Welcome to Part One of the “Recognition and Development” series of The Boathouse Blog ! In this quarterly series , the TRRA Development Committee will share details about the projects our staff and volunteers are working on behind the scenes. Think of these as developing stories from around the boathouse—of which you can be a part. If something catches your attention, there may be a way for you to get involved—either to help steer us in the right direction ( evade that log! )

By Danielle Farinella Am I doing this right? It’s February, and you’ve been training with specific goals in mind for each session: increasing aerobic capacity, improving oxygen transport, etc. But how do you know if you’re executing the workouts in the correct zone? (If you’re unfamiliar with Training Zones, see Part 1 of this series on the The Boathouse Blog! ) How to initially set up your zones (a few methods): There are a few different ways to set up your zones, each wit

Photos by Connor Schafer (@schafersshots) If you add up the weight of all the medals Three Rivers took home this past weekend at the Pittsburgh Indoor Rowing Championships, it would total over 2.2 pounds . That’s a lot of hardware.  FOL LOW  US  ON  SO CIAL  ME DIA   for TRRA updates   These glimmering results are a testament to not only TRRA’s commitment to consistent winter training, but also the diverse membership of our crew. We placed in 35 events , bringing home 52 me

By Danielle Farinella  Part 1. Workout Session Secrets Have you ever sat on an erg in January while your coach wrote an overly complicated workout on the whiteboard and wondered:  what are we actually achieving here?  And why do they think doing the workout exactly that way  is so important? Well, today you can stop wondering. In this article, I’m going to walk us through the different types of workouts, what they achieve, and how better understanding the goal of the workout

A rower and a coach “Dude, you’re 6’ 3’’, you’re perfect for this,”  was the line Matthew Houser’s mother used to convince him to try out for the crew team in high school. As a former volleyball player looking for a Fall sport, he said why not.  That was over ten years, and a lot of medals, ago. From watching the first three rowers he coached grow into Midwest Champions, to biting into his own gold medal at the Head of the Charles in 2025, Matthew hasn’t left the boathouse. 

Disclaimer: Coach Jill (me) recruited at a DI women’s program for two years. These tips are based on my experience at the collegiate level, but things may be different for men’s recruiting or DII/DIII recruiting. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any of the coaches for advice! We are dedicated to your success and future, and are always happy to have a meeting with you.  Before you begin Identify what you want in a college: Big, medium, or small

A practical guide for youth rowers navigating college recruitment So you've been rowing for a while now. Maybe you've seen former teammates get scholarships. Maybe you read about the new D1 opportunities starting 2026. Either way, you're getting faster, your coaches are talking about college, and you start to wonder: could I get a scholarship for this? The short answer is yes—but it takes planning and understanding how the process works. Even then, college sports might not

It’s indoor rowing and paddling season  and the erg is calling your name. There’s something about locking in, pulling a ridiculous amount of meters, pumping a lil' iron, drinking a gallon of water and taking a nap before going to see relatives. White weather or gray, there always seems to be time to catch a good work out over holiday break. Old friends are in town; the dog is excited; grab a hat and go outside! Oh oh oh, but you always listen to those same old songs!😝 Never

Jess DiCarlo in her element Jess DiCarlo , our current boat repair person at TRRA, learned the art of boat maintenance the hands-on way. From filling thin spots on a hull, to repairing massive gashes–or even replacing missing bows–she’s done it. Her interest in the craft began around 2017, when on her first outing as a bowperson in a quad, “disaster struck.” She remembers feeling so good and confident with herself, calling out strokes, peeking over her shoulder, enjoying the

Was it happenstance or density–I mean destiny–that “Love Song” by The Cure came on the radio as you pulled up to the TRRA 40th Anniversary Gala: Giving Back to the Future? Greeted in the Lambert Boathouse lobby by none other than the dynamic duo, Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown, you entered a time machine in style.  FOL LOW  US  ON  SO CIAL  ME DIA  for updates To your surprise , as if you woke up in 1989, the weight room had been transformed into a museum–there were Newspap

FOL LOW  US  ON  SO CIAL  ME DIA  for updates   This year at HOTO we gave two lucky winners a "disposable waterproof camera" . . . Then we had the film professionally developed . . . The results are a 90s nostalgia daydream . . . Here are a few of our favorites: Big thanks to our photographers, Veronica ( @trra_youth ) and Carol ( @rit_rowing ) ! Keep an eye out for future Crew Cam Editions from TRRA! Our next "waterproof disposable camera" raffle is for the 40th Anniversary

At the beginning , it was a professor named Dr. Don McKenzie in the Department of Sports Medicine at the University of British Columbia who began to challenge the prevailing medical ideas that breast cancer patients should avoid strenuous activity –even knitting– due to increased risk of Lymphedema. Dr. McKenzie identified dragon boating as the optimal sport to challenge this view because of the strenuous upper-body motion required to propel a boat. In 1996, he recruited twen

Many row, few become coaches.  Cara coxing at Iowa State A coach can make or break a first rowing experience.  For Cara Burns  (the current Three Rivers Youth Coach) her experience at TRRA First Row eight years ago was not only inspiring, it was mesmerizing, as she describes her first time in a boat as a coxswain: “I remember being mesmerized hearing my own voice. I was talking into a speaker, so I could hear it through the boat.” From high school regattas to coxing a Big 10

Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) introduced The Boathouse Blog the week following the 38th Head of the Ohio Regatta. This article lays out the basics of the Blog and contains useful links to keep you in the loop.  To join The Boathouse Blog, click the button , or follow this link . Who:   The Boathouse Blog is for anybody who uses the boathouse or wants to use the boathouse. This includes rowers, paddlers, dragon boaters, volunteers, and visitors. At TRRA, we manage tw

by Aodhán Ridenour Three Rivers Rowing Association hosted the Head of the Ohio Regatta last weekend, and what an excellent HOTO weekend...

Rowing is a foreign sport to some . Most of us don’t grow up rowing like we do playing Tee Ball or community soccer. There are more moving parts, usually, and a four-year-old might find pulling on a sweep oar challenging . . . For these reasons, most youth rowers don’t get in a boat until high school. Or, if they are lucky, middle school.  TRRA Youth brings the sport into schools via erg challenges and meetings with Phys-Ed teachers. We also host a variety of Learn to Row ev

In an effort to increase transparency and communication with Membership, the Board of Directors is planning to regularly publish our minutes and Executive Director report via iCrew. Periodically, Board activities will be featured in one of the TRRA newsletters so you can learn more about the Board and the work of our subcommittees. Our current number one priority is increasing the club’s cash flow, If you’d like to donate, please click here [[insert link]]. Every little bit

We are excited to be apart of Doors Open Pittsburgh #dopmillvale2023 this year. Visit us during the event on June 17th from 10 am - 4 pm!...

Good luck to our 7 crews racing at Youth Nationals down in Sarasota this week! Men's U16 8+, Men's Youth 4+, Women's Youth 4-, Women's...

With over 60% of the votes, "The Back Channel" won our newsletter naming contest! Thank you to all who participated. We look forward to...