Row New York’s spring 2009 CHAMPS Program, conducted in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation, provided 10 weeks of learn-to-row, water safety, and team-building activities for girls from four middle schools in Brooklyn and Queens. The program culminated on June 10th with a CHAMPS Regatta, which brought students and families out to the Meadow Lake Boathouse and pitted MS 53 against the Scholars Academy in a best-of-three barge race. All three races were extremely close: Scholars Academy took the first, MS 53 took the second, and Scholars took the third by less than half a length. The team from MS 53 received silver medals and the Scholars Academy team received gold medals and the 2009 Row New York CHAMPS trophy to display at their school.
Eight students from Junior High School 185 in Queens also attended the Row New York CHAMPS festivities. After completing 10 weeks of learn-to-row activities, these girls had their first experience of getting in a real rowing shell and taking their first few strokes, with the guidance of Row New York’s competitive rowers. They looked strong and confident in the boat, and we are looking forward to seeing them at the tryouts for our competitive team in the fall.
Special thanks to Kathy Walker from the CHAMPS Program and Ben Nisbet from the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation for their support of Row New York CHAMPS and for joining us at the Regatta.
