8/3/2007

Boat Christening and Donor Appreciation Reception-

The TRC Juniors program is the proud owner of six new and

nearly new WinTech boats.  Two 8+s, three 4+s, and one quad

are now part of our fleet. Christening of the boats and recognition of the

of donors whose gifts made purchase of the boats possible will

take place at the Boathouse on Monday, September 10 at 6:00 PM

prior to the first Booster meeting of the season. 

Team Building at TPS Challenge Course- All team members

will participate in a day of team building on Saturday, September

8^th from 9:00AM- 3:30PM at the new TPS ROPES Challenge Course.

Cost is $15/athlete. The fee and permission slip will be collected after the start of practice.  You will experience the whole ROPES course, lows and highs, so be prepared for some adventure and fun!

New Look for the Juniors- Our recent trip to Youth Nationals made it clear that updated uniforms are in order to match our competition at the national level.  The move to unis is designed to boost both performance and confidence of our athletes.  Rowers should already have received an email requesting their vote on style selection.  If you haven’t sent Roy Ames your vote, please do so. Individual measurements will be taken the first week of practice.

Adjustment in Season Dues- There is no other way to put it.  You should expect an increase in dues, beginning this season.  Several factors contributed to the decision by the executive committee to raise dues.  Insurance costs have increased, both personal liability per rower and insurance on our new boats.  Coaching staff has not had an increase in stipends since the beginning of employment despite increased demands on their time.  Regatta travel expenses for coaches and trailer costs will be calculated into the dues, reducing the amount each rower pays per regatta (i.e. bigger check up front; smaller check per regatta).  The amount of seasonal dues has not been finalized pending insurance costs, but seasonal dues will most likely range from $425-$495.  Recognizing that is a significant increase that many will not have budgeted for, a payment plan will be offered.  A letter detailing the reasons for the increase will be sent out shortly.

Committee Chairs Needed- There are several openings for committee chairs.  Please consider sharing your time and talent to help our program perform like a championship eight. Contact Claudia Brierre to say “yes” to:

     PR/Media Relations- Get the word about accomplishments of Juniors

     Row-A-Thon- annual Nov. fundraiser

     High School Invitational- Spring inter-squad competition

     End of Year Banquet- late May awards banquet

     Tulsa Sprints- June regatta coordination

     Quartermaster- Coordinate regatta travel equipment such as tents, tables, banners, ice chests

Already Filled:

     Regatta Travel & Food- Dan Charrier

     Uniform & Clothing- Roy Ames

     Safety & First Aid- Jane Charrier

     Fund Development- Claudia Brierre

Train Harder- Row Stronger- Now that the club’s had a taste of competition at the national level, we want to go again and with more boats and athletes.  That translates to an increased training regime.  Athletes, be ready for the challenge of a pumped up training schedule this fall by keeping up your fitness level this summer.  If you’ve been on cruise control since June, you should begin training again now.  You know the drill: run, cycle, swim, erg, weight train at least 3-4 times a week.  You’ll be glad you did the first day of practice!

Tulsa Sprints A Success- A big thank you for making Tulsa Sprints so successful goes to our Sprints coordinators Carmen Clayton, Stephanie Royce, and Claudia Brierre, to all our parent volunteers, and to Masters Suzanne Dudding and Janeann Tabel.  The event raised $5,652 for the purchase of equipment to benefit both clubs.  Funds will be used to buy more ergs and car toppers for transport of singles and doubles.  This is the second year in a row that Sprints has been a money-maker for us.

Interested in Rowing in College?- If you want to be a collegiate rower at a Division I or II school , there are several steps you should take now to prepare.  Seniors, you should have already registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse; completed the NCAA Amateurism Certification; had your high school counselor send your transcripts to the Clearinghouse; and enter the NCAA code of 9999 when you register for the SAT and ACT.  Be sure to keep your profiles on the NCAA and US Rowing sites up to date.  Juniors, after August 1^st, you should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse.  A seminar on positioning yourself to row in college and recruiting strategies will be held in early fall, date to be announced.  Remember that the most successful recruiting is student driven.

TRC Juniors Scholarships Available- The Commonwealth Foundation Junior Athletic Scholarship was established to help support junior rowing in Tulsa by offsetting some of the expenses for any athlete who wishes to attain excellence in this sport. The scholarship is need-based.  Applications can be obtained on the website.  Scholarship applications will be due August 26^th for review by Treasurer Stephanie Royce and President Claudia Brierre. The treasurer and president will review all financial information confidentially. Scholarship recipients will be announced before the September 1^st dues deadline.

Arkansas River Master Plan- Tulsa County Commissioners have set an October 9^th sales tax election to fund the first projects in the Arkansas River Corridor Master Plan.  Three projects to be voted on directly impact rowing.  The projects would concentrate the water flow in the river through the creation of new dams at Sand Springs and Jenks, the reconstruction and raising of Zink Dam near 31^st Street and the narrowing of the waterway between the Zink Lake and Jenks dams.  The Sand Springs dam will create a 5-mile long lake; the Jenks dam will create a 3-mile lake; and modifications to Zink Dam will provide added depth and extend the lake to the natural rock ledge north of the 11^th Street bridges.  If funded by voters on October 9^th construction would likely begin in approximately 3 years. All three projects provide the rowing club with options about where to locate a future boathouse.  Rowing is specifically mentioned in the master plan, and although the location of a rowing facility is not identified at this time, the group of private donors who are providing a $111 million gift in support of the plan are a source of funding for a boathouse that will be part of the enhancements to the river after construction of the dams.