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The coaching staff at the Norwalk River Rowing Association, under new director of competitive rowing Yuri Kolomiets, has been in place for only a few months. The impact, however, has been profound.
In early season meets at the Mercer Sprints and Saratoga Invitational, NRRA rowers have won several races, medaled in a few more and finished just off the podium in others. "There are a lot of crews that been beating us in past years,'' said Bryan Pape, a coach on the girls team. "I think our expectations have been raised. There has been this whole shift in what we expect out of them and what they expect out of themselves. It has been fun to watch."
The NRRA staff includes Pape, Laurie Case and Abby Neff, who work primarily with the girls. Catharine Labine, Jim Cooper, Don Loomis and Rob Slocum work with the boys. Some are newcomers to the NRRA, while others have stayed on for a while. Under Kolomiets, they all agree on the mission: to create a rowing program that can challenge the region's other powerful boathouses.
"I think we see a great level of desire and commitment from everyone,'' Labine said. "There's a commonality of the goal. The kids and the coaches are clear about what the expectations are."
Kolomiets came to the Norwalk River Rowing Association from the Maritime Rowing Club in November. Though he barely had time to introduce himself, the rowers in the program bought into the methods immediately. "We had a much better turnout at our workouts,'' Pape said. "I think that's where it started."
The coaches have a clear direction and enjoy working with each other. "The collaboration has been gratifying,'' Labine said. "We appreciate each other's contributions."
As the NRRA continues to build, the coaches believe it will get stronger as it becomes clear to rowers there's another top-flight club in Fairfield County. "I think we're moving in the right direction,'' Loomis said. "It will self sustain as we go. It's one of the steps in the process."
The early success with the new staff has made the entire NRRA crew believe it is on the right track. It also has made the coaches realize why they enjoy working with young rowers. "These girls are just full of personality,'' Case said. "They make it fun. It makes me realize why I love the sport. And it keeps me young."
Photo: The Norwalk River Rowing coaching staff includes, from left: Laurie Case, Jim Cooper, Don Loomis, Rob Slocum, Bryan Pape, Catharine Labine and Abby Neff.
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