Sophomore Quinn Hane was rowing across the finish line at a regatta for crew with her team, and they were coming in first. As they crossed the finish line, they were all laughing and singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

“My parents wanted me to have a sport to do,” Quinn said. “They wanted me to do at least two seasons of a sport every year in high school. In middle school, I tried a bunch of sports like track and cross country. I even did diving for a while, and I really liked that. When I got to high school, I did [diving] during the fall, and all the gymnasts that had quit gymnastics started doing diving. When they came in with all [of] their flipping, they knew how to do all the tricks, so they beat me out of there.”

Quinn was conflicted on what sport she wanted to take part in, as she was running out of options. The sports she would have fallen back on weren’t right for her anymore.

“I didn’t want to do track because I didn’t like that,” Quinn said, “so when winter conditioning [for crew] came around, that was really my only option. So, I decided to do it, and I actually hated novice year conditioning, but I hadn’t been on the water yet to row, so I didn’t know the fun part of it. When we got to spring season, I just fell in love with [crew]. Now, it’s such a big part of me and what I do.”

Joining the crew team was the best decision she could have made regarding sports teams. It has changed her and made her immensely gleeful.

A big part of any sports team is the atmosphere and the people. Quinn has very close relationships with a lot of the team. Her relationships quickly became one of the most rewarding aspects of the sport.

“The people for sure [are the best part of crew],” Quinn said. “I met a lot of different people that I would have never talked to, and I made friends with people that I didn’t even know existed.”

Quinn has met many people through crew and has developed many relationships. Although the main reason that Quinn loves the sport is because of the people, crew fills a multitude of other gaps in Quinn’s life. 

Despite all the positives, Quinn does have a few things that she dislikes about crew. Since it is a sport, there are competitions, and sometimes, they can get quite intense and competitive.

“It can be competitive at some points because there are a lot of really talented and athletic people on the team,” Quinn said. “So even if you try your hardest and put in 110 percent, it’s easy to be hard on yourself if you see that you’re not as good as other people. Then, it can be a lot to handle sometimes.”

Even if the sport can be competitive, Quinn loves it. She loves the positive parts, and competition makes her push harder so she knows that she is improving.

Along with crew, Quinn has recently taken interest in playing the guitar. Quinn holds a deep affection for music, and she has been curious about playing the guitar before, but only recently decided to try her hand at it.

“I started [taking lessons] about a year ago because it’s always been something I wanted to do,” Quinn said. “I never really got the opportunity to try it, because [COVID-19] happened. I finally started, and I am getting better day by day.”

Quinn has wanted to play the guitar for quite a while and appreciates that she now gets the chance. Quinn has always loved music, and although she played the violin in sixth grade, she never liked it. The guitar, however, is different for her. Unlike the violin, she adores the guitar.

“I like that I get to explore my creativity by playing music instead of listening to it,” Quinn said. “Day to day practice is sometimes boring, but when you think about your goal, and that eventually you could be in a band or something like that, it helps.”

Quinn likes having a goal to reach for, such as playing in a band, because it makes practicing feel more fulfilling and purposeful. Practicing can become monotonous, but reaching for something makes her more accomplished.

Quinn couldn’t have started playing the guitar on her own. She has had inspirations throughout her time playing; her mom, a pianist, helped her start her journey.

“My mom plays the piano,” Quinn said, “and she has always liked the idea of my brother and I playing instruments, so that was my influence to get started. And, my dad encouraged me to start something new.”

Playing the guitar helps Quinn explore her creativity and allows her to do something that she has always wanted to do, something different, making her ambitious and hopeful. 

“It makes me feel cool because I’m exploring something new,” Quinn said. “I feel positive because it’s something that’s so easy to do and doesn’t cause any stress. I really love music, and playing the guitar just makes me happy.”