Credit: Courtesy of: Mitch McManus

WSPN’s Bowen Morrison highlights new Wayland-Weston crew coach Beatrice Sims.

The Wayland-Weston Crew team’s racing season kicked off on Oct. 6, at the Textile River Regatta in Lowell, Massachusetts. This was the Crew team’s first Regatta under their new program director, Beatrice Sims. Sims took the adjustment in the fall season in stride, and will now look ahead to winter training and the upcoming spring season.

Sims has extensive experience in both coaching and rowing, and she is no stranger to working with high school age athletes at schools across Massachusetts.

“My previous rowing coaching jobs were Regatta Point, Shrewsbury High School, Northeastern University, and Community Rowing Incorporated,” Sims said. “My college degree is in math and computer science, so I have also had several software and web jobs along the way.”

Despite working in other school districts, universities and community programs, Sims was particularly drawn to the Wayland-Weston Rowing Association. When the program had an opening for a new director, she pounced on the opportunity.

“I have seen and admired the program for a number of years during other high school coaching jobs in Massachusetts,” Sims said. “It’s a great coaching staff and a wonderful group of student-athletes. A rowing director position is something I’ve been searching for for a long time.”

Sims was attracted to the Wayland-Weston crew team in particular due to the new opportunity to work as a director and to have the opportunity to work with student athletes. Sims feels that working with young athletes can be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.

“I love being out on the water and seeing the rowers learning,” Sims said. “My favorite part is the ‘aha’ moment when someone learns how to make a change, and the satisfaction for that athlete of figuring out a tricky concept.”

One of the best parts of crew for Sims is the fact that it has two seasons, the fall and spring. However, even in the offseason, workouts can still be conducted.

“We have winter and summer training options for athletes looking to keep in touch with rowing during the other seasons,” Sims said. “As we look ahead to winter training, some athletes will also cross-train by playing other school sports.”

Throughout the fall season, regattas were held every weekend in October. The chance for students to show their athletic abilities during meets is very exciting for both the players, and Sims. The team travels throughout Massachusetts for regattas, and sometimes to other states.

“The fall regattas are between two and three miles long, where teams race one by one against the clock,” Sims said. “The spring regattas are 1500 to 2000 meters, and teams race side by side. This fall we raced in Lowell, Worcester, Boston and Saratoga, New York. In the spring we will travel to similar locations, with the hopeful addition of the Youth National Championship in Sarasota, Florida.”

Ultimately, as the director and coach, Sims is excited about opportunities for student-athletes to showcase their abilities during regattas and during the Youth National Championship. During the fall season, the Wayland-Weston crew team had the highest number of top finishes during the Northeast Fall Championship Regatta in Worcester.

“We saw some great competition at the Head of the Charles in Boston, and the Head of the Fish in Saratoga, with our team going up against some stiff competition from around the Northeast and around the world,” Sims said.