Rowers Choice - Innovating Rowing

Felix DeCarvalho’s rowing journey began at Kearny High School, where the sport gave him structure, lifelong relationships, and a sense of belonging as the son of Portuguese immigrants. After continuing to train and race through Nereid Boat Club, he found his long-term place in rowing as a coach, helping build programs at Montclair, Don Bosco, and now St. Peter’s Prep. Over time, Felix evolved from a rigid, demanding young coach into a more athlete-centered leader focused on creating environments where kids love rowing enough to work hard at it. He is deeply concerned that rising costs and the growth of club rowing are making scholastic rowing harder to sustain, even though school programs are often the entry point for athletes who would never otherwise find the sport. His message to young coaches is simple: you do not need an elite rowing résumé to make a major impact—you need commitment, humility, and a real desire to help athletes grow.

Pat Clary’s conversation is a story about how rowing grabs people, humbles them, and turns struggle into purpose. From discovering the sport as a seventh grader, managing Type 1 diabetes, working multiple jobs to afford rowing, and eventually building programs with limited resources, Pat’s path shows that rowing is not only about medals or speed. It is about discipline, belonging, resilience, and the people willing to keep showing up. His coaching philosophy centers on making athletes feel seen, valued, and part of something bigger than themselves, whether they are in the 1V, 3V, novice boat, or just learning to pull together. The biggest takeaway is simple: great coaching is not just pedigree or technical knowledge; it is passion, connection, humility, and the ability to build a culture where every athlete believes they matter.

In this episode, Jeremy of Montclair Rowing shares how growing up in a high-performance UK system—where young athletes trained alongside Olympians—shaped his belief that “success breeds success.” He explains the importance of a visible pathway, arguing that athletes perform better when they can clearly see what’s required to reach the next level. Jeremy contrasts the UK’s strong post-collegiate club system with the U.S., where rowing often drops off after college, creating a major structural gap. At Montclair, he built a winning program by immediately shifting culture from “we can’t” to “we can,” while prioritizing athlete development and experience over conventional prestige (like always chasing the 8+). His approach emphasizes belief, consistency, and building systems that allow success to repeat.

In this episode, host Alex DelSordo interviews Chris Samul, a math teacher and head rowing coach at Cranbrook Schools, about his journey from a novice in a low-resource club to a collegiate rower and dedicated coach. Samul details how a strong sense of belonging and friendship kept him in the sport despite early losses, a philosophy he now uses to lead a varsity program of nearly 70 athletes. The conversation critiques the "professionalization" of youth sports, arguing that it creates barriers and leads to burnout, while Samul advocates for a culture that balances competitive speed with character development. Ultimately, the episode highlights the unique value of scholastic rowing in fostering long-term engagement and personal growth through a supportive team environment.

In Episode 4, Alex sits down with Malvern Prep Head Coach James Konopka to explore what it really takes to build a coaching career—and a program—from the ground up.James grew up in rowing, with the sport deeply embedded in his family, but his path into coaching was anything but easy. From making $10,000 his first year and cold-emailing for opportunities, to learning by sitting in launches and asking questions, his story is a blueprint for young coaches trying to break into the sport.The conversation goes deeper than results. James reflects on how his philosophy has evolved—from chasing medals to focusing on athlete development, accountability, and long-term engagement in the sport. He shares what he’s learned about goal setting, mentorship, and why curiosity—not confidence—is the defining trait of great coaches.They also tackle bigger questions:Is there a real path to becoming a professional rowing coach?Is scholastic rowing growing or eroding?And what is the sport missing to move forward?This episode is a candid look at coaching, growth, and the future of rowing—from one of the sport’s rising young leaders.

In this episode, Alex sits down with Sarah Low, Executive Director of Sammamish Rowing and longtime junior coach, to talk about coaching development and the future of the sport.Two key ideas stand out in the conversation. First, the best coaching education doesn’t happen in lectures or online seminars — it happens in small, in-person conversations where coaches can challenge ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other. Second, many young coaches hold themselves back by assuming top coaches are unreachable. Sarah shares how one simple email asking to observe a practice turned into a valuable learning experience — and why more coaches should be willing to just ask.It’s a thoughtful discussion about mentorship, confidence, and how better coaching knowledge spreads through the sport.

2026e2 - Julian Canha - DC NationalJulian Canha is a veteran high school head coach and program director with nearly two decades of experience, including  dominant programs as an assistant at Montclair and and head coach at DC National. A former coxswain and University of Michigan rower, he’s led undefeated varsity seasons, won multiple Stotesbury and SRAA medals, coached  USA Junior National Team athletes, and developed rowers recruited to Ivy League schools, Cal, and Washington.

2026e1 - Matt Russell, TBC Racing.Entering his 40th year in the sport, TBC Racing founder Matt Russell has seen a ton of development in the Sport.  Growing the program from an initial group of 4 boys, there are now over 400 athletes involved with TBC Racing.  TBC Racing has become the place in the Washington DC area to have fun and go fast.

2024e4 - Mark Gainey - StravaMark Gainey was a kid from Reno, Nevada who never expected to end up on the Harvard Rowing team.  Mark was actually recruited to Harvard for running!  Mark was a fast cross country runner who had an unfortunate injury that ultimately let him to the Harvard boathouse.  Once he got in a boat he was hooked.  On top of that, he met his future business partner.  Now years later, Mark has launched multiple successful companies, most recently, the fitness app STRAVA. 

2024e3 - Tim Spell - OpenWaterTim Spell is one of the founders of OpenWater and the definition of a grinder.  Tim and Alex first crossed paths at George Washington Rowing and have stayed close ever since.  In 2012 Tim founded OpenWater, one of the leaders in cloud-based software.  In addition to talking about the work that went into his company, he talks about the importance of fitness and the role it has played in being a leader.

2024e2 - Jack Carlson - Rowing BlazersJack Carlson didn't start out with the plan to start a fashion company that has been featured in Forbes, Equire and Target.After being introduced to rowing in prep school, Georgetown, Oxford and a run at the US National team, Jack's side hustle of creating the Rowing Blazer's book, was launched in partnership with Ralph Lauren.  Hence, the Rowing Blazers brand was born.

2024e1 - The Gathering Place BreweryThe 2024 season of the Rowers Choice Podcast has a different theme than the past few years.  We are going to continue to talk with rowers, but this year we are focused on talking to rowers who started or founded a business.  We open 2024 with a good friend of Alex and CJ, Joe Yeado.  Joe is the owner of The Gathering Place Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Alex talks to Joe about his start in rowing at Marquette, rowing at Potomac Boat Club in Washington DC and then opening his brewery.  

On Friday afternoon of our Take over the Row - Coaches Conference, we held a happy hour and a recording of our podcast with two Philadelphia rowing legends, Bill Lamb and Bruce Konopka.  Enjoy this special episode!

Chuck Crawford is a rowing legend. After competing in the sixties and seventies, he started coaching in 1978 before taking over the head coaching roll at St. Joes Prep in 1980.  Chuck is best known for his time at the University of Delaware.  He started that program back in 1991 and has been involved in that program in some capacity ever since.  Now years later, the coach and athlete tree that Chuck has created is one of the biggest in rowing!  This is a must listen to podcast!

2023e15 - Ian Rapoport - NFL Network / Columbia UniversityIan Rapoport is not like any of our other podcasts this season.  Ian didnt go to college to row, he went to college to play baseball.  When he didnt make it on the baseball team, Ian joined the crew team.  He ended up spending 4 years on the team, and now, years later, still thinks about his time on the team.  This is a very unique, special podcast for the 2023 season!

We were so excited to have this conversation.  Al Monte is the new head coach at University of Pennsylvania.  Al makes his return back to Philadelphia after coaching stints at Dartmouth and Bucknell.  Al got his start rowing right in Philadelphia at Roman Catholic High School.  He then went on to a great career at Holy Cross and with the US national team.  We are excited to see Al take over at Penn!

2023e13 - Steve Coppola - Cornell University"Don't wear a hear cape."  If you don't know Steve, you need to listen to this podcast.  Steve had an amazing career at Princeton and went on to have an amazing career on the US National Team, including a Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympics.  Now Steve is leading the Cornell Women as he rebuilds their team.  Don't miss this great story teller!

Smart, ambitious, and a rowing nerd in the best possible way.  Trevor Michelson is going to lead the next generation of rowing coaches.  He is a sponge when it comes to rowing knowledge and has had the opportunity to surround himself with some legendary coaches.  A rowers at Wesleyan, he got into coaching at Fordham, before coaching at Wesleyan.  In 2021 Trevor joined the Dartmouth team and is currently the interim Head Coach of the Dartmouth Lightweight Men.  Listen to this podcast to hear his thoughts on rowing, his favorite rowing races, and the future of lightweight rowing.

Greg Hughes is a Princeton Tiger.  A 4 year rower at Princeton, Greg competed with the National team for a couple years before coming back and becoming a coach at Princeton.  Now, more than 20 years later, he continues to lead the successful Tiger Heavyweights.  Not the biggest rower, Greg found his way to rowing at Brentwood, before making his way to Princeton.  His story is something all rowers should hear!

Matt Smith is the Associate Head Coach of the Princeton Mens Crew Team.  Matt grew up in Virginia, went to school at Wisconsin and served our country as an officer in the US Army before coming back to the US and getting involved in coaching rowing.  This is a great conversation with an amazing coach!

This week we have an amazing podcast with the legendary Yaz Farooq!Be sure to listen to her story about her journey from being a coxswain at @badgerwrowing, to the national team, to @nbcolympics, to @stanfordwcrew, and now at @washingtonrowing!  Be sure to listen to the full podcast in the link above!@yaz_farooq #rowing #usrowing #washingtonrowing

Al Acosta was a late starter.  He learned to row his freshman year of college, mainly because he heard they "had good parties".  Not long after, Al started his coaching career because of a conversation he had while sitting in traffic in Oakland.  Yes, this is a true story, you will have to listen for the details.  After starting the successful Stanford Lightweight Womens team, Al now finds himself leading the Cal Women.  This is a great conversation with a great coach!

Alex has a great conversation with Cornell head coach Todd Kennett!  They cover everything from throwing hay bales, to sled dogs, to why bringing back freshman rowing at the IRA level could be important.  Dont miss these great stories with Todd!

Will Porter is one of the most successful Womens rowing coaches in history, but a very successful rower in his own right.  Will rowed internationally, and even set the course record at @hocr1965 before his coaching career started.  Be sure to check out this great podcast!

It all started in a dream.  No, seriously, Dave had a dream about it!  Without dreaming about being in a boat, and some determination, who knows where Syracuse Head Coach Dave Reischman might have ended up.  Dave started rowing at Gonzaga, and then got his coaching start under the legendary Harry Parker.  Now 21 seasons later, Dave has Syracuse Mens Rowing in as good of a position as they have ever been.

2023e4 - Chris Clark - WisconsinChris Clark has been a staple in Wisconsin since the mid 1990s and has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in college rowing.  Originally from California, ending up in cold and snowy Madison, Wisconsin would have seemed very unlikely, but after catching the rowing bug at Orange Coast College, transferring to Cal and a short stint [living in a VW Van] at Navy, Chris found himself at Wisconsin and has been there ever since.  Dont miss this episode!

2023e3 - Scott Frandsen - Cal Scott Frandsen might be one of the most competitive guys we have ever spoken to. Scott grew up in Canada, rowed at Cal, raced for Canada at the olympics and is now back at Cal trying to leave his mark in a program full of history. You dont want to miss this episode!

What better follow up to 2023e1's interview with Steve Gladstone, future head coach of Yale, Mike Gennaro. Mike is Philly guy through and through, learning to row at the legendary St. Joe's Prep. After rowing at Prep, he spent time at Syracuse and the national team before getting the opportunity to coach with coach Gladstone. Now, after 7 years of dedicated learning, Mike looks forward to this last season under Gladstone before taking the helm.

Rowers Choice Podcast - 2023e1 Steve GladstoneSteve Gladstone has won more races at the elite level than most coaches will win in entire careers.  With experience at Cal, Brown, and Yale, Steve is arguably one of the top rowing coaches in history.  Don't miss this amazing interview!

Spencer comes from a family with deep rowing history. Spencer's Grandfather was a rowing coach, Spencer's father was a rowing coach, and it only makes sense that Spencer became a rowing coach. Spencer started his rowing career taking naps in his dads launch while he coached, then went on to a great career at Princeton and is now the head coach at Deerfield Academy, where he coaches with one of his brothers. You could say that Spencer was born to be a rowing coach!

2022e29 - Rowers Choice Podcast + Fr. Mark Connell - San Miguel This was not the podcast we expected when we started. Father Mark Connell got his first taste of rowing in high school, but wasn't in the sport long. After he understood that God has some other plans for him, he became a priest and ultimately ended up at San Miguel Academy. Nearly 48 years later, Fr. Mark is changing the sport and the lives of kids at San Miguel Academy. Please take 5 minutes to support this program! https://newburghsanmiguel.org/programs/san-miguel-rowing/

2022e28 - James Long Lerno - Newport Sea Base James Got his start back at Long Beach Crew before rowing at both Orange Coast College and Cal. He then trained and raced with the US National team before an injury caused him to stop competing and start coaching. Now James has coached at Marin, USC, and is not the Executive Director of Newport Sea Base. One of the top coaches in the country, James led his boys to win the 4x in the 2022 National Championship.

2022e27 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Julian Canha Julian's love of rowing started young. His father was a rower and needed a coxswain to steer the masters boat early in the morning. This was the hook Julian needed. After being part of a small team at Montclair, and having to fight for every stroke at Michigan, Julian eventually got the coaching bug while at law school. Now, years later, Julian is teaching kids in the greater Washington DC area about rowing, and making a fast team in the process!

2022e26 - Rowers Choice Podcast + Julie Hansen - Babbel - 106 Julie Hansen is relatively new to rowing, but has already found herself immersed in the sport. Julie is the US CEO of Babbel, and about 5 years ago decided to check out rowing. Following a rowing class, Julie is now a member of Pelham Community Rowing Association and uses rowing as a way to exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Additionally her daughter rows on the exceptional Greenwich team, giving them something extra to talk about at the dinner table. Enjoy this fun podcast with Julie!

2022e25 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Beth Anderson One of the funniest and best podcast guests we have had yet! Her path to rowing was anything but typical. Introduced to rowing by a legend of a coach in Bebe Bryans, Beth caught the rowing bug, and spent time coaching at Purdue, UCDavis, Oakland Strokes and now NorCAl. Check out today's podcast with @norcal.crew Executive Director Beth Anderson! #rowing #usrowing #rowerschoice #rowingrelated

2022e24 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Sarah Puddicombe Don't miss todays podcast with Capital Junior Crew coach Sarah Puddicombe! We were so excited to have her join us to talk about how she got into rowing, her college racing experience, her time at Cal, and everything she has going now at Capital Crew! #rowing #usrowing #rowingrelated #finishlineshellrepair #rowerschoice @capital_jrcrew

2022e23 - Rowers Choice Podcast + Holly Hatton - Bromfield Acton - Boxborough Rowing Holly Hatton is a rowing legend. Not many people with her experience and who competed at her level can say they found rowing through a party with friends in Philadelphia. Holly competed in some of the most elite rowing races around the world, and has great stories about her time rowing and competing with the National Team. After she was done competing, she has build a legendary coaching career coaching at Harvard/Radcliffe for 13 years, Boston University for 12 years, and now at Bromfield Acton Boxborough. She was an amazing guest and we cant wait to hear more of her stories!

2022e22 - Rowers Choice Podcast - John Fife John Fife wasn't the biggest and fastest kid at The Prep, but he was consistent, always working hard, and didnt miss his opportunity when it presented itself. After being introduced to rowing at The Prep, Coach Fife went on to Penn and eventually law school at Rutgers. While at law school, Coach Fife got hooked on coaching and from there made it his career. After a successful stint at Jesuit Prep in Dallas, he is now back at his alma-mater, leading them to major wins in the last couple years. Coach Fife and Alex talk about his approach and practices leading up to some of the biggest races, as well as the importance of taking some time away to renew the drive each season.

2022e21 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Mike Wallin - Chicago Rowing Foundation. Mike Wallin is not your average rowing coach. Mike got his start with St Joes Prep when he was looking for something to do to stay in shape for basketball. After rowing at Prep for Philly legend Bill Lamb, he rowed at Cal for the legendary Steve Gladstone. Now Mike is building his own incredible career in Chicago. When Mike showed up in Chicago, the team didnt look like it does now. He strategically grew the team, rowing primarily 8s, with a unique practice philosophy of less meters, but more power. Coming off a win in the Womens 8 at Youth Nationals, we interviewed Mike as he was prepping to take the U19 US National team Womens 8+ to the world championships. [Spoiler Alert: They won that race too]. Do not miss this podcast with Mike Wallin!

2022e20 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Chris Leonard Chris Leonard is the Head Coach of White Rock Rowing in Dallas Texas. Chris got his start in rowing in New York at Iona Prep when he was carried down to the coaches office when they needed a coxswain. After coxing at Iona Prep and then at Marist, Chris has gone East and West, coaching at Harvard, Marin, Capital and now at White Rock Rowing. Chris's knowledge of rowing combined with his passion for rowing is contagious!

2022e19 - Rowers Choice Podcast - Ted Haley Ted Haley is the head coach of St Albans Rowing. After getting his start at Canisius High, he went on to row at Georgetown in Washington DC. Ted's simple and straightforward approach has given him great success since 1993 when he started at St. Albans.

She almost left rowing! When she started at rowing as a freshman in college, Kari almost walked away from the sport. Now 30+ years later she has spent most of her life in and around rowing. Rowing at Stanford and then Navy, she then spent time in her single while stationed on base and following other practices on the Potomac. Now as the head coach at Washington College, Kari is sharing her passion with the students there. This is a fun and amazing story!

This is a special edition podcast. In April, Rowers Choice recorded its 3rd ever RowersChoice Live, a Live special event where we brought three college coaches to Washington DC. Eric Carcich of UMass, Bryan Volpenhein of Penn, and Rebecca Grzybowski of Temple joined us in front of a live audience of athletes, coaches and parents to discuss culture, the transition from high school to college rowing, and how to manage the recruiting process. This conversation covered a number of great topics and included a Live Question and Answer session at the end where parents, athletes and coaches were able to ask questions to this group of coaches.

Dan Martin is the head coach of Grand Valley State University. Dan got his start down in Virginia's beautiful Occoquan Reservoir with Lake Braddock Crew and then was a walk on at University of Virginia mens crew team. After becoming a high school chemistry teacher, Dan realized how much he loved coaching and it became a full time pursuit. Now the head coach at Grand Valley State University, Dan is writing a new chapter in their storied history book. To learn more about Grand Valley State University rowing, you can find dan here: https://www.gvsu.edu/clubsports/rowing-club-30.htm

It all started with the 'Salad Bar'. Stetson University head coach Jamie Francis learned to row in the salad bar? at the salad bar? In a boat named the salad bar because his high school program had bought the boat from a restaurant that was using the boat to display the salad bar. From there Jamie went on to row in college, and moved into coaching. After a journey that included Penn State, Mercyhurst, and Embry Riddle, Jamie now is the head coach of Stetson University where he is seeing early success. To learn more about Stetson University Rowing, you can find more information here: https://gohatters.com/sports/womens-rowing #rowing #usrowing #stetsonuniversity

He may have never gotten above the 3rd 8+ while at Washington, but Glenn Putyrae has been coaching collegiately for almost 20 years at the highest level. Starting first as a graduate assistant and cleaning carpets to make ends meet, Glenn has experience at Gonzaga and Georgetown, all of which made him an ideal candidate for Alabama where he has been the head coach since 2018. This is a great podcast! To learn more about Alabama Womens Rowing and connect with Glenn, you can find out more information here: https://rolltide.com/sports/womens-rowing

Dartmouth Womens head coach Nancy LaRocque has some amazing coaching experience. Originally from New Hampshire, Dartmouth is pretty close to home for Nancy. Nancy has a wealth of coaching experience to pull from, starting at Vassar, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Madison, with a couple stints at Specialized Bikes too! Now at Dartmouth, Nancy has her eyes on winning an Ivy League title. If you are interested in connecting with Nancy or Dartmouth Womens rowing, you can find more information here: https://dartmouthsports.com/sports/womens-rowing

Maddie has rowed and been a part of rowing programs in some of the most iconic rowing places in the US. She started on Boathouse Row, rowed at Princeton, coached in San Francisco, and is now the head coach and director of rowing at Boston University. This is an amazing conversation! To learn more about BU rowing and get in touch with Maddie, you can find more info here : https://goterriers.com/sports/womens-crew

Manny was supposed to play college basketball. When he got to Ithaca he expected to be the garbageman on the basketball team. Now, Manny is the head coach at Skidmore College. After at Ithaca and briefly at Marietta, Manny honed his skills at Sagamore and Saratoga before landing at Skidmore. Now at Skidmore, Manny is working hard to preserve the legacy before him while writing a new chapter in Skidmore Rowing history. To learn more about Skidmore Crew, check out -https://skidmoreathletics.com/sports/womens-crew

Rowers Choice Live in Nashville at Montgomery Bell Academy was a great night. We host a great conversation with Nich Lee Parker from Columbia University and Sam Pratt of Adrian College to talk about rowing in college and rowing at the next level. This is a must listen to show!