By Harlan Trevithick, Middle School Program Director, Queens
“How was your day?”
“I FEEL LIKE A CHAMPION!” exclaimed one of our middle school Queens rowers on the way back from a visit with the US National Rowing Team on Wednesday, August 7, 2013. After less than two hours with the team, this rower was dreaming of success.
Two days ago, Row New York Queens Middle School and Manhattan Middle School joined forces at Princeton University’s boathouse in Princeton, NJ. As I greeted and thanked our hosts, US Women’s National Team Head Coach Tom Terhaar and Assistant Coach Laurel Korholz, approximately 30 young rowers, boys and girls from the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, waited eagerly in anticipation. After a year or two discovering rowing, our 12 to 14-year-old rowers were about to meet World Champions, Olympians, and Olympic Gold Medalists in their sport.
After a warm welcome from both coaches, Taylor Goetzinger, my friend from Cornell University and a very new member of the Senior National Team in the women’s pair, ushered us to a green space to meet the team.
After a short introduction, the teams joined together to start the session:
We first played 2 truths and a lie. In four groups of RNY rowers and US athletes, the rowers shared two true things about themselves and one lie, leaving it up to the group to decide which was the lie.
Then it was Tour time! In two groups, the National Team Athletes lead us around the Princeton boathouse, telling the girls and boys about the history of their sport and showing them the erg room, locker room, weight room, and tank room!
After the tour of the Princeton boathouse, Olympic Bronze Medalist Kara Kohler jumped into the tanks with the rowers, sitting behind soon-to-be novice rower, Zanaia Brown. Kara excitedly rowed in unison with our girls and gave Zanaia a few pointers on her form!
After practicing in the tanks, the tour included a Panel and Q&A. The middle schoolers sat quietly and listened to the advice from the National Team, which, to name a few, included Olympic Gold Medalists, Ester Lofgren, Susan Francia, and Meghan Musnicki. The RNY boys and girls asked excellent and thoughtful questions that had the athletes reflecting on their first times in a boat, their training regimen, their race strategy, nutrition, inspiration, and a future in rowing.
After just over an hour, our time with the National Team drew to a close. The room was full of champions in the making: the National Team, eager to become World Champions yet again next week in South Korea, passing along their knowledge to future champions in this sport.As a thank you, we provided the team with Row New York t-shirts and hats!
Following the visit, the girls and boys took a tour of Princeton’s campus led by Princeton’s Lightweight Women’s Coach, Hank Zimmerman.
Quotes from RNY’s Middle School on the day:
“Rowing has been the best thing that has happened to me. I am very glad I got to meet you, especially in person because it makes me feel very fortunate. When I see one of you guys, it makes me visualize myself in a boat, rowing with the Olympic Team. I would never give up on rowing, because when I saw all of you, it became my passion.” Jose
“It was a really cool experience to touch and see an Olympic medal. It’s nothing of what I expected! I learned that you guys train really hard and dedicate everything to this sport, rowing. It will take a really long time to get to the place where you guys are, but with dedication, patience, and hard work, I think I can get there too. You guys are inspirational and role-models. Keep on doing what you do.” Yaira
“I want to say thank you for giving me motivation. Before I met you guys I would just give up on running, and I didn’t even want to row that much. You guys talked about motivation and what gave it and how it got you those trophies. It got me thinking, you’re only here for once in your life, make the best of what you can do. What I am saying is that I am going to try running without stopping and I am going to try and row every single day instead of wanting to go in the coach boat.” Joe
“Yesterday was literally one of the most exciting days I have ever had, and I wanted to thank you for taking some time from your day to meet with us. Meeting you really lightened my day, and was definitely one of the days, or better yet, the only day I have ever smiled so much and so hard. You are my role-models….when you all began to speak about your training, it made me realize how much you work and that what we do to train is not even a small portion of your training. With that, I am never going to complain about the way we work out. Thank you for yesterday, and when I tell you it was the best day ever, believe me. I appreciate you in many ways and appreciate the time you took out of your day for us.” Amayda
Thank you to all the members of the National Team, Coach Terhaar, Erika Long, and Hank Zimmerman for helping me put this wonderful visit together!
