John Wojtkiewicz

A few scenes from a terrific week in New Bedford, where I had the privilege of serving as head coach of the first-ever USRowing Beach Sprints Pathways Development Camp.

We had 19 athletes, five staff, four days of training, and an unreasonable amount of sand in absolutely everything. Then it was straight into Youth Trials and Nationals.

The group came together remarkably quickly, raced hard, and came painfully close to earning a couple of spots on the World Championships team. No tickets to Worlds this time, but I could not have been prouder of their effort, composure, and support for one another.

I also reached a new career milestone: coaching the twin daughters of one of my former teammates. Nothing quietly confirms the passage of time quite like coaching the children of former teammates. Apparently, this is my life now.

And because beach sprints occasionally require creative staffing, I ended up racing in a mixed double to make sure everyone got enough racing and I could revisit several decades of personal decisions.

Great athletes. Great staff. Great week. I’d do it all again—after some Advil and some physical therapy.

My job is beach.

#USRowing #BeachSprints #Rowing #Coaching #GenXStillMoves