan Briddell - a highly regarded trainer in the upstate NY area. Follow "The Training" link above in the navigation bar to see more information regarding training with ARION.
The Pricing
The ARION Summer Development program has the following costs associated with it:
Housing and Food: These are the responsibility of the athlete and not payable to Saratoga Rowing. We do suggest that athletes reserve $125/week as a rough budget for housing during the time in Saratoga. You are free to search for housing that fits any budget, but we try to help find housing in that range.
Training: Program costs will cover all training, coaching, and lifting fees. Rowing shells will be provided if needed. It is encouraged to bring a road bicycle and a single if you have them, but it is not required.
Racing: Program costs will cover the hotels, trailering, coaching, and race entry fees for USRowing Summer Nationals and/or Canadian Henley and/or U23 trials, but getting to and from the regatta will be at your own expense.
Gear: Program costs will cover a gear package including a racing uni and a few other items.
The Coaches
The ARION Summer Development program is coached by a team of coaches.
Eric Catalano: ARION Elite Head coach. While most of the time is spent with the Elite team and Team USA, when appropriate the Dev groups and the Elite groups will mix and the dev groups will be rowing on an adapted version of the elite training plan
Stacy Apfelbaum: Stacy is the head coach of the Niskayuna HS program and an assistant to the ARION elite program. She was also named the 2021 NYS Coach of the year.
Steve Bohler: As Technical Advisor, Steve specializes in rowing technique, biomechanics and the use of data to optimize performance. As a certified Sports Psychology Coach, Steve also helps athletes enhance their "mental strengths" in practice and racing.
Brian Briddell: Brian is the lifting coach for the ARION Dev program and the head trainer at Saratoga peak Performance.
The Racing
The ARION Dev/U23 program is dedicated to the development of elite small boat skills. With those applicants who are new to small boat rowing the ARION program will establish those skills and build confidence to race in small boats. For those who have some experience in small boats, the ARION program will help prepare you for finals level competition at the U23 trials, Summer Nationals, and Canadian Henley levels.
ARION Expectations
ARION athletes should maintain a growth mindset over time to achieve the desired results. It is expected that athletes complete all the prescribed work within the confines of physical and mental health. It is also expected that athletes understand the training program is designed to be a path to a destination. Deviations from that path, regardless of the reason, are still deviations from the path and may not lead to the same result. One should expect to grow as an athlete, a coach, an employee, and a human during the time at ARION.
It is also the case that sport in general is not a democracy, but often a meritocracy, that is to say that results matter in sport. The same can be the case in an elite training program: results and trajectory matter. This may affect some decisions on residential spaces, training trips, funding, and equipment. Athletes are given time to grow and flexibility to learn and fail and learn more, but one should always maintain a growth mindset and remember that the program is focused on international competition at the highest levels.
Athletes at ARION should also embody and endeavor to live the mottos of "good friends in the extra mile" and "gratefulness and vulnerability". We believe that the rising tide raises all boats and we celebrate the successes of our team and teammates.
