By Charles P. Eberson
Senior Moments
There are a few things that South Jerseyans are passionate about: beaches, boardwalks, subs (please, don’t call them heroes, hoagies or God forbid, grinders), and rowing.
Rowing has an impressive legacy, especially in Atlantic and Cape May counties. The rowing in this area can be broken down into two varieties: ocean rowing by lifeguards, and the rowing of racing shells. This column is about racing shells and the boys and girls who race them.
The 2022 Youth National Rowing Championships were held June 9-12 in Nathan-Benderson Park in Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla. Thirty-five hundred high school and junior rowers were scheduled to compete in 777 boats over four days of racing.
These teenagers came from all corners of the country, including California, Oregon and Texas, just to name a few states.
As an oarsman for more than 50 years, and the father of a son and a daughter who rowed in high school and college, I was truly disappointed that the schools of Atlantic and Cape May counties sent just two rowers combined. Two rowers.
In an area that boasts crews from Atlantic City, Egg Harbor Township, Absegami, Oakcrest, Holy Spirit, St. Augustine Prep, OLMA, Cedar Creek, Mainland Regional and Ocean City high schools, we managed to send just two oarsmen.
To put this in perspective, consider San Miguel Academy in Newburgh, N.Y. The school’s executive director, Mark Connell, described the city as the most violent, drug-ridden city in the state of New York. And yet the school, which has a student body of only 60 children, was able to
enroll 40 in its rowing program. Connell brought four oarsmen to the regatta, despite the considerable challenges they face.
Out of nine high schools in our area, which has a total of 18 boy’s and girl’s programs, only two young men were sent along with their coach, Mike Giegerich.
There was a time when varsity eights from Holy Spirit and Atlantic City High were a formidable force, traveling to Henley, England, and winning, or at least giving their competition the night sweats.
We are fortunate in our area to have a plethora of beautiful rowing venues: a river, a lake, the Intracoastal Waterway and the back bays. We have coaches who are willing to face the harsh elements of February and the unpredictable weather of spring, giving up their weekends for less pay per hour than they could make at Amazon.
So what is it? Do we need to discard the old blueprint of high schools competing separately for Nationals? Do we need to form an organization of all the high schools, combining all the rowers under one flag and sending the best boats to the event? Is winning as a result of these measures more desirable than giving more students an opportunity for such an experience? Does not winning diminish what the rowers stand to gain by participating?
The USRowing Youth Nationals is an opportunity for our rowers to expand their horizons; to meet competitors from around the country and test their mettle in the crucible that is the 2,000-meter race.
Let’s figure this out. The San Miguel Academy certainly has.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
