Coaching Different Strokes at RMU & Three Rivers Rowing

One of the a growing number (but still-rare) of female head coaches at collegiate rowing programs, Carol Schoenecker recently stepped up as the head coach at Robert Morris University, shortly after completing her doctoral thesis. Carol comes from a teaching background and "fell in love with coaching because of all of the tremendous opportunities there are to utilize rowing, not only as a platform for widespread social change, but to build on social-emotional learning skills and (this is my newest research area) combat the effects of trauma." In the summer of 2021, Carol finished her doctoral program in Educational Leadership with a specific research focus on the narratives, stories, and experiences of four Black female rowers (her own athletes) rowing for and attending a predominantly white institution. "The whole process was transformational, not only for myself as a coach," Carol admits, "but for kickstarting a collaborative, rowing-based culturally open curriculum embedded within our team culture and training plan. We have a social-justice chair as part of our team leadership committee who has been writing the curriculum alongside me." Carol is also currently on the board at Three Rivers Rowing Association and the chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee at that club. The program has just re-written the strategic plan for their youth outreach program and Carol notes, "I'm pretty excited to actually start getting into middle schools around the City of Pittsburgh now that Covid19-restrictions are easing."