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On March 26th and 27th, HP Crew, rowing with Dallas United Crew, traveled to sunny San Diego, California  to race top West Coast crews. After a two-year hiatus, the San Diego Crew Classic returned to Mission Bay as ninety-nine juniors, collegiate and masters clubs raced at this, the traditional start of USRowing’s sprint season. From floating starting docks near Sea World, crews sprinted 2,000 meters north, to Crown Point Park where crowds cheered from sandy beaches strewn with festival tents and palm trees.

DUC showed the strength and depth of its program with more than sixty-three athletes competing and top ten finishes in three powerhouse events, including the Women’s Varsity Eight, the Men’s Under 17 Eight, and the Men’s Junior Varsity Eight. 

Seniors Ellie Rodriguez and Aby Fowler, recruited to the University of Texas and Southern Methodist University, respectively, led DUC’s Varsity Women. In Heat 1 of the Gilman-Mulliken Cup, DUC’s crew edged out regional rival Texas Rowing Center to take fourth place, just three tenths of a second off Long Beach Junior Crew in third. In the second Final, the DUC women poured on the power to take third, with an overall ranking of ninth. 

Competing for the Shimano Rowing Dynamics Cup, DUC’s U17 Men took first in the second final with a blistering ten-second lead over their closest competitor, finishing seventh overall. 

In the heats for the Men’s Junior Varsity (JV) event, the Jean Jessop Hervey Cup, DUC’s crew walked from behind to challenge Sammamish Rowing for third within 250 meters of the finish. Then, a misplaced blade in choppy water decimated the rhythm of the crew, landing DUC in fifth place. Showing their resilience and cohesion, the DUC JV men raced a razor-straight line through crosswinds and tidal flows to take third place in the second final and tenth overall.

DUC’s Varsity Men, racing in the San Diego Rowing Cup event, took fourth in their heat to earn a place in the second final. While Orlando Area Rowing Society (OARS) emerged as the clear leader, the competition was neck and neck among the other crews. Ultimately, DUC’s men missed placing in the top four in the heat, and top ten overall, by 1 second as they were edged out by Capital Crew.

"I was very proud of the teamwork and genuine camaraderie our crews are showing. Each boat fought very hard in their racing and demonstrated some very impressive poise," reflects Girls Head Coach, Amanda Perry.

With over one hundred athletes from more than 40 secondary schools, Dallas United Crew is the vanguard of competitive youth rowing in Dallas. DUC serves youth rowers ages 11 to 18. DUC invites those who would like to try rowing to DUC’s Summer Camps, which are open for registration. In these four-day camps, teens will have a chance to get hands-on with a boat, learn about equipment, the basics of the stroke, and why “there is nothing like the start of an eight.” Learn more at DallasUnitedCrew.org.

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Ten weeks of 2022 have passed. New Year’s resolutions have become habits – or not, and bathing suit season is just around the corner. So, it’s a good time to either reward yourself for setting and meeting goals, or take a hard look at reasons you don’t exercise and come up with another plan. 

 

If yours is the latter case, you’re not alone. According to the Heart Foundation, only five percent  of adults in the U.S. exercise the prescribed 30 minutes a day. Rather than return to the scene of past, failed regimens, consider a change of scene – one that addresses the reasons why you do not exercise regularly. Dallas United Crew (DUC), a non-profit offering rowing at White Rock Lake, has an adult program that sweeps away the most common excuses.

 

Physical fitness and physical literacy may be the most common barriers to exercise. The good news is the basics of rowing are easily learned, and intensity can be graduated to match your fitness level. Speed in a rowing shell comes from technique and power in each stroke, not quickness or agility. Anyone who has successfully ridden a bike or used common exercise equipment, like a step machine can readily row. Those with joint pain or injury will be pleased to learn that rowing does not involve the impact of running, nor the side-to-side cutting motions of court and field sports. In rowing, you can build leg strength without agitating old injuries.

Joining DUC’s adult rowing program, known as DUC Masters, can change how you feel about exercising, too. Gone are the boredom and isolation of endless repetitions on an exercise machine. Crews consist of eight rowers and a coxswain, so rowing comes with a built-in social group. “The team encourages each other, and there is a soft expectation about attendance. We can’t row unless everyone is here, and to get faster we need to practice together,” reflects DUC President and rower, David Slear. “Once you feel it all come together, you’re hooked, and you want to be there.”

Like to win? Rowing gives you both individual and team goals. DUC’s training includes indoor rowing, which can measure individual speed and distance. Over time, the dedicated will see performance gains. Crews celebrate each P.R. because it means a faster team boat. DUC Masters crews race competitively, too. DUC regional regattas and as far away as San Diego and Boston.

Sunrises on White Rock Lake are another way rowing can change how you feel about exercise. Sunrise light is devoid of ultraviolet light (UV), but saturated with infrared light, which stimulates collagen and increases healing. About an hour after sunrise, UVA light enters the mix, triggering the production of serotonin and dopamine and releasing endorphins. The end result? You feel good.

A fresh group of beginning DUC Masters will start learning to row this Monday, March 21st at 417 East Lawther Drive. Visit www.DallasUnitedCrew.org to learn more.

 

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This past weekend, Dallas United Crew (DUC) concluded a successful American Youth Cup Series 1 (AYC1) Regatta at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL. The venue will once again host USRowing’s Youth National Championship, and the AYC1 offers crews familiarity with the course and a chance to face top-ranked teams.

AYC1 was DUC’s first regatta of 2022. Thirty-three clubs participated with over four hundred fifty entries. Top-ten crews from the  2021 USRowing Youth National Championships, including Greenwich Crew and St. Joseph Preparatory School of Philadelphia, PA (gold medalists in the Girls and Boys Varsity Eights, respectively), Sarasota Crew and Chicago Rowing Foundation set the standard for speed. Of the sixteen boats DUC entered, five crews finished amongst the top six boats in their event, and ten of DUC’s entries placed in the top ten.

 

"We now have a much better sense of where we are, and where we want to be,” reflects Girls Head Coach Amanda Perry. “Watching our crews, I could see nerves and jitters prior to the first race work out as the racing progressed, and their confidence grew. The Girls Varsity 8 was able to find a gel moment, and they learned the value of keeping their focus inside the shell with rhythm, rate, and ratio. The Girls Second Varsity 8, made of both under-seventeen (U17) and under-nineteen (U19) rowers from opposite practice times, was able to come together nicely and bring a lot of positive energy to the race, which definitely elevated the entire squad.”

Head Coach Steve Perry added "Overall, I was pleased with all of our DUC athletes. Everyone raced multiple times and demonstrated better results with each successive outing. I wanted to especially note our Boys and Girls U17 Eights who finished third and fourth, respectively, giving us our best results on the weekend."

DUC's next event will be the Heart of Texas Regatta in Austin, TX, on Sunday, February 27th. Selected under-fifteen (U15) and under-sixteen (U16) athletes will race in the Boys and Girls Novice Eights. The U17 and U19 crews will focus on the OKC Riversport Invitational on March 19th and San Diego Crew Classic March 25th through 27th .

Founded on the East and West Coasts, rowing is growing at 27% nationally and DUC is rowing’s vanguard in Dallas. For those wishing to try the sport, DUC’s popular Middle School Team is now registering for the spring season. High-schoolers and middle-schoolers are also invited to register for DUC’s just-opened and highly anticipated Learn-to-Row Youth Summer Camps. Space is limited, so register early.

With over 160 athletes from over 50 schools, Dallas United Crew is North Texas’s largest youth rowing program. The keys to their success are expert coaching, a strong team culture, and proven training. The results -– 22 USRowing Regional Titles and 61 collegiate varsity recruits -– are indisputable.

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In the coming weeks, Metroplex high school students will select their courses for the 2022-2023 academic year. Electives allow each student to tailor his or her high school experience, but graduation requires credit in a few key subjects. Language arts, math, social studies and science may reflexively come to mind, but let us not forget the favorite of some and bane of others – physical education. (P.E.)

For many, P.E. credit is a given, earned on the fields or courts of school athletics. For others, the path is less obvious. Sure, there’s the default: a year of calisthenics, dodge-ball, square-dancing, yoga, or whatever else has most recently captured the imagination of Coach. However, teens and parents should know that alternatives exist, including rowing with Dallas United Crew (DUC).

DUC’s high school program qualifies under the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Category I or Olympic standards, but don’t let that intimidate you. Most athletes come to DUC without any rowing experience, and DUC expertly crafts training for all fitness levels.  “Rowing requires a completely different skill set than most UIL sports,” offers DUC Program Director, Steve Perry.  “Some of our most accomplished rowers thought they were bad at sports before they found rowing. Now they compete for colleges nation-wide.”

Category I off-campus P.E. (OCPE) offers another popular bonus – a shorter school day. “Because kids are consistently training at the boathouse, they are excused from one period, usually at the end of the day,” says Perry. 

Organizations must be approved by school districts to offer OCPE, and DUC has actively sought certification. Dallas United Crew is an Approved Agency (certified) at Dallas, Richardson, Highland Park, Plano, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Frisco, and Carroll Independent School Districts. Many private schools also work with DUC to offer P.E. credit for rowing including Bishop Lynch High School, Shelton School, Parish Episcopal, and Trinity Christian Academy. “DUC rowers come from 27 different high schools. Once they understand what we do, most schools work with us because they see the enormous impact we can have for their students,” concludes Perry. Full details of OCPE programs are available on each school’s or district’s website.

With 22 regional titles, DUC has successfully shown teens that they can ditch the court and field, earn P.E. credit at the boathouse, and find belonging in athletics. For those interested in learning more about rowing in high school, DUC will host an information meeting on February 15th at 7:30. For details, visit DallasUnitedCrew.org.

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Regional Rivals Race Top 10 Crews

at White Rock Invite Regatta

 

On November 20th, Dallas rowing rivals Dallas United Crew (DUC), Jesuit Preparatory College, and White Rock Rowing faced off against visiting crew, Chicago Rowing Foundation (CRF). With exemplary results at USRowing’s 2021 Youth National Regatta, including three top 10 finishes in rowing’s fastest boats, Chicago elevated the competition for local crews.

 

Christening a temporarily installed seven-lane racecourse at White Rock Lake and coming off of head-race training, where crews row longer, 5,000-meter distances, the teams kicked off sprint training with 1,000-meter races -- half the distance that will decide the national championship. CRF brought only their top crews, while local clubs DUC, Jesuit and White Rock fielded multiple boats. Heats leveled the finals, sorting the fastest crews into head-to-head racing. CRF was the crew to beat, and they won each of the Varsity races, leaving local contenders to fight for second place; DUC answered the call.

 

Showing how they earned four, consecutive USRowing Central Region Eights titles, DUC’s Varsity Girls commanded seven-second leads over White Rock in both the eights and fours. 

 

The Varsity Boys races were hotly contested. In the eights, DUC followed CRF with a one-second lead over Jesuit and a time of 3:26 to Jesuit’s 3:27; White Rock was a distant 3:31.20.  Jesuit opted out of the fours event. White Rock is more competitive in the smaller boats. Vying for local bragging rights, it was neck-and-neck for DUC’s and White Rock’s top fours. They finished less than a second apart with DUC in the lead.

 

In the Junior Varsity (JV) and Novice events, DUC’s Boys JV eight took first place, besting Jesuit and White Rock. DUC’s Novice Boys Eight overwhelmed the field, leading them by two lenghts, and the DUC Novice Girls Eight trailed White Rock by just two seats for second place.

 

“Across the board we were pleased with our final Fall competition.  All of our boats finished ahead of our regional competitors which is a great set up as we head into the winter months.” assessed DUC Head Coach and Program Director, Steve Perry. 

 

Do you know a teen who would like to try rowing? DUC will offer a two-day rowing clinic December 18th and 19th for those new to the sport. No prior rowing experience is expected. (On average, collegiate rowers started their sport at age 14.) With 22 regional rowing titles and 60 collegiate recruits since 2012, DUC coaches show kids how to turn possibility into passion. Register now to get started!

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Dallas, Texas – Dallas United Crew (DUC) sent 37 athletes, hailing from twelve high schools – it’s largest contingent to date -- to Cambridge, MA, on October 24, to race in the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR), the largest three-day rowing regatta in the world. On a picturesque day, the Charles River vividly reflected cerulean skies, colorful turning leaves and historic buildings. The chop was mild with winds at or under 12 mph.

The Head of the Charles is the premier international rowing Head race. Crews race a time trial format over a 4.5km challenging course best known for its bridges and hairpin turns with boats, some as long as semi-trailers, jockeying for position. Competition is fierce, not just for medals; earning a position in the top half of an event guarantees a crew a coveted invitation to return in 2022.

DUC’s Youth Varsity Girl’s Eight placed 34th of 76 boats.  Their performance earned a guaranteed entry to race next year. DUC’s coxswain and stern four, fresh off a Top 10 finish at Youth Nationals, followed stroke-seat Ellie Rodriguez, to the finish with the fastest time of any Central Region entry. Rodriguez is committed to row with 2021 NCAA Rowing Champion, The University of Texas.

DUC entered two boats In the Youth Varsity Boys Eight race, a field of 80 boats.  The Varsity crew raced a precise course to finish in the top third, besting all regional rivals and guaranteeing their return in 2022.  DUC’s under 17 (U17) Eight, back to racing after finishing eighth at Youth Nationals, sped through the course and gave DUC its best-ever finish at the Charles, coming in third among U17 entries.

The younger girls at DUC have also shown promise this fall, prompting Girls Head Coach, Amanda Perry to enter a U17 four in the regatta.  Although they finished eleventh out of thirteen, the crew gained invaluable experience, preparing them to take on the Charles, with its twists and turns in years to come. Rounding out Dallas United’s entries was the Boys Varsity Four, outperforming its starting position at 81st of 84 boats to finish 76th, just three seconds off rival Jesuit Prep over the three-mile course.

While at the event, the DUC Youth team cheered DUC alumni who are racing for some of the nation’s top colleges, including Georgetown, Northeastern, Colgate, University of Pennsylvania and the United States Naval Academy. “Rowing opens college doors for our high school athletes. The schools represented by our alumni are a testament to their dedication to the sport and how far rowing can take you” concludes Head Coach and Program Director, Steve Perry.

Though fall competition is underway, DUC continues to seek high school athletes who would like to try rowing. Those who are interested should contact DUC at info@DallasUnitedCrew.org for a one-week free trial.

DUC Rowers include:

Men’s Youth Varsity 8+ A: 

Archer Smith, Luke Schweizer, Peyton Lewis, Sam Tharp, Jack Haney, Landon Tinker, Clark Hobbs, J. Halverson, Kaila Galliford (coxswain)

 

Men’s Youth Varsity 8+ B (U17):  Matt Slear, Cole Farley, Daniel Sneed, Logan Betts, Jack Martin, Luke Blankenship, Jack Craycroft, Nate McNeill, Jeff Kang (coxswain)

 

Women’s Youth Varsity 8+: Ellie Rodriguez, Caroline Payseur, Sierra Ross, Olivia Till, Lauren O’Grady, Abby Fowler, Zeynap Akdora, Nora Thompson, Lucy Roberts (coxswain)

 

Men’s Youth Varsity 4+: Wes Hannfeld, Mitch Holter, Jack Puorro, Coleman Hayes, Caroline Craycroft (coxswain)

 

Women’s Youth Varsity 4+ (U17): Victoria Bell, Estelle Stout, Zoe Greene, Lente Van der Westhuizen, Claire Dwelle (coxswain)

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DUC Awards Varsity Letters Front row: Chloe Dietz; middle row (left to right): Ellie Rodriguez, Caroline Craycroft, and Luke Schweizer; back row: Archer Smith

Earning a high school varsity letter is a point of pride for generations of athletes. Now, thanks to Dallas United Crew (DUC) and its partner schools, rowers from four local high schools will share in the tradition and spirit of wearing their schools’ colors. Rowers from Bishop Lynch High School, Highland Park High School, Lakehill Preparatory School and Woodrow Wilson High School are now eligible for recognition alongside classmates from other sports like football, basketball, volleyball and swimming.

DUC and its partner schools first awarded varsity letters in the spring of 2020. The rowing coaches collaborated with each school’s athletic director to decide the criteria to earn the award, which recognizes athletes consistently rowing at the highest, varsity level as well as those who have shown dedication to the team by rowing three or more years with DUC.  Both oarsmen and coxswains are eligible. “We are fortunate and grateful to partner with BL, HP, Woodrow and Lakehill’s athletic departments to award their varsity letters to rowers,” says Program Director and Head Coach, Steve Perry. “Rowing adds to the sports schools can offer, and athletic departments that partner with DUC keep more kids active and learning through sport.”

Being recognized by their school with a varsity letter is not lost on this inaugural class of rowers.  “Earning a letter helped me feel a part of my community at school,” says Bishop Lynch junior, Ellie Rodriguez. Teammate, Caroline Craycroft, a Highland Park junior agrees, “Before this, I felt like I lived in divided worlds: school and rowing. This letter brought them together.”

Chloe Dietz, a Woodrow Wilson senior and Columbia University recruit, acknowledges, “Getting my letter was very symbolic of all of my hard work.” Rowers train six days a week, year-round; a varsity letter communicates their dedication and lends scholastic endorsement of their sport on college applications.

 

Woodrow Wilson High School: Chloe Dietz, Luke Schweizer, Elizabeth Welty, Garrett Botsch and Hudson Price

Bishop Lynch High School: Ellie Rodriguez, Archer Smith

Lakehill Preparation School: Anders Ekstrom

Highland Park High School: Grace Condon, Ava Craycroft, Kate Corey, Georgia Wellborn, Caroline Craycroft and Drew Favors

 

Coach Perry hopes to expand the spotlight. “Our high school team draws athletes from 26 area high schools. DUC would welcome the chance to partner with any of them to recognize achievement in the sport of rowing. Varsity letters are just one aspect of how we can work together. We also team for off-campus PE credit, National Letter of Intent (NLI) Signing celebrations, and scholar-athlete awards.”

Dallas United Crew is a non-profit organization located on the eastern shores of White Rock Lake. Middle- and High-schoolers interested in learning to row are invited to register for a summer Learn-to-Row camp. Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Details are available at DallasUnitedcrew.org.

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Pulling together to move forward

The school year looks different with remote learning for many and some sports being cancelled. Students more than ever need a way to get outdoors, get some physical activity and safely connect with friends.  Rowing just may be the perfect sport for students looking to find a new sport.

Rowing is the equalizer in team sports with all athletes working together as one – no individual star player. When a student steps into a boat for the first time, their teammates are literally and figuratively in the same boat – learning a new sport together. There’s something transformational as the students work together on balance and synchronization to move together as one cohesive boat not eight individuals, creating a sense of confidence and accomplishment for all. 

A little known fact, rowing is growing nationally at 27%, and this emergent sport represents the best opportunity in youth athletics to earn a collegiate scholarship.  

Student athletes at Dallas United Crew will be heading back to the boats at White Rock Lake to begin their training for the rowing fall season. We equip students for success on and off the water with abundant life lessons learned in a racing shell: accountability, resilience, integrity and perseverance to name a few.  DUC invites students in 6th to 11th to try rowing this fall.  For more information about our fall programming and safety protocols, please visit our website at dallasunitedcrew.org or contact info@dallasunitedcrew.org.  

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Dallas United Crew's Womens' Varsity 8+ Gold (500 meter), Silver (4,000 meter) Grace Condon, Grace Clary, Ollantay Avila, Elizabeth Welty, Anna Savant, Ellie Rodriguez, Catherine Moore, Georgia Wellborn, Alyssandra Manganello (coxswain) (Hockaday)

Dallas United Crew’s (DUC) fall rowing season began on October 5, at the Head of the Oklahoma Regatta, racing against crews from Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Nebraska, California and Utah in a 4,000-meter course along the Oklahoma River. In the fall, rowers welcome cooler fall temperatures as they race down the long course against the clock in what’s known as “head races” with staggered starts and the fastest time winning.

DUC continued its historically strong showing at this event striking gold not once, but four times, in addition to bringing home three silver and one bronze medal, with a total of sixty-four medals coming back to North Texas.

DUC’s powerhouse Men’s Varsity 8+ crew took gold in the 4,000-meter race beating national and regional rivals from Sarasota and Oklahoma City, respectively, with a convincing thirteen-second open-water lead over the next fastest boat.  Incredibly, the Women’s Varsity 4+ also took gold with the same thirteen-second open water win. “What’s extraordinary about these varsity squads’ dominance is that they are new lineups for us,” explained Steve Perry, DUC’s Program Director and Men’s Head Coach. “With a large graduating class last year, it opened up seats in our varsity boats for our younger up-and-coming rowers,” continued Perry.   “This demonstrates tremendous teamwork, hard work and dedication to pull off wins like this.”  

DUC’s Men’s 4+ and Women’s 8+ both placed second in their respectively in their 4,000-meter races with the Men’s 4+ just four seconds off first-place.  DUC dominated the nineteen-boat race with four of its six crews finishing in the top ten.

DUC’s Novice Rowers met this race with anticipation, as it was their first time to put their training to the test. The Novice Men’s 8+ competed in a hard-fought race with a very strong second place finish, and DUC’s Novice Women’s 8+ finished their event in third.  For DUC’s Mixed Novice 8+, with four girls and four boys racing in the same boat, they narrowly missed third place finish by just 1.5 seconds ending up in fourth place. “It is always an exciting time for these Novice athletes to compete in their first race,” stated Steve Perry, DUC’s Program Director. “The thrill and accomplishment of this first race is something they will remember for a lifetime.”

Saturday evening’s events culminated in the exciting 500-meter OG&E Night Sprints, an event that captivates the crowds with deafening cheers as the crews fly down the course in less than 90 seconds.  Foreshadowing the evening’s fireworks, DUC blasted to first in the Night Sprints with two crews crossing the finish in blazing fast times against a crowded field.  The DUC Varsity Women 8+ completed the 500-meter race in just eighty six seconds and the Varsity Men’s 8+ in just seventy six seconds.

Next on the fall regatta schedule for DUC is the Head of the Colorado in Austin, Texas. 

With a great start to the year, DUC is looking ahead to sprints in the Spring season and continuing to recruit.  Save the date for DUC’s Spring “Try-Us-Out” on November 16th. DUC offers rowing and dragon boating for athletes of all ages and abilities.  Visit DallasUnitedCrew.org to learn more.

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Arshay Cooper Will speak to local students about rowing opportunities

By Katrina Craycroft

Who has your back?  Who, through devotion, honor and example, has earned the right to serve you a heaping helping of tough love?  Most would answer “family”, but when you’re a kid, and instead of loving you, one parent abandons you, and the other lays you on the alter of their addiction.. who do you turn to?  In his memoir, Suga Water, author Arshay Cooper compels his readers to face this existence and how he changed sports history to rise above it. 

Cooper is frequently asked to speak to a variety of audiences including schools, graduations, conferences, churches and sports teams.  Living the promise that “Win or lose, rowing is the tool you use to fix things,” Cooper summarizes, “When I was angry, the erg (rowing machine) helped, when I needed peace, the water helped, when I needed discipline, the sport helped.”

On Thursday, September 12th at 7:00 pm, Dallas United Crew will present Arshay Cooper at Winfrey Point on the shores of White Rock Lake.  Cooper will speak of his own experiences and how we can make our boathouse a lighthouse for the community.  The event will be free to the public, visit dallasunitedcrew.org for tickets. Dallas United Crew is a registered 501(c)3 whose mission is to unite Dallas and empower live through rowing and dragon boating.

Arshay Cooper grew up on Chicago’s West Side.  The second of four children, he was born to a single mother who escaped the demons of her own abuse through crack cocaine.  Arshay’s family life was stable but frail.  For high school, Cooper opted into Chicago’s Manley Career Academy with dreams of becoming a chef.  Gangs were prevalent.  Distractedly bumping the wrong shoulder in a school hallway could get you jumped after school.  Protection and profit enticed young men, including Cooper’s brother, Shaundell, but the odds were against such decisions – one in three of the neighborhood’s young, black, men would die in the streets.  “[..] Being out there is like dying for a neighborhood you don’t even know. The homeboys tell you they’ve got your back, but weeks later you’re nothing but a memory.  There is no way I’m going to trade my life for a spray-painted shirt, a forty-ounce and an R.I.P. sign on the wall.” 

One day, a crew rowing shell showed up in the Manley school cafeteria.  Coaches were recruiting for a rowing team.  Cooper’s friend Preston wanted to check it out.  A crowd gathered around the coaches and equipment.  “Crew is not for everyone,” begins the program’s benefactor, “It is a thinking man’s sport.  It doesn’t matter if you have natural athletic abilities; what you need is discipline, commitment, focus and the ability to work well with others. [..] We are not just trying to give you the opportunity to row. We want to give you the opportunity to think outside the box, be young entrepreneurs, go to Ivy League colleges, and travel the US. [..]  This is a very white sport. [..] There are no all black crew teams.  You will be the first.”

Getting faster in rowing requires dedication.  Weeks of workouts build strength that mere days of rest can diminish.  Muscle memory requires constant practice.  Each person in the boat must make this commitment to himself and the team.  The oarsmen of Manley Crew faced inevitable distractions that could have easily derailed their training, but they held each other accountable, backed each other up and encouraged each other in each personal best, each improved practice.  They were ready to face their biggest race, “We’ve finally earned the one thing that we were searching for: respect.  [Coach] has worked hard to teach us to respect ourselves, our bodies, our time, our competitors, our teammates and crew culture.  When we finally figured that out, the world overflowed with an abundance of respect right into our laps.”