Rowing in the main stream

A few years back I was sitting in the coaching office at the University of Puget Sound reviewing notes from practices and catching up on some shop talk with the head coach. She showed me this letter she'd received from a potential recruit that outlined a rather impressive prep career and included a video compilation of her rowing. We shared a good laugh at how incredible it would be to land such an athlete but how unlikely it would be considering her accomplishments.

Today while killing some time before practice - it's a beautiful Friday for a change - I found a few clips of commercial rowing. Back when I was in college and a freshmen on the team a few of us plopped down on a couch and watched the movie "The Skulls" and laughed at the rowing segment critiquing it like the know-it-alls we weren't.

Rowing in America isn't your glamor sport. There isn't a league salivating as your graduation date approaches, encouraging you to leave school early. Rowing is a big time sport with a minor league budget. I used to be amused at those outside the rowing world attempting to use my sport as a means of conveyance for their message or product. Now, a few years older, a little wiser I'm glad that there are rowing commercials and ads and attention being paid to this sport in non Olympic years.

Link to the video.