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Now that their feet are wet, county rowers on upswing

By KELLIE DIXON
Published March 29, 2007

INVERNESS - The crew members rowed deliberately during their warmups at Lake Henderson on Monday.

With every dip of their oars, the rowers concentrated on their breathing and posture. Every detail matters in rowing.

But watching from his spot on the shore, coach Ward Cooper focused on something else. The fact that the Rowing Organization of Citrus County Students is heading in a positive direction.

"We couldn't put eight men in a shell last year," Cooper said, gesturing toward the rowers. "But we've got eight in there now."

The organization puts eight people in a shell or boat just for practice; it uses four people in a shell for meets. There's the boys varsity four, girls varsity four, boys freshmen four and girls lightweight four, for example. The teams will row April 7 at Lake Henderson in a friendly Inverness Tri-Regatta.

Everything is looking up for the organization that draws students from all over the county. Membership has doubled to around 30 thanks to a summer camp and word of mouth.

The rowers are stronger through their hard work and smarter because of exposure to the sport. It helps that their coaches got their Level 2 instructor certification from the U.S. Rowing Coaches Clinic last summer. College coaches are ranked Level 3. Cooper even went to the Naval Academy camp to pick up some pointers.

But coach Dave Brown credited the bulk of the program's success, especially at meets, to his rowers.

"We had some dedicated kids last year, but this year the whole attitude of being dedicated and really working hard is different," Brown said. "We were trying to foster that last year. That's finally starting to work this year."

The teams' times are faster. Instead of being last in the pack, the crew members are hanging with the leaders and even medaling in their heats. For instance, the boys freshmen four picked up a silver and the girls novice four won bronze at the Novice Regatta this year.

Their land workouts also have improved. Running times and times on the rowing machines are faster. And the crew members are quick to cheer on each other.

"There's more an attitude of let's get out there, let's get this done and wanting to do more," Brown said.

"Now they're right in there and having a chance to medal and actually win. They're more excited. They're proud of themselves. And they should be."

It's the result of the crew members' hard work plus new programs instilled by the coaches. This past fall, ROCCS participated in 3-mile endurance type races vs. the 1,500-meter sprints they do in the spring meets.

Brown encouraged the rowers during their land workouts Monday. The rowers gracefully zipped back and forth on the rowing machines. Even there, posture and breathing matters.

"Everything is pointing in a positive direction," Cooper said. "Things are going really well."

Kellie Dixon can be reached at kdixon@sptimes.com or (352) 544-9480.

Fast Facts:

Go watch

April 7 at Lake Henderson, the 1,500-meter Tri-regatta, 8 a.m.-noon

For more information,

Visit:

http://www.crewroccs.com

[Last modified March 28, 2007, 20:34:44]