I cannot
tell you how many phone calls, emails, texts, and fb messages I have received
from friends, family and complete strangers, wanting to know: “What’s the deal with the Port of
Newburgh? What’s going to happen to the
Newburgh Rowing Club?” I finally asked
my brother from another mother, Coach Kennedy, to take the reigns off of me and
let me give some kind of 411 out to my Readers.
He has agreed. Here is the short
answer: Nothing. As in, according to the Powers that Be,
nothing will happen to the Newburgh Rowing Club, if the Port of Newburgh comes
to pass. Generations of rowers will
continue to enjoy rowing in the City of Newburgh through the Newburgh Rowing
Club for many years to come.
But first,
for the uninitiated, let me explain how the Newburgh Rowing Club came to be
located where is currently sits, at the Ward Brothers Memorial Park, at the
foot of Renwick Street, on the Hudson River. Big Coach founded the NRC 25 years ago. Ten years ago, the NRC was rowing out of
Orange Lake, in the Town of Newburgh.
The City asked Big Coach to bring the rowing club into the City of
Newburgh. A few properties were
discussed and he chose the present location, which was a great surprise to
everyone. Why? It was essentially a garbage dump. In the process of my grant writing, I had to
go through the NRC archives. I was
astounded at what I found.
Dozens, if
not hundreds, of volunteers, rowers, their families, and the coaches, spent
years clearing the garbage out of that area.
Taylor Recycling donated dumpster after dumpster to haul away the
debris. Among the notable items taken
away according to the archives were:
hundreds of tree trunks; a rusted motor boat; several rusted cars;
engines; an apparent small aircraft propeller; “bodies” (presumably animals);
countless pieces of furniture; and “a dozen porcelain toilets”.
Once
cleared, volunteers spent a good 8 years of their life building the present
6,000 square foot structure, which is still being improved upon as we
speak. The Boathouse, as it is
affectionately known to rowers is Home to so many. It is owned by no one and everyone. The south wall was built by USMC Cpl. Joseph
Tremblay and his Marine buddies, in the Fall of 2004, right before Joey went
back to the Marines and was deployed to Iraq, during the “Surge.” It was the last time Big Coach, who had
coached Joey from age 11 – 17, ever saw him.
Joey was killed in Iraq in April of 2005. The rowing club erected a flagpole in Joey’s
memory which was dedicated to him by Father Bill and Senator Larkin, with a
full US Marine Color Guard in 2012. We
have held an annual event at the Boathouse every year to honor his memory.
Personally,
I first came down to the Boathouse in 2010.
And I have never left. That’s
kind of what happens down there. Until
you have been out on the water yourself and actually rowed out of the Newburgh
Rowing Boathouse, you will never understand what that place means to those who
call it home. And if Yankee Stadium is
the House that Ruth built, then the Newburgh Rowing Club Boathouse, which
houses a fleet of over 40 crew shells, from singles to the mighty 60-foot long
8-mans, and a fleet of over 35 kayaks, is the House that Coach Kennedy and Leif
Stepakoff built.
What I have
done with the Student Ambassador program is really my wish and dream
fulfilled. And having his first rowers
come back to rower with their children is Coach Kennedy’s dream fulfilled. Here’s the thing you need to understand about
Coach Kennedy, that is unlike any coach you are going to meet. Although he is the senior coach in the Hudson
Valley Rowing League, he couldn’t care less about medals. He has already won everything there is to be
won, from a NYS Championship to Gold at the Empire Games. He cares about getting kids in the water. Period.
It’s that simple.
There is a
lot of blood, sweat and tears all over that Boathouse, all over the docks and
the crew shells. They belong to many
rowers and parents, some of whom are no longer with us here on Earth. To me, to my kids, to my rowing kids whom I
love so much. Here’s the thing about rowers. They just want to row. It’s not like soccer or baseball, you show
up, you suit up, you play. So much goes
in behind the scenes to making sure the boats go out, that the boats go on the
trailer. You have to de-rig so you can
load them on the trailer, then when you arrive at your destination, you unload
the boats, get out your tools and rig the boats again. To leave your destination, you have to de-rig
your boats and guess what, when you get back to the Boathouse, the next
practice is spent rigging them again.
Here’s what
I know for sure, or what we have been told by the Powers that Be: Spring Crew
Season, the Summer Rowing Season, and Summer Rowing Camp will all go off right
here at the Boathouse. After that, we
will continue to row here in the City of Newburgh. And in the end, that’s all the rowers
want. They just want to row. And we will.
For many generations to come. And
that is a beautiful thing.
Have a great
day, everyone, and as always, remember to Count Your Blessings! <3 Mrs. Lo
No comments:
Post a Comment