Rowers compete at youth nationals

Minnesota is known for its lakes and rivers, and here in the Twin Cities, people are very familiar with the bodies of water in the area. But there are some who are more familiar with these lakes and rivers than you might imagine. There are people of all ages out on the water every day to practice rowing.

Some people may never have heard of rowing, but this sport has continued to draw more and more members of the Twin Cities community in, and the expansion of this sport over the years is no surprise.

Rowing is a highly competitive sport, but also a strongly community-based environment perfect for young athletes. For some, rowing comes as a third or fourth sport after years of being an athlete, and for others rowing is a first step into the world of athletics, but for all rowing is an opportunity to connect with community members, stay fit, create lasting memories, and experience the beauty of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers.

This year, a number of young athletes made sure Minnesota was very well represented at the US Rowing Youth Nationals Championship. Clubs qualified boats at Midwest Regionals and in early June, sent young rowers to Sarasota, Florida to compete against rowing clubs from all over the country.

Clubs that qualified boats were Cimarron RC, Lake Phalen RC, Long Lake RC, Rochester RC, and Twin Cities Youth RC.

Youth spent their week in Florida racing at Nathan Benderson Park, meeting up with college coaches, creating and strengthening bonds with fellow rowers, learning how to handle the Florida heat, and even spending time on homework, as some of these athletes were missing their last week of school.

As a rower for Minneapolis Rowing Club and for Cimarron Rowing Club, I was able to experience Youth Rowing Nationals firsthand after qualifying in the 2nd Varsity Quad. Being able to race with so many incredibly talented athletes was incredible, and the atmosphere that came with days of competing was unlike any other.

However, on top of the competitive aspect of this event, this was an amazing opportunity to really bond with other young Minnesota rowers.

The national qualifying rowers for Cimarron and Long Lake shared equipment and guidance throughout the journey and through that were able to spend lots of time together. This meant being able to form much more personal connections through this shared experience, cheering each other on because of our mutual support of one another, and even having a beach day together due to our growing friendships.

Overall, the week-long trip was an overwhelmingly positive experience, both because of the friendships and because of the competitive racing.

For Cimarron Rowing Club, one boat competed in the B Final for the event, two boats in the C Final, and one in the D Final, and some of these athletes had been rowing for only a few months!

In addition to Nationals at the end of the spring season, many clubs continue to attend regattas throughout the summer and fall, a number of these Twin Cities-based clubs racing internationally with a number of races being in Canada. The travel aspect of this sport is very beneficial to the team environment, where rowers create lifelong friendships among teammates, as well as with rowers from other clubs.

If interested in trying out this wonderful sport, many of these clubs have “Learn to Row” programs and are always open to new members.

More information about rowing in the Twin Cities area can be found at the following websites:
• mrc.clubexpress.com
• www.tcyrc.org 
• longlakerowing.org
• lakephalenrowing.com
• minnesotaboatclub.org
• nscrmn.org
We hope to see you on the water soon!
Siri Strom is a senior at Central High School, and south Minneapolis resident.