(Photos courtesy Duwamish Rowing Club)

The Duwamish Rowing Club wants you to know it’s relaunching its program for high-school students this summer! From the announcement:

Duwamish Rowing Club is a volunteer-led organization dedicated to providing affordable rowing opportunities on Seattle’s only river. Our organization operates on a site generously donated by a neighbor to introduce rowing to the youth in our community and cultivate a space that fosters discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and enhances personal growth and self-confidence. Our adult rowers support our youth programs by donating time and subsidizing program costs.

During the pandemic, our youth rowing program was temporarily halted. In February 2024, our volunteers relaunched our youth rowing team through a partnership with Rainier Prep Middle School, a charter school a few minutes from our boat house. Throughout winter and spring, a sixteen-week rowing program introduced 16 students to rowing, first through an eight-week on-land coached program utilizing rowing machines at their middle school, followed by another eight-week on-water coached program. Financial support from the George Pocock Rowing Foundation allowed us to hire our new coaches, Lead Youth Coach McKenna Niemer and assistant youth coach Jay Olson. The Washington State Parks Boater Program donated 24 life vests to help us meet our safety requirements to welcome students to not only the Duwamish River, but also to the greater rowing community.

This June, we are shifting our focus to high school athletes, offering a new introductory summer program to get new rowers ready for our fall rowing season.

You can read more of what they’ve done so far and what’s ahead by going here. This flyer has information on two sessions for teens this summer, including dates and costs.