Row New York marked a historic first last month as we added boys to our seasonal tryouts. In late September, our staff decamped to George Washington High School in northern Manhattan to find new rowers. This recruitment effort connected to our Harlem River expansion and the teams these tryouts filled now call the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse home.
Tryouts at the George Washington campus drew a steady stream of middle school and high school students. Each hopeful interviewed with our staff, got measured at the catch and finish on an erg machine, and received a lesson in the basics of the stroke from our coaches. Turnout was high, with students already lined up before starting time and continuing to arrive almost until the tryouts’ conclusion. Parents, or groups of friends, followed many of the students into the gymnasium hosting our staff and equipment. The desire to join the team was evident on nearly every face the staff interviewed.
Our rowing candidates came predominantly from the under-resourced neighborhoods we target. Credit for this, and for the healthy turnout, goes to Row New York’s staff. The staff spent the previous months fanning out across Manhattan and the Bronx to public schools, meeting with educators and classes, spreading the word about the opportunities rowing promises to young people.
In Queens, the action was similar but more familiar. Our Queens programming remains all female. Once again, the Flushing branch of the YMCA hosted our tryouts. Scores of middle and high school girls turned out aiming for a spot on our teams. We were pleased to be on our home turf, offering a chance at empowerment for girls around Queens.
For the new team members drawn from hundreds of hopefuls in both Queens and Manhattan, a bright future will grow into focus each day this fall as they hone their abilities on the water. Thank you to our partners at the YMCA and the New York City Education Department for assisting our tryout efforts.
