The team getting ready to take to the water .
River in northern Virginia was very scenic . “ It was a very curvy course with trees on either side ,” he says .
Boettger adds that rowing has provided a lot of memorable experiences , such as when his team won first place in a semifinal qualifier for a national competition last year . The race was at Dillon Lake in central Ohio , and Boettger says he expected to do well but did not expect to finish first . The team members had to push themselves to their physical limits in order to pass the leading boat . As he became more fatigued , Boettger just wanted the race to end .
“ You don ’ t even feel or hear anything anymore because you are in the moment ,” he explains . “ When we got first , that was probably the happiest I have ever been . After we put in the boat , we ran out and jumped into the lake !”
Boettger notes that although rowing used to be popular in America , not many people know about it . He hopes it will become more popular thanks to books like “ The Boys in the Boat ,” which is about an American rowing team that won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin . The book is also set to be made into a movie .
Rowing was very popular in Pittsburgh before industrialization and pollution increased in the late 19th century . In 1860 there were at least 11 rowing clubs and a championship race offered more than $ 15,000 in cash prizes .
Elke Caldart , president of the Upper St . Clair Rowing Association , says the team will benefit from the sport ’ s growing popularity . The association sent out 1,500 postcards to families in Upper St . Clair with children in middle and high school . It is also organizing camps to teach middle school children the basics of rowing . “ We really need to get younger people involved ,” Caldart says .
Like Boettger , Caldart ’ s son tried other sports before joining the rowing association but didn ’ t get to play much . However , because he worked hard during rowing practice , he became team captain as a senior . Caldart says any students in Upper St . Clair can join the team and compete : “ There are no ‘ benchwarmers .’”
Rowing is a very physically demanding sport but it is also very safe because it is low-impact . “ Pound for pound , rowers are the strongest athletes on Earth ,” Caldart says . “ They work every muscle , head to toe .” Teamwork is also very important , and team members quickly become friends . “ Everyone has to row in unison so you have to work together ,” Caldart explains . “ We spend so much time together we ’ re really a family .”
Joining the rowing association is a big commitment because rowers practice five days a week for four hours . They compete in the spring , fall and winter , and practice on indoor rowing machines when cold weather hits . “ If you don ’ t already have them , you will develop excellent time management skills ,” Caldart says .
In addition to new members , the rowing association is also seeking sponsors and donations . The Upper St . Clair Community Foundation recently gave the association a $ 2,500 grant for purchase of a new boat , known as a “ shell .” However , a four-person boat was recently damaged when it struck a submerged log . The boats are made from fiberglass and a second-hand , fully equipped four-person boat can cost between $ 10,000 and $ 20,000 . The association holds fundraisers but it takes a long time to save up enough money to buy a new shell .
“ That ’ s a lot of pie sales ,” Caldart laughs . n
Christening of new rowing shell , The Invictus , during senior recognition ceremony on May 23 , 2016 at the Crowne Plaza .
For more information on the USC Rowing Association , go to uscrowing . org .
Upper St . Clair | Fall 2016 | icmags . com 27