Stetson Crew Relief Fund

I asked (future) Stetson lightweight coach, Chris Thomas, how the rowing community can help the Stetson Crew get back on its feet. Chris was kind enough to write back:

Thank you for your time and concern. The entire rowing community has been very willing to help but not sure how. We have an abundance of equipment offered to us... we could literally have 70 boats here by next week if we wanted. But we are not at that stage yet... we have no place to store equipment, even our new trailer was totaled. So for now we just need financial help to get back on our feet. We are raising money to get some of the equipment such as oars, erg, coaching launches and docks replaced/repaired. Then we will get loaner/rental boats this season from area teams. We are still looking for a place to run practices from, but we still intend to travel and compete this season and are thankful of the help offered.

The financial help will be greatly appreciated... we have set up a Tornado Relief Fund:

Checks Payable to : "Stetson Crew"

MEMO/ATTN: "Tornado Relief Fund"

MAIL TO:

Stetson Crew

421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8359

DeLand, FL 23723

Stetson Hit Hard by Tornado

A UCF reader just alerted me to how hard Stetson crew got hit by a tornado that tore through central Florida. The newest lightweight program will have to wait a little while longer to get started. If anyone can help out with equipment, labor, or materials, it sure looks like they'll need it. Pictures here.

Stetson to Add Lightweights!

Stetson will be adding lightweights to it's women's crew program with the first recruits entering school in the fall of this year. The Hatters aren't talking about simply rowing a few lightweight fours, however, they're going full bore - a goal of 9 to 10 rowers and coxswains this fall and 5 the following three years. And...scholarships are available. Looks like newly hired coach Chris Thomas will head up the program and he is the main recruiting contact. I guess UCF will have to pay a little closer attention to what's happening up I-4. In a short time they'll no longer be able to wake up each January 1st as the new year's Florida state lightweight champions!

Digging into the Everything is Connected File, we see that the Stetson head coach, Chris Deatrick, and an assistant, Jessica Clark, are both UCF grads. In fact Deatrick rowed as a lightweight at UCF and coached at UCF, including one year as the head lightweight coach. It seems a pretty safe bet that UCF's success helped convince the Stetson athletic department to add lightweights.



It seems to me that women's lightweight rowing is really starting to gain momentum. We had an exciting, highly competitive IRA Regatta last year, Tulsa added varsity lightweights, Alabama went varsity with the intention of keeping lightweights, Pitt is suddenly a national force in fours, the Radcliffe novices were blowing away heavyweights last fall, the slumbering lightweights at MIT are beginning to stir, and a lightweight coach is heading up the CRCA lightweight committee. Things are good and they're getting better!





Technorati Tags: rowing