the Peters Township School district. The
team is financially dependent upon its club
members, dues and fundraising efforts, but
has been fortunate to have several sponsors
including Venetia Community Center,
Sports Clips McMurray and Dan Fink Home
Improvements.
The team is coached by Stephanie Zang
and has most recently welcomed Pittsburgh
Rowing Club’s Masters Coach Kim Gilmour
to the team as a second coach. Both Zang and
Gilmour hold a bachelor’s degree in Exercise
Science, and Gilmour has also attained a
master’s degree in the subject. With more
than 16 combined years of high school and
collegiate rowing experience, Zang and
Gilmour lead the young Peters Township
Rowing Club with confidence and expertise.
Rowing has two seasons—spring and fall.
In the spring, sprint-style races take place
where the boats line up side-by-side and race
2,000 meters. The first boat to finish wins.
In the fall, competitors take part in “head
races” that are timed trials with the boats
entering the course one at a time and rowing
4,000 to 6,000 meters, depending on the race
course. In this case, the boat with the fastest
completion time wins.
Additionally, there are many different sizes
of boats and two different styles of rowing—
sweep rowing and sculling. In sweep rowing,
each rower uses one big oar, and in sculling
each rower in the boat uses two small oars.
Boats can range from a single person to a
double or a four- or eight-person vessel. The
larger boats are steered by the coxswain, who
is responsible for giving directions to the
crew. Indoor races (ERG) are also held during
the winter months and the Peters Township
Rowing Club participates in two of these type
of races.
The sport of rowing requires discipline
throughout the year. Whether rowers take
part in races during the spring and fall seasons
or training in the off-season, practice never
stops. When Peters Township Rowing Club
hits the water, they row out of the Montour
Marina located in Coraopolis, primarily in
the back channel of the Ohio River. In the
off-season, the club participates in indoor
practices at the Venetia Community Center.
Rowing is a competitive, non-impact,
full-body workout