Row HQ Launch Announcement

Row HQ is now accepting US rowing programs. Here's what it does and how we got here. We've spent the past year building and testing with our pilot club, Oundle Town Rowing Club (OTRC) in the UK, and the platform is ready for US high school crew programs, college and NCAA teams, and USRowing-affiliated community clubs.

What is Row HQ?

Row HQ is a web-based rowing program management platform that handles practices, boat reservations, lineups, athlete communication, regattas, and admin reporting from a single login. It was built with a UK launch club and has local versions for the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. It runs on phones, tablets, and desktops. Athletes use it on whatever they already have, with no app install required.

The Journey to Launch

Row HQ started because most rowing programs still run on spreadsheets, paper sign-ups, and GroupMe threads. That works up to a point. After that point it creates a lot of admin and things fall through the gaps, particularly when a regatta travel squad is being assembled in the two weeks before HOCR.

Over the past year we've worked closely with our UK pilot club to understand the specific problems rowing programs run into. Coordinating practices across varsity and novice squads, managing boat reservations, tracking athlete attendance. The result is features built around how programs actually work, translated for US workflows around HOCR, IRA, USRowing Youth Nationals, and NCAA championship cycles.

What features does Row HQ offer?

Row HQ covers the workflows US programs actually spend time on. Practice scheduling, boat reservations with double-booking prevention, drag-and-drop lineup builder for V8+ / 2V8+ / V4+ and smaller boats, a self-service athlete portal, regatta and event management, dues collection via Stripe, and an admin dashboard with attendance and financial reporting. Everything works in a browser on phones, tablets, and desktops.

• Practice scheduling: Create, schedule, and run practices, with lineup suggestions based on availability and erg scores.
• Boat reservations: Real-time availability, conflict prevention, and equipment tracking. Critical when V8+ shells, 2V8+ shells, and singles are all coming off the racks at the same time.
• Athlete portal: Self-service so athletes confirm practices, view schedules, and update their availability without DMing the coach or team manager.
• Regatta management: HOCR, IRA, USRowing Youth Nationals, and dual meet entries, lineups, and travel squad communication in one place.
• Analytics: Track attendance, monitor boat usage, and see what is actually happening across the program - useful for lineup selection and spring season planning.

Pilot Club Results

Working with our UK pilot club shaped everything about how Row HQ works. Their feedback on what actually matters in day-to-day program admin kept us focused on practical problems rather than features that sound good on paper. The same patterns translate to US high school crew programs and college teams. The full story is in our pilot club case study.

"What used to take hours of coordination just happens now. Coaches spend their time coaching instead of chasing availability, and athletes actually use the self-service features."

Our Commitment to US Rowing Programs

As we open up to US high school, college, and community programs, here's what we're committed to:

• Fair, transparent USD pricing that scales with program size - no per-athlete trap pricing
• Personalized onboarding and training for your coaching staff and team manager
• Ongoing improvements driven by what coaches and athletes ask for
• Support from people who understand rowing, not generic SaaS support
• Title IX and SafeSport audit trails as first-class concerns, not afterthoughts

What's Next?

This is just the start. We've got a lot planned, including:

• The Row HQ web app installs to the home screen from any phone browser and keeps getting better on mobile
• Deeper erg score tracking and analytics
• Integrations with HereNow, RegattaCentral, and on-water timing systems
• More coach tools for periodised training plan management
• Multi-program support for regional youth rowing organizations

We build based on what programs tell us they need. If something's missing for your high school, college, or club program, we want to hear about it.

Try Row HQ

If your program is still running on spreadsheets and GroupMe threads, take a look at what Row HQ can do. Browse the screenshot gallery to see the platform in action, read the FAQ for common questions, or get started straight away. We are accepting inquiries from US programs of all sizes.

Thank You

Thanks to everyone at OTRC for being our pilot club and putting up with the early versions. Their feedback shaped what Row HQ is today. Read what other programs think on our testimonials page.

Less admin, more rowing.

- The Row HQ Team