Today’s Hat: Crew Mom. And It Had Better Be a Warm One.

Today I was out with my “Crew Mom” hat on, as Hudson rowed with his 8th grade team in Saratoga Rowing Association’s Head of the FishRegatta. An unexpected wintery morning turned into a beautiful day, with snow and autumn leaves intermingled near the water. As is typical on a regatta weekend in Fall and Spring, Hudson’s alarm was set for 5:30 am and he was up and out while it was still dark — part of the Crew Mom standard package.

Next, Mr. BOP and I went our separate ways as parent volunteers — I, in the medals and awards tent and he, out on a launch boat as Crew Dad and Marshall {directing traffic}. With about 1500 boats racing over the course of the weekend, Fish Creek was a major hub of activity.

The Head of the Fish boasts the most unique of trophies. Real fish heads are preserved and creatively {and humorously} mounted for the winners. I spent more time with these fish in the awards tent than I did with Hudson:

I ventured out to the docks a few times to attempt to watch Hudson race, regretfully having forgotten my binoculars. I bided my time experimenting with my iPhone camera. Crew Moms do a lot of this:

But When the Sun Comes Out We get To Look at This:

Sometimes we get to see this:

Hudson, Second from right (bow rower)

Today I missed seeing Hudson’s first boat go by {I must have blinked!}, and I didn’t get a good shot of his second. I did yell words of encouragement from the dock, which he surely didn’t hear. The picture above is from another day, altogether. But it gives a sense of a better Crew Mom moment.

Being a Crew Mom is a funny thing. It’s a huge time commitment, the weather is often miserable, the hours are often way too early, and the chance to see your child “perform” is a fleeting and distant sight. It’s a horrible spectator sport.

But every time I see Hudson appear in the distance — as I strain to make out whether it is actually him — I feel a rush of pride and excitement. And relief. I love watching the poetic motion of a team rowing in unison. I love seeing the growth that occurs every time my kid weathers challenging conditions — and steps out of the boat with an exhausted, yet satisfied smile.

Crew teaches kids to persevere. You can’t stop rowing, and you need to hang in there. Crew kids know how to listen and they know how to work hard. They also know how to have fun! The boat house is like one big kid party.

It’s weird, because being a Crew Mom has many aspects that are less-than-ideal — yet, it’s infinitely satisfying on race day. Tomorrow I might be Dance Mom, or Music Mom, or Lacrosse Mom. Or none of the above. But for today, Crew Mom was exactly what I wanted to be.