That’ s How We
Fox Chapel Crew rows toward success.
BY JENNIFER BROZAK
With three rivers to its name, the Pittsburgh area is ripe for rowing— and for the past 22 years, the Fox Chapel varsity crew team has taken full advantage.
Founded in 1995 by head coach Mark Bellinger and his wife, Fox Chapel Crew is a club sport associated with Fox Chapel Area High School. The team is comprised of approximately 50 students in grades 9 through 12.
The origin of the club stems from Bellinger’ s own daughter, who, along with a friend, became interested in rowing. Bellinger, who is also the board president, had been rowing for only a few years when he ended up launching the club with just 13 students— 5 boys and 8 girls. He stayed on as head coach even after his daughter graduated, and has remained at the helm as the team’ s reputation has grown, with numerous teams qualifying for and placing in national championships in recent years.
Today, Fox Chapel Crew is recognized as one of the most competitive teams in the nation. In fact, the team has sent boats to the Scholastic Rowing Association of America( SRAA) National Championships every year for the past 10 years. The team’ s Varsity Lightweight Boys won a silver medal at the 2017 SRAA Regatta, which took place in May in Camden, New Jersey, placing second out of 18 teams.
Bellinger, 69, says the students’ ability to work together as a team drives its continued success.
“ The sport is all about personal and team success. Except for rowing a single, each boat is a small team of two or more who need to match each other stroke for stroke to succeed,” he explains.“ Each member of the team is responsible to push all of the others to succeed while driving him- or herself to do the best as an individual.”
The team usually trains at the Millvale facility of Three Rivers Rowing Association, which is located in Millvale’ s Riverfront Park. Winter practices will be held at Aspinwall Riverfront Park, which is a new partnership for the team, as well as the Lauri Ann West Community Center on Fridays. The sport is coed, but while boys and girls practice at the same time, they are not in the same boats.
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