The Spencerport Rowing Club (SRC) will host an informational booth this weekend at Spencerport Canal Days, with supporters on-hand to answer questions about regarding the sport and the newly formed team. The club’s weekend will culminate with an event on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Spencerport Canal Museum, where two athletes from each of the five high school rowing programs in the Rochester area will be on hand to welcome the SRC to the ranks.
Members of the McQuaid, Brighton, Mercy, Pittsford and Fairport high school rowing teams will be on hand alongside club organizers Sunday afternoon to welcome SRC into the rowing community, share stories and answer any questions young athletes or their parents may have about the sport. Along with hosting the weekend-long booth and the event on Sunday, SRC will also offer a series of upcoming informational meetings and programs for those interested in joining a rowing club on Monroe County’s west side.
“This weekend will provide an opportunity to get the word out to the community that we are looking for athletes and supporters to help us build a rowing club on the west side of the Rochester,” said head organizer John Bernfield. “We are looking forward to this weekend and we are grateful to the athletes and clubs who have offered their time and efforts in welcoming us.”
The weekend events follow a recent meeting at the Ogden Recreational Center, where a number of positive inquires regarding a new club on the west side were received. A spike in interest could come again in the coming weeks thanks to the 2012 Olympic Games, where Pittsford Crew alumnus Henrik Rummel will compete on the United States Men’s Four boat team.
“It is wonderful to see a local athlete represent our country at the Olympics,” said Deb Adams, who is assisting with organization of the SRC. “It demonstrates to young athletes that it is possible to achieve even the highest goals, in rowing as well or anywhere.”
The rowing season runs year-round, with the head season (a time-trial competition) in the fall, the sprint season (shorter than the fall season, but by no means any less challenging) in the spring, and indoor facility and dry-land training through the winter months. The Spencerport Rowing Club hopes to feature school age athletes from eighth grade an up and will compete at a varsity level against other high school teams in races hosted by New York State Rowing Association, though not scholastically because it will be a conglomeration of more than one school. The Club will begin its journey with an 8-man eight man boat that was donated from the Pittsford Crew team.
The Spencerport Rowing Club (SRC) will host an informational booth this weekend at Spencerport Canal Days, with supporters on-hand to answer questions about regarding the sport and the newly formed team. The club’s weekend will culminate with an event on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Spencerport Canal Museum, where two athletes from each of the five high school rowing programs in the Rochester area will be on hand to welcome the SRC to the ranks.
Members of the McQuaid, Brighton, Mercy, Pittsford and Fairport high school rowing teams will be on hand alongside club organizers Sunday afternoon to welcome SRC into the rowing community, share stories and answer any questions young athletes or their parents may have about the sport. Along with hosting the weekend-long booth and the event on Sunday, SRC will also offer a series of upcoming informational meetings and programs for those interested in joining a rowing club on Monroe County’s west side.
“This weekend will provide an opportunity to get the word out to the community that we are looking for athletes and supporters to help us build a rowing club on the west side of the Rochester,” said head organizer John Bernfield. “We are looking forward to this weekend and we are grateful to the athletes and clubs who have offered their time and efforts in welcoming us.”
The weekend events follow a recent meeting at the Ogden Recreational Center, where a number of positive inquires regarding a new club on the west side were received. A spike in interest could come again in the coming weeks thanks to the 2012 Olympic Games, where Pittsford Crew alumnus Henrik Rummel will compete on the United States Men’s Four boat team.
“It is wonderful to see a local athlete represent our country at the Olympics,” said Deb Adams, who is assisting with organization of the SRC. “It demonstrates to young athletes that it is possible to achieve even the highest goals, in rowing as well or anywhere.”
The rowing season runs year-round, with the head season (a time-trial competition) in the fall, the sprint season (shorter than the fall season, but by no means any less challenging) in the spring, and indoor facility and dry-land training through the winter months. The Spencerport Rowing Club hopes to feature school age athletes from eighth grade an up and will compete at a varsity level against other high school teams in races hosted by New York State Rowing Association, though not scholastically because it will be a conglomeration of more than one school. The Club will begin its journey with an 8-man eight man boat that was donated from the Pittsford Crew team.
“The goal is to get kids rowing,” added Bernfield. “Hopefully we can answer any questions people may have about the sport, and in turn get them involved with the club. A club’s success is driven by both athlete involvement and parent support.”
The 10 athletes who will be representing the other five rowing clubs in the Rochester area recently gathered to display their own club’s colors as a welcome sign to the SRC. Along with a display of club colors each athlete wore the race medal that was most memorable to them, representing the tribulations they overcame and the triumphs they have achieved.
For Pittsford senior Alec Plotkin the gold medal he wore was the first he earned, and it reminded him of the race (the Novice +4 at the 2009 Pittsford Regatta) that helped give him confidence in his rowing career.
“We raced hard and we raced well,” said Plotkin, “and when we crossed the finish line it signified that I had won the last race of my Novice season. It felt good to move up to varsity with such a hard earned win under my belt. It also set the tone for the rest of my varsity career: even if I lose one race, I can still bounce back and fight for the gold again.”
Ellie Perry (also a member of Pittsford Crew) wore a silver medal from the Pittsford Regatta, reminding her of a race when her team overcame adversity by banning together.
“In the last regatta of the season we were shocked to find that we had been entered in the Lightweight 4+ category as a ‘C’ boat, behind two other Pittsford Lightweight 4+ teams that were actually the Lightweight 8+ team split in half,” said Perry. “After winning our first heat we moved on to the semifinals against what had been labeled as Pittsford’s ‘B’ Lightweight 4+ team. Out of the starting gate they were ahead, but my boat mates and I all knew we had gone through too much together to give up. Inch by inch we moved up on the other boat until at the finish line we came out a length and a half ahead. The greatest part about rowing is not always winning a gold medal, but more often the opportunity it gives you to exceed expectations and go beyond the limits while forming a bond with a group of people that makes you greater together than you are as individuals.”
Brighton Crew Club member Michaela Cutt was also on hand to welcome the SRC, toting a medal that reminded her of overcoming adversity in the middle of a race at this year’s state tournament.
“During the race we had many problems, but we still came out winners,” said Cutt. “I caught four crabs on my starboard side and one on my port side (a ‘crab’ referrers to when a rower is untimely removing his or her oar blade from the water, resulting in the blade acting as a brake on the boat until it is removed, or in extreme cases causing the boat to capsize), with one of the crabs pinching my pinky finger and breaking it. Even with all the problems we came out on top and I will never forget this race.”
Along with the events this weekend the Spencerport Rowing Club his hold a four day program running July 30 through August 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Pittsford Indoor Rowing Center. Attendees will get a hands-on rowing experience at the indoor rowing tank with experienced instructors. The event is open to people of all ages at a cost of $60 with preregistration required. That program will be followed by an informational meeting on September 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ogden Recreational Center, to which all high school athletes on the west side of Monroe County and their parents are invited to attend. For questions about the Spencerport Rowing Club, stop by the booth this weekend!
