According to White Rock Rowing Board Member Alex Winslow,
‘If Boston is the wise old grandfather of rowing, we can start considering Dallas the newborn grandbaby. And White Rock Rowing is sending out all the announcement invitations.
“’We have all the ingredients to make Dallas the next big rowing hub,’ says White Rock Rowing President Sue Ellen Chambers. ‘We have a beautiful lake, the biggest boathouse in the entire state, two of the best coaches in the country, and an incredible pool of athletes.’
“White Rock Rowing is a 501(c)3 nonprofit club that partners closely with the City of Dallas and Dallas Parks And Recreation Department to introduce Dallasites to this exceptional sport via its master’s program for adult rowers, its adaptive program for disabled individuals, and its life-changing youth program.
“For many Dallas youth, sports is the pathway to attend and afford college via scholarships. So, when new head coaches Chris Leonard and Annie Couwenhoven – a newlywed powerhouse couple from the rowing-centric Northeast – took over coaching at White Rock Rowing last year, they had one goal in mind: ‘We’re going to build a bridge for Dallas youth to attend the best colleges in the U.S. by making White Rock Lake a gold mine for recruiters.’
“It makes even more sense when you learn rowing is the No. 1 recruited collegiate sport in the U.S. right now.
“The dynamic coaching duo quickly redefined competition for the rowing club, achieving the only National Youth Championship trophy (2021) in the entire central rowing region and making Dallas history by placing the first ever 8-person boat in the finals (2022) at Youth Nationals.
“The dynamic coaching duo quickly redefined competition for the rowing club, achieving the only National Youth Championship trophy (2021) in the entire central rowing region and making Dallas history by placing the first ever 8-person boat in the finals (2022) at Youth Nationals.
“This year, White Rock Rowing is creating a brand-new regatta series, the likes of which Dallas has never seen before.
“’This 2022 Fall Regatta series will draw in some of the most competitive teams from across the country, key college recruiters, and hopefully, most of all, it will be a call for our local community to come watch how amazing these youth athletes are. We want parents and kids from around the metroplex to know rowing teaches some of the most valuable life lessons, and it can open doors for students’ futures. It’s not something you can describe really – you have to see it in action. It’s beautiful because the sport is all about perseverance, discipline, teamwork and humility.’
“The new Fall Regatta series will take a lot to put together – bringing in officials from U.S. Rowing, purchasing much-needed launch boats, creating the medals and trophies for winners, staffing medical personnel and safety officials for safety precautions, and building another dock won’t come cheap. But these are the birthing pains of creating a rowing hub, and the club isn’t wholly unfamiliar with what it takes.
“’We know what goes into hosting a large Regatta. We brought the Texas State Championships to Dallas for the first time ever this year, and we saw a huge turnout in support both from the community and from our partners at the City of Dallas, Dallas Sports Commission, Dallas Parks and Rec, and even Mayor Eric Johnson himself,’ said Chambers.
“White Rock Rowing’s youth program takes middle schoolers and high schoolers from all socioeconomic backgrounds, providing financial aid for those who apply for assistance with the sport’s fees. The club also partners with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dallas during summer camps to introduce local youth to a sport that could change their future forever. Find out how you can support the nonprofit’s youth program, or specifically the new 2022 Fall Regatta series on White Rock Lake, by contacting the nonprofit’s leadership at info@whiterockrowing.org.”
* Graphic/photo provided by White Rock Rowing
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