Stotesbury

May 14 – 16, 2026, 

Schuylkill River, 

Philadelphia, PA

Hosted by the Schuylkill Navy

https://stotesburycupregatta.com/

 Important Dates:

• 9 April 2026 – Information Night @ WSHS
  • Registration opens
• 30 April 2026 – Forms Assistance Night (7:00 pm – 9:00 pm)
  • If you prefer to turn in Form 1 in person, this is the event
  • If paying by check, it is due at this event
• 1 May 2026 – Payment is due via Sports Plus
  • Payment via Credit Card or ACH transfer
• 12 May 2026 – Forms 2 – 4b due by upload
• 13 May 2026 – Luggage Night (7:30 pm – 9:00 pm)
  • Athlete’s luggage and accessories 
  • All 3 pieces of the Spartan Crew Uniform must be presented and placed in a Ziploc bag on top
  • Forms 2 – 4a/b, if not previously uploaded, are due at this event.
• 14 May 2026 – Depart WSHS / Arrive Schuylkill River for practice
• 15 May 2026 – Stotesbury Time Trials
• 16 May 2026 – Stotesbury Finals / Return to WSHS

Forms Information (Link to Forms Packet) 

The forms process is slightly different this year.  The forms are the same, but we will be offering to collect the forms digitally if you choose this year.  

Tips & Tricks

Bus Transportation:

There are a very limited number of extra seats on the bus that will be sold to spectators.  This includes round-trip transportation from WSHS to Philadelphia, and round-trip transportation daily between the team hotel and the race site.  

This will be purchasable through the team store on Sports Plus when numbers become available.

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Lodging

The team will be staying at The Best Western Philadelphia-Pennsauken. 

We have stayed here in the past and have a good relationship with the hotel. The team has a reserved block of rooms for which lodging expenses are included in the athlete cost for Stotes - there is no need to reserve your athlete's room since they are included in the team block of rooms. 

 We also have a reserved block of rooms available for parents/families/spectators who would like to stay at the same hotel as the team. Please be aware that priority in this block of rooms is given to chaperones - if we must deconflict reservations to ensure chaperones have a room, we will let you know ASAP. 

If you are unable to reserve a room with our blocked reservation, please reach out to Tara McClure, who assists our team as a travel agent. Her contact information is: taramcclure73@gmail.com. For athletes, rooms will be assigned according to boat, and there will be four athletes to a room.

A link will be provided closer to the event

Meals

Meals are included in the athlete dues. 

Spectators can visit the team store to purchase meals for this event.

If your athlete has a dietary concern, please let the Away Regatta Coordinator know, so they can coordinate with the catering.

• Thursday 
  • Breakfast @ home
  • Lunch – packed lunch from home, or send money to buy items at the Maryland House
  • Dinner – Chipotle, build your own bar at the hotel.
• Friday
  • Breakfast @ the Hotel
  • Lunch - @ the River, Greg is grilling chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs
  • Dinner is @ Splitz.  Catered pasta and pizza with salad.  Ice Cream is not included but can be purchased individually.

• Saturday 
  • Breakfast @ the Hotel
  • Lunch – Boxed Lunch sandwiches

Volunteer Opportunities

 Volunteer Opportunities and Donations links will be provided closer to the event.  

FAQ

Will all boats compete at Stotesbury? What is the process and difference between time trials, heats, petite finals, finals, etc?

The coaches will seat the boats based on athletes participating in Stotes and organize the boats so that the most athletes may participate. The time trials held on Friday morning will determine which boats qualify to row in the heats on Friday afternoon. Winning boats from the heats held on Friday afternoon will advance to the Finals held on Saturday.  

Will every student be able to row at Stotesbury? Does everyone who attends get to row?

The coaches can speak more about who participates at Stotes. There has been a year in the past when a rower was injured/sick, and the team was thankful an alternate was on the trip, or the entire boat could not have participated. The experience of being with the team at Stotes is also important to the relationship building of the team. It is ultimately up to each family and athlete to determine their participation level. Together, you will have to weigh the possibility of being an alternate athlete and participating in team bonding against not having the team Stotesbury experience. 

When should I start filling out the forms in my packet? When do these need to be turned in?

You can fill out the forms in the packet at any time. If you want to provide them earlier, you can do so by emailing awayregatta@spartancrew.org for an address to drop off forms or come to Forms Night. 

What days should I be at Stotesbury? If I can only come one day, should I attend on Friday or Saturday?

If you can only attend one day to enjoy Stotesbury, you should plan to attend on Friday.  Friday has the most activity and opportunities to see your athlete on the water. Saturday is the Finals for qualifying boats. In years past, we have typically had 1-2 boats row in the Saturday Finals.

When will I get a heat sheet for when my Athlete rows? How will I find out? on Twitter? by email or Facebook?

The heat sheets are typically posted the week before Stotes. The team will communicate the times to the team via email.  It will also be available on the Stotesbury Regatta Cup website. We will also have a group messaging platform that parents can join, which will provide results and updates for the team throughout the weekend. 

What adult supervision is provided by chaperones at the hotel?

Adult chaperones stay in their own room at the hotel. Chaperones are responsible for knowing where the athletes under their supervision are at all times. Any athlete breaking curfew will be pulled from their boat and will not be allowed to race.  This means that an entire boat could be at risk of not rowing if an athlete breaks curfew.  We tape the athletes in their rooms, and it is an effective way of knowing if a room was opened during the night.  It gets untaped by the chaperone in the morning at wake-up.

Can both parents chaperone?

Yes - we welcome chaperones from all family members who would like to chaperone. Chaperoning is fairly easy - if you can communicate by text and corral a group, then you could be a great chaperone.  We do not recommend volunteering as a chaperon if you have younger children who will also be attending Stotes and will require extra attention. The focus of a chaperone is to ensure athletes make it to the bus for departures and are aware of their race times. We will have many athletes without a parent in attendance at Stotes, and they will need an adult to whom they can reach out for support or questions.

Is my Athlete excused from school both days while at Stotesbury?

All athletes who complete our Stotesbury registration forms and make payment will be on the team roster we provide to the school.  Attendance for those on this roster will be marked as “excused” by the WSHS Attendance Office.  It is recommended for athletes to notify their teachers immediately about this pre-arranged absence, as the athlete is still responsible for making up any missed work.

My athlete has tests on Thursday and Friday. What should I do?

The team is aware of AP Exams occurring in May, which have the potential to affect several athletes on our team.  You can reach out to the testing coordinator to help facilitate new dates. We do our best to coordinate early and get notices out so schedules can be accommodated. Not every circumstance is the same, and we would like the families to work with the school ASAP so any conflicts can be resolved where possible.  Payment for the trip is typically due by the end of April, so please make sure any resolutions are addressed before this date.

Will there be a carpool for students who need to take tests on Thursday?

Should your athlete NOT be departing on the bus with the team but rather in a carpool, please make sure the Away Regatta Coordinator knows when and how your athlete will get to Stotesbury.  There are other forms necessary for any athlete riding outside of our currently scheduled team bus transportation. Fill out FCPS Form – FS152  (mark Personal Vehicle/Driver relation/Transport Type and water-related activity). The team is responsible for knowing where each student is, and the coaches will need to plan their Thursday practice accordingly based on the athletes’ arrival time. 

If you will be driving any other student besides your child, please ensure you have completed the required FCPS form – FS142.

If my child can’t be there on Thursday or comes late, should I still send his/her luggage?

We request that your child’s luggage still be brought to Luggage Night, as we must ensure the uniform and JL are packed as well as collect any medication. You can then coordinate luggage transfer to your vehicle before the team departs from WSHS.  

Who will my child’s roommate be? Can my child pick their roommate? Can siblings stay together?

The rowers will be assigned to their rooms by boat and in groups of 4. Coxswains will be rooming with other coxswains according to gender. This makes it easiest for chaperones to ensure entire boats are kept on schedule and where they need to be, as certain boats will be on the early bus and others will be on the 2nd bus based on row times and seats. Unless siblings are rowing in the same boat, it is unlikely they will room together. All athletes will be staying at our team hotel without exception.

How do I get to the river if I don’t go on the bus?

Transportation to the river will be the responsibility of the spectator unless you paid for transportation on the team buses. You may drive your own private vehicle and pay for parking or use a ride service to get to the event. Any spectator who paid for bus transportation with the team will have a seat to/from the river departing and returning to the team hotel only. Open seats for additional spectators may be available, but are not guaranteed.

Does the parking at the river fill up, or can I get parking easily?

In past years, there has been parking at the top of the hill in East Fairmount Park for a cost; however, please be advised that parking is limited. There was a shuttle in the past, but there will likely be a wait for the shuttle, so please plan accordingly. If you have an opportunity to get dropped off by a ride service, you can avoid a steep walk down to the river. Once information on the website is updated, you can see what guidance the event coordinators provide – check here to see previous Stotesbury info on parking.  

If I don’t chaperone but stay at the same hotel as the team, can I ride the team bus?

Any spectator who paid for bus transportation has a seat to/from the river departing and returning to the team hotel only. Open seats for additional spectators may be available, but are not guaranteed, so please plan accordingly. The team tries to provide chaperones with seats on the bus while in Philly, but again, these are not guaranteed.

If I am riding with the team on the bus, can I park at WSHS over the weekend? 

Parking passes to park at WSHS for May 14-16 will be available for those needing to secure parking at WSHS. 

Where exactly does the bus go during Stotesbury? Will it shuttle me back and forth to the hotel throughout the day?

The team bus is not a shuttle service and will only depart or return to the hotel based on the team’s schedule. Once you get to the river, please expect to stay all day. Any returns to the hotel are race-day decisions by the coaches.

How do spectators secure a hotel room for Sotesbury?

Communicate with our agent Tara McClure, taramcclure73@gmail.com, phone 404-997-9458, as she has access to our block of spectator rooms at the Team’s Hotel.  Rooms are on a “first-come, first-served” reservation setup.  If rooms are no longer available, Ms.McClure will work to group everyone together at another location nearby when possible.  Cost will vary as we reserve the team hotel block of rooms and contract at a group rate early in the Fall of the current school year. 

If my child has 3 prescriptions, do I fill out more than one form?

Yes – each medication must have an FCPS SE63 authorization form.  This has been included in your forms packet as Form #3 – the basic information for your athlete can be completed in the top portion of the form and then duplicated on any necessary additional forms with specific information for each medication. 

Will you have an EPI-Pen if my child has an emergency and needs one?

There will not be any stocked Epinephrine.  Each athlete will need to have their own EPI-Pen (s) for use along with the required  FCPS SE63 authorization form. We are checking with the school about those who self-carry medications.  As long as we have the correct authorizations (FCPS Epi Form SE64) with the team, then your athlete should be covered.

Do parents pay for food at the tent?  Are food vendors present at Stotes if we don’t pay for the tent food?

Because we offer à la carte participation in our catered events, spectators/family members can pre-pay for any meals they would like to participate in with the team.  There is some event food available for purchase onsite, consisting of standard event-type foods and costs. Please be advised that lines can be lengthy. The team will be having dinner at Splitz Bowling Alley on Friday night, and spectators/family members pay to attend and dine with the team.

Do athletes and spectators need a water bottle, coffee mugs, and chairs?

Reusable water bottles and mugs are strongly encouraged at the river as we will keep our recyclables and footprint of waste to a minimum in accordance with Stotes as a green event. Spectators are also encouraged to bring chairs, as there is no seating provided at the team tent at Stotes. Please be advised that the ground could be damp in the morning or extremely muddy if it rains, so we suggest chairs for both athletes and spectators. Personal chairs can be brought to luggage check-in and then loaded into the bottom of the buses for those spectators riding on the team buses. Please label your folding chair with your name if you are bringing it with you or your athlete.

Where will the WSHS tent be?

We will be assigned a tent site closer to the event date. The team will send out info on our site # as soon as we know it, along with some possible markers to look for to make it easier to find. We will also put up the team banner and our team flag to mark the tent.  Athletes and spectators alike congregate at the team tent throughout the event.  

Will there be good cell service on the river?

Cell service didn’t seem to be an issue at the river for anyone.

Will I be able to charge my cell phone or electronics at the river?

Please bring a backup battery pack, as there are no outlets at our tent. Please also remind your athlete as well, since they are on their phones communicating with each other and parents throughout the day.

Can I watch Stotesbury online or on TV?

In previous years, Stotesbury has been available to watch online via the event’s website.  Once the event coordinators post information on where to watch the regatta, the team will send out an email as well as post on our social media accounts for spectators afar.

What if I want my child to stay with me on Saturday night and I don’t want them to take the bus home?

If your athlete will be departing with you on Saturday, they must be signed out of the team.  Please communicate with the Team President or the Away Regatta Coordinator, who have the authority to sign athletes out and will be tracking the team roster. The team needs to be aware of where all athletes are at all times. 

Should we buy a Stotesbury Mug for my athlete? What do they get with it?

In past years, there has been a Stotesbury souvenir mug available for purchase for approximately $20. Athletes and spectators purchase these mugs as they have unlimited drink refills during the 3-day event, which could include root beer or sometimes slushies.

If the hotel has a pool, can my child swim?

Most hotels still have the pool closed down for the season, so we have not made this option available to the athletes.  We want our athletes’ muscles to be ready for the races.

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