Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2008
Navesink River Rowing
“Reach Out and Row” Program
Brings the River and Dreams to Red Bank Youth
Little Silver: “The Navesink River is such
a beautiful river and such an asset to have in our backyard, yet many
kids from Red Bank have never been on the river nor do they have access
to it,” states Navesink River Rowing (NRR) president, Kay Vilardi.
It was that reality that motivated the club
to offer a scholarship this year to young people from Red Bank who would
otherwise not experience the beauty of the river and the benefits of
rowing.
Navesink River Rowing, founded
25 years ago, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the
public about the joys of rowing. It currently enjoys a pristine
operating location on the Navesink River in Red Bank at the foot of
Maple Avenue. First the Hovnanian Corporation and now the Navesink House
have allowed NRR to keep its boats and storage shed on their property
for free. In return, the club provides a valuable community service. It
offers affordable boating equipment and river access to its members who
wish to enjoy the river and the sport of rowing. It also operates
several youth classes (ages 14 to 18) over the summer in beginner,
intermediate and advance instruction for a very reasonable tuition.
Costs are contained because most club functions are performed on a
volunteer basis by members.
Teenagers from all over Monmouth County have
taken advantage of the program and many have graduated to membership in
the competitive youth rowing club which travels to regional regatta
competitions. Several members have gained admittance to Ivy League and
other very competitive schools aided by the sport of rowing. As
reasonable as fees are, the membership of the club realized it was still
out of reach for many families, including those that lived right in the
Red Bank community. Therefore, this past summer the Reach Out and Row
(ROAR) scholarship program was started with proceeds from a fundraising
effort. Its purpose, according to NRR member Trish Crosby, was to
introduce rowing to teenagers in the local community so they might
benefit from the increased levels of physical fitness, confidence,
self-respect and goal setting that rowing engenders.
Mrs. Vilardi adds, “This was our
first year operating ROAR. So we had to keep it small and we initially
offered three scholarships to eligible students. The criteria included
that applicants be Red Bank residents, could swim, and had parental
permission and transportation to and from the program. Applicants also
had to be committed to finishing the program with 100% attendance.”
Three RBR students accepted the scholarships
and attended the five-morning a week novice program for two weeks during
the summer. One of the students, Jamar Barry was so enamored of the
program he progressed to the intermediate and advanced program
encompassing five weeks of his summer. Most notably, Jamar also
succeeded in making the junior boys rowing team this fall—an outstanding
accomplishment. He now has an opportunity to compete in the regattas in
which the club participates.
Red Bank resident David Prown, whose son
Joshua is a coach at NRR, had assisted NRR in their search for
scholarship candidates.
He comments, “Jamar just took to the
program. I think he likes the discipline, the structure and the physical
part of the sport as well as its teamwork aspect. He also really enjoyed
meeting kids from all over the county.”
Jamar was immediately enthused with the
sport and explains, “When I first used the erg machines there was just
something about it that excited me. I wasn’t really in it for the
scholarship, I just loved it!”
Once he started the program Jamar credits
his coach Max Kenny-Little for noticing his talent and drive and
encouraging him to try out for the team. Jamar didn’t believe he had a
great shot at making the team. When he got the phone call that he did,
he was absolutely ecstatic.
Jamar admits that when he first took his
place in the boat of four teammates he was shy and didn’t say much,
which is understandable as the only African American on the team. Now he
converses enthusiastically with the other kids and is making strong
friendships. He also sees a difference in the way he approaches school
this year as he participates in new activities like the FBLA (Future
Business Leaders of America) club. He also is a member of BACA (Black
American Cultural Association) and Yachievers (at the YMCA). He is very
serious about college and is hoping his rowing experience will also help
him stand out in the very competitive college application process.
Jamar recognizes that rowing has also
presented him with other benefits, as Jamar describes, “It has given me
valuable life lessons. I know that rowing could be a key to college, but
it also helps organize me and gives me confidence. I am more vocal now
and more interested in joining clubs at school and doing things in my
community. It might sound corny but every stroke I take with the oar is
like a stroke of my life.”
In its debut year, it appears that the NRR
ROAR program achieved exactly what it set out to do, at least for one
young man in discovering new dreams.
(left) Coach Max
Kenny-Little works with Jamar Barry during the NRR summer youth program
which inspired and prepared him to try out and make the NRR junior
rowing team. (Right) Jamar rows with his teammates on the Navesink
River.
NRR YOUTH ARE INCREDIBLE!
Excerpt from press
release by Trish Crosby:
Three Medals for
Navesink River
Rowing
Navesink River
Rowing made an impressive showing at the Cooper Cup Regatta on Sunday
April 29, 2007 at the Cooper River in Camden, NJ. Both high-school and
masters boats participated, bringing home the hardware in three out of
five events entered.
The Jr. Women’s Varsity Double of Kathryn
Lowry and Emily Crosby won the County Commissioners Cup for their first
place finish. This represents their fourth consecutive gold medal.
Taking home silver for the club was the
Jr. Women’s Varsity Quad of Brianna Malone, Anne Gurevich, Kate Rennie,
and Laura Grosso, who won their qualifying heat easily and stroked to a
second place finish in the final. Coaches Mark Malone and Bill Scholtz
showed their young athletes how to get the job done, placing second in the
Men’s Masters Double, just 5.14 seconds behind the gold medalists.
The Men’s Varsity Quad of Sean Malone,
Max Kenny-Little, Greg Charte, and Ian Bamberger advanced in their
morning heat, and stroked to a fifth place finish in the afternoon final.
Stiff winds and choppy waters made for challenging conditions for the
Women’s Junior Varsity Quad of Dominique Blount, Christina Bennett, Rachel
Waylett, and Anna Gurevich, who placed fourth in their afternoon final.
Next up for the Navesink River Rowing
juniors is the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, slated for
Lake Quinsigimond in Worcester, Massachusetts on May 20th.
The NRR 2006
Season Racing Wrap-up by Bill Scholtz:
-
Last year Navesink entered
65 boats in 16 Regattas (two regattas on rowing machines). If the Head
of the Schuylkill had not been canceled we would have entered 79 boats
in 17 regattas. We had planned on having 48 people rowing in 14 boats
at the Head of the Schuylkill. It would have been a Navesink record.
-
In the 2005 Head of the
Schuylkill, the 2nd most prestigious head race in the country, Kathryn
and Shauna came in 1st out of 20 boats in the girls' High School Double.
-
This year we had people
racing with ages from 14 to 70, at least 5 people over the age of 60. I
personally, at the age of 49, entered 9 regattas.
-
Of the 65 entries this
year we had 15 1st places.
-
Regattas entered included
the Junior Nationals, Master's (age 27 and up) Nationals, and the FISA
World Master's Regatta.
-
Kathryn and Emily came in
4th in the Junior National Championships.
-
Kathryn went on to the
Junior Development camp. There are two development camps, one for
Sophomores and one for Juniors. They both take only the 24 best rowers
in the country. Kathryn was one of the top rowers of the 24 in the
Sophomore camp.
-
Last year Shauna got into
Penn with help from her rowing abilities (Ivy League Schools are not
allowed to offer athletic scholastics). She was offered full
scholarships at several other schools. In her Freshman year, she has
done very well on Penn's 1st Freshman boat.
-
This year Emily was offered
a place at Notre Dame with help from her rowing abilities. See the
link. Notre Dame is very excited to get Emily, as they should be.
-
Many kids have gone on to
row in college.
