The walls of Cal's T. Gary Rogers Rowing Center in Alameda, California, are lined with photos of winning crews and the spoils of past victories. An Olympic flag covers a wall of the upstairs erg room. Banners for every varsity crew that won a national championship adorn the ceiling. The legacy of past Cal oarsmen inhabits these walls and continues to power the Cal men's crew program today as one of America's greatest legacies in sport. Inside the plush meeting room on the second floor, Cal seniors Jordan van der Stoep, Niki van Sprang and Morgan Hellen look back on their time at Cal crew and talk about their experiences being part of the team.
All three of the athletes are from extremely different backgrounds. Van der Stoep, the four seat of the 2015 varsity boat, is from Soquel, California. Van Sprang, by contrast, is from Almere in the Netherlands. A two-year varsity boat veteran looking for his third year in the boat, van Sprang has just returned to the team after sitting out for much of the fall with a serious injury. Hellen, from Maidstone in the United Kingdom is, like van Sprang, making his case for a third year in the varsity boat.
Van der Stoep, Van Sprang and Hellen were asked about their very first experiences at Cal. Van der Stoep related how initially it was intimidating. “I lived at the Clark Kerr Campus, I was kind of intimidated by my roommates, I knew I would fit in, but I was definitely like 'this is the big leagues!'” In his first semester, van der Stoep rowed with the varsity squad before moving back with the freshmen. “That crew was like celebrities. I said 'That's James Scott!' He was really recognizable and I had seen that crew in videos before I came here.”
Van Sprang and Hellen were both admitted in the spring, which put them right in the middle of the season. Van Sprang recounted, “I arrived in January, everyone was at camp and no one was in Berkeley. I went to bed the first night having not talked to anyone. Everyone got back three days later, when we had the first erg - a 3x5-kilometer workout. I won and it felt pretty good!” Hellen remembered how his first days were, “The senior guys were super welcoming and they really took me under their wing. They included me in a lot of activities.” Hellen was less candid about his first day rowing. “You don't want to know about my first day,” he said with a smile. “I stopped on the erg - a 10 times 500 meters workout. Don't do that; don't ever stop on the erg.”
As senior athletes, all three of these men take great pride in their positions and in being on the team. “Being local to the Bay, I love having that chance to represent my home at the national level. That's what is most exciting for me,” said Van der Stoep. He continued, “It's such a privilege to row with all these other guys who have so much experience.” The team offers a huge amount of support and builds a strong community within classes and across classes. “We're a team, and although there is some stratification between, say, freshmen and seniors, we try and combat that” added Van der Stoep. On what it is like racing one another on the water. “This team has a great sense of respect. They will not hold back on the water, but everyone is really considerate of their crew mates,” said Hellen.
Along the way, the men have learned to broaden their horizons. “For me,” said van Spang, “I always wanted to go to the Olympics, and that hasn't changed, but Cal has shown me that there is so much more to care about.” As a political economy major with a minor in resource management, van Sprang has diversified his skills and knowledge through UC Berkeley's wide range of studies. Hellen, an architecture major, said he never saw himself training in the field, “I could never have seen this coming, but I found something that I really enjoy. Cal has so many options that it's hard to choose, but everyone finds their place.”
Head coach Mike Teti is something of a legend in the rowing world. He has a reputation for being extremely passionate in his coaching style. All three felt that a lot of outside perceptions miss the mark in their judgment of Cal's head coach. “I have huge amount of respect for coach Teti. I think he has a tough job” said van der Stoep. He continued, “Over these last four years, he has taught me to demand a higher level from myself. As a result, I have realized that I am capable of more than I ever thought.” Van Sprang offered his insight saying, “before you arrive at Cal, everyone has an image of Mike Teti, because you can read a lot about him. He's a nice guy; great stories. As a coach to me, it's impressive how much he actually cares about his rowers, because that's an image you don't hear about so often in articles.”
Van der Stoep and van Sprang were asked how it felt that this was their last shot at the IRA Championship. After a brief period of thought, van der Stoep said. “Even though this is my last opportunity, I see every time as my last opportunity.” The dedication to every race is complete; they give everything they have to win every race. “I don't think I would do things differently. I will do everything I can to get that gold. It's not different, but it is a big motivation!” said van Sprang.
As a final thought, Hellen to summed up his feelings from the conversation. He took a brief moment, and then said, “Looking back, after four years, I wish I could do it again, I really like the team and I am glad I picked Cal. No one does it as well as Cal in terms of overall performance. We have everything, academics, sports, the weather, the City. Cal is the place to be!”
