Before the sun rises, senior Emmett Hoffman is already on the water, rowing with his teammates through the chilly morning breeze. Recently committed to UC San Diego, Hoffman is excited about the next chapter of his life, where he plans to pursue his athletic career in crew and make it to the top boat.
Hoffman previously played baseball but opted for a change due to the sport’s intensity and competitiveness. “I definitely didn’t have a love for baseball like I do for rowing,” he said. “Baseball was probably more of a hobby than an actual passion of mine.” While looking for new sports to pursue, with the influence of a family friend who rowed for the Navy, Hoffman decided to try crew and quickly developed a love and passion for the sport.
With the rigorous practice schedules—six days a week for two and a half hours on weekdays and four hours on Saturdays—Hoffman found the responsibilities of school and his sport to be the “biggest challenge” for him.
Rowing was initially more of a hobby than a commitment. “I didn’t really take it seriously until now, or until basically last year. But I had a conversation with my coach about what I want to be doing in my future, and if it’s a sport that I really love,” he said. “So last year is when I started reaching out to coaches, and it kind of all happened.”
Despite the sport’s physical and mental demands, Hoffman expressed his appreciation for the morning practices and, in particular, the sunrise. “It sounds kind of cheesy, but there’s something magical about being in the middle of the bay when no one else is awake, and it’s just you and your friends in the sunrise,” he said.
While coordination in practice was important, building friendships off the water was equally vital for the team’s overall success. “My favorite part now is definitely how close we are with one another,” Hoffman said. “One of my favorite parts might be after we have long Saturday practices [where] we all usually go get breakfast at a place in Redwood City. It’s definitely something I look forward to at the end of a four-hour practice.”
Hoffman hopes to build these strong bonds with his teammates in college. “I don’t know the guys yet, but I definitely think that they’re as close-knit as we are, and it’s definitely that really tight lifelong relationship.”
One of Hoffman’s favorite memories was from last summer, when he competed in Youth Nationals in Florida. “You can feel the energy when you get there. That was definitely a great time,” he said.
While committing to a school was rewarding, it was not easy. “It was a really long process,” he said. “You always have to make sure that you have progress. Trying almost every other week to find something different or something that you achieved was more physical than anything, and absolutely pushing yourself beyond the limits was super difficult and just added a lot of pressure.”
Though the admissions process was difficult to balance, Hoffman hopes to improve in college and excel at the top of his team. “I’d love to make the top boat at UCSD,” he said. He’s also excited to compete against his old teammates. “I have friends that are committed to other colleges in the MPSF conference, and I think racing against them on separate teams is going to be really fun,” he said.
Hoffman attributes his success to his teammates, who helped him throughout his journey. “I definitely think I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without my teammates. It’s not an individual sport,” he said. “Definitely my friends and the guys around me got me to where I am.”
