Row New Jersey Delivers Injury Prevention Insights from the Pros

Row New Jersey hosted the first Total Athlete event for 2020, welcoming Dr. Jason Levy, team chiropractor for the New York Jets, New Jersey Devils, NY Red Bulls, and Director of the Advanced Performance and Rehabilitation Center of Short Hills & Morristown. Dr. Levy is also the proud parent of a new 8th grade Row NJ team member. During this interactive event, Dr. Levy provided hands-on techniques and tools to help athletes prevent and manage the most common rowing injuries. “Although rowing is comparatively a low-impact sport that leverages nearly every muscle of the body - the repetitive motion and high-intensity workout require proper training, technique, stretching and recovery”, stated Dr. Levy. “If managed properly, rowing is an ideal balance of cardiovascular and strength training, wrapped into a rewarding team experience."

Under the careful guidance of Dr. Levy, team members had the opportunity to review each major muscle group - learning stretching and foam rolling techniques leveraged by professional athletes to improve flexibility, strength, and endurance. Matt Morfogen, a Delbarton Junior and Row NJ Varsity rower said “as an athlete who is in constant competition for excellence on the erg (rowing machine) and the water, the importance of injury prevention and stretching was never a top priority. However, after talking with and following Dr. Levy’s injury prevention workshop, I now understand the significance and benefits of stretching. Furthermore, I now keep a foam roller with a list of stretches in my room for when my joints may tighten. Thank you, Dr. Levy, and for the information and worksheets and Row NJ for hosting such a relevant and professional workshop to meet our needs as competitive athletes.”

Dr. Levy’s workshop is the first in a team commitment to supporting The Total Athlete. “Training both on land and on the water is a critical aspect of a successful rowing program, but it’s not the only one. Providing hands-on and practical experience with injury prevention and management, nutrition, mental preparation, stress, and time management – help our athletes balance the rigors of rowing with other personal and scholastic priorities”, stated Rowing Director Robert Welsh. "We are grateful to Dr. Levy for sharing his insights from the world of Professional Sports." Future Total Athlete workshops will engage top professional athletic leaders in Nutrition, Stress & Time Management, The Psychology of Winning, and College Recruiting.

REGISTER NOW: Row New Jersey is now open for enrollment for rowers and coxswains for spring programs. Row New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation located on Lake Hopatcong and is devoted to developing the strength, character, and confidence of middle school and high school students as well as masters rowers, through the discipline and teamwork of rowing. Rowers and Coxswains come from multiple communities including Summit, Basking Ridge, Boonton, Budd Lake, Califon, Chester, East Hanover, Far Hills, Hackettstown, Hopatcong, Kinnelon, Madison, Mendham, Morristown, Mountain Lakes, Oak Ridge, Randolph, and Roxbury. To learn more about Row New Jersey, the sport of rowing, and carpool opportunities, contact Rowing Director, Robert Welsh rwelsh@rownj.org or visit www.rownj.org.