Growing up, crew was a sport that was never available to me. My brother, being in high school before me, made me aware of the crew team at our high school. Going into a new school, I was willing to try something completely new. Growing up I played a wide range of different sports, including baseball, basketball, and golf. All though I played a variety of sports, I never found one that I wanted to dedicate large blocks of time to. Only a couple of weeks into the season, I knew that crew was the sport that I wanted to be 100% commited to. I quickly fell in love with the concept that every rower must work together in order to obtain "the swing of the boat". I have always viewed myself as a team player and I consistently put the team before myself. In the other team sports that I played, there were some people that did not share that mindset. By practicing in the snow, rain, cold, and heat, I have developed a bond with my teammates that I do not share with anyone else besides them.
Although I had a successful first year, my 2K erg scores rank in the top 10 among lightweights on my team, I never use that as leverage over someone. I use my place in the 2K rankings as a source of motivation, as I am always aiming to pass the guy that is in front of me. I feel honored to have had such a successful first year rowing, but I am eager to be even more successful this coming year.
Thomas Ciatto Ski...
