Dear Members,

In past newsletters, I have addressed a few topics related to the relevancy of our sport. For the most part, the American masses do not share our excitement and passion for rowing. Many people have never tried rowing or understand it, and some believe the sport to be elitist and closed. Opportunities to showcase rowing in the media are limited. Costs are high. Waterway usage is competitive.

My question to colleagues, which includes all American rowers, is what can be done? How do we elevate the sport? How do we popularize it? What other sports can we look to as models? And what happens if we take no action?

I will begin with worst-case repercussions if we remain status quo and do nothing. Here are some possibilities.

1. Waterway access and use will become more restricted, with rowers being forced out of some areas entirely.
2. Due to high cost and low return in the media, rowing will be dropped from the Olympic schedule.
3. Collegiate programs will increasingly drop men’s rowing from varsity to club status and perhaps re-think women’s programs as well.
4. Corporate and foundation funding opportunities will diminish.

These are, of course, doom-and-gloom possibilities, but perhaps not too far fetched. In the past year, there have been discussions about what the future of rowing at the Olympic Games looks like. Increasingly, I receive calls about clubs being pushed off of lakes and rivers by recreational watercraft and fishing groups. The IRA regatta is making changes that reflect a shift in attitude among some athletic departments regarding men’s rowing.

So then, how do we energize rowing and popularize it? I don't have all of the answers, but here are some things we have begun at USRowing in the past year.

• In 2007 through a partnership with Oklahoma City and the Chesapeake Boathouse, we hosted our first international sprint regatta. We hope the event will continue and help generate buzz for the sport in a developing region, as well as on a national platform.
• During the past year, the new media center has launched the series “A Day in the Life of …”, which features our athletes in an attempt to make them more visible and recognizable. This has drawn interest from several media partners who are seeking to showcase Olympic sport.
• USRowing has entered into a new partnership with the United States Olympic Committee to provide a conduit to the American people via Web and broadcast media.
• NBC has created a promo spot for its Olympic coverage that features rowing.
• We have renewed our vigor and support for National Learn to Row Day, providing materials to help our clubs promote a national movement for rowing.
• We have created a task force to consider the issues of access, affordability and diversity.

Of all the things we can do as an association, perhaps the one with the greatest opportunity to affect our national profile is to make the sport more diverse. Alone, this may make rowing part of the fabric of U.S. sport, dispel the myth of elitism and open the doors to corporate support both locally and nationally. As the first step to address diversity in rowing, we created a task force led by Robert Kidd, USRowing board member and rower from Oakland, Calif., in 2006.

The task force is comprised of individuals who pioneered programs that focus on youth in various cities and are helping to form our direction. The group will host its second national workshop this February in Philadelphia. With so many of our clubs located in urban areas, we should all consider broadening the reach of rowing.

For more information, please click here.

What other steps can be taken at the grassroots level? Here are a few common sense ideas off the top of my head.

• Get involved with other waterway users and governance groups in your hometown such as fishing and boating clubs, DNR and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Help to positively shape their image of the sport and build a network of volunteers and political supporters.
• Get to know your local newspaper and television sports people. Invite them to social functions and practices, not just your key events.
• Create a strategy to promote local learn to row days. Invite your local city council, mayor’s office, police and marine patrols, and Lyons, Elks, Kiwanis and Rotary groups to participate at reduced or free rates.
• Make use of local cable network stations to show rowing video from your club and accent how people can become involved.
• Promote your club through Web video, podcasts and youtube content.
• Many restaurants use placemats that offer free advertising for non-profits. It's a good way to capture interest inexpensively.
• Link your Web site to USRowing.org. We offer rowing clips, information about the sport and other resources to the public online.

We can all have a profound impact on the sport just by telling the story of how we became involved, and why we believe it's the best sport out there. Join me in taking steps to ensure rowing continues to grow and thrive for the next generation.

Regards,

Glenn Merry
USRowing Executive Director