Justin James, USF Sarasota-Manatee Crew

What sports did you play growing up?: I started out at a very young age playing soccer. In middle school and high school, I ran track. My last years in high school were just track and cross country. There were only so many spots on the varsity (soccer) team. I stopped playing JV (soccer) in 10th grade, so I went on to varsity running. I’ve continued to run 5Ks on my own.

When I went (to USF’s Tampa campus), I discovered sports clubs and the surf club. But that didn’t do much to keep me in shape. I joined the crew team at the club level in Tampa. I did that for about three months, but the team kind of fell apart because there wasn’t a whole lot of commitment. We weren’t competing much. The students just lost interest with 6 a.m. practices four days a week.

When I came to this campus to finish my degree in hospitality, I got myself involved in student government because I previously did that in Tampa and community service. Some of the hype and media attention surrounding Nathan Benderson Park started around the same time I started coming here. I saw that they had a vision, which sparked my vision for a crew team.

With your father being a collegiate rower, what were some of the stories he told you about rowing?: Just a little bit about putting the boats in and somebody swamping their VW Beetle to put the trailer in. The whole team had to lift it out because the lake had flooded or something like that. For his 50th birthday, we got a picture blown up of his winning team. That is in his study with his old rowing machine, which he would use occasionally. In high school, I self-taught myself to use (the rowing machine). I just kind of took it from there. Eventually, I moved the rowing machine from his study to my bedroom after I came back and started going to school here. I would wake up and use it and use it before I went to bed. We had kayaks when I was growing up, but I knew there wasn’t much going on in the kayaking world.

What is a typical day like for you?: We will wake up at 5 (a.m.) and be here on campus at 5:30 (a.m.) to carpool (to Osprey) for a 6 o'clock practice. We get to practice at 6 a.m., pull ergs out and we erg for an hour of the hour-and-20-minute practice. We will run for 20 minutes, so we will only have two or three five-minute breaks. We do interval training and build up our endurance by just rowing for 20-30 minutes straight. The coaches are looking at our technique and posture to make sure that we have good strokes every time. Practice is over at like 7:20-7:30. I take the carpool back to campus. If it is a Tuesday, I would shower on campus before going to class for three hours and doing my internship. If I’m not doing my internship or studying, I’m working five to seven hours on student government. 

What is your vision for this program?: For the program, I see a men’s 8+ and a women’s 8+ practicing out of our boathouse that is on-campus and on the water. The school owns a narrow slip of the property that is actually between the Crosley (Estate) and New College and it is probably two acres. I can see a boathouse, similar to what Sarasota Crew (has), with boats and boats there. It would have a pretty simple roof, a fence and an actual house to store some (erg machines). A men’s coach and a women’s coach. Other than the two eights, 24 additional team members. A dozen men and a dozen women.

Who has helped you the most with starting the USF Sarasota-Manatee Crew Team?: I would have to say our adviser (and USF Sarasota-Manatee’s Assistant Director of Alumni and University Relations) Jay Riley. He was recommended by Dr. (Arthur) Guilford, who is our regional chancellor. Having Dr. Guilford say that Jay was the right man for the job meant a lot because (Guilford) said that having a crew team was a phenomenal idea when I first presented it to him.

What do you plan to do with your degree:? I have plans of working in eco-tourism and/or destination tourism. When I was in high school at Manatee, I went to Costa Rica with their Key Club to build houses for Habitat for Humanity during spring break. While I was there, we went zip-lining in the rain forest. That’s when I realized that people would actually want to come and see these natural wonders. I started at USF Tampa for business before coming here for hospitality.

What are some things you like to do when you have free time?: I love to go to the beach, spend time with my girlfriend and go running.

Favorite class: Right now, my favorite class would have to be the beverage management course.

Favorite book: I can’t think of anything at the top of my head. I guess you’re just going to have to put that I don’t read much (laughs).

Favorite movie: It’s an old one, but I like “Gladiator.”

What sports do you follow?: I wouldn’t say that I follow too many sports because I stay pretty busy with student government and interning. I follow the bigger sports when they are on like the Olympics and the World Cup. On a regular basis, I would have to say that I follow USF Bulls football team when it’s season.

If you could eat dinner with three people living or dead, who would they be?: I would say (Leonardo) da Vinci because of his flying machines, which were similar to helicopters before they came along. Probably George Washington or any of the early founders because I think starting a country would be virtually impossible. Thirdly, I would say Bill Gates for his work with his foundation.