Tulane Green Wave rows into Bayou Lafourche

The Bayou Rowing Association in Thibodaux got a special delivery from the Tulane University Rowing Association on Saturday.

The Green Wave delivered three racing shells donated to Steph’s Kids, a free initiative by BRA co-founder Charles Mosley to get teenagers into rowing and improve their reading skills.

The program is named in honor of Mosley’s sister, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), who died last August.

“Helping kids become better readers was her passion,” Mosley said. “So I thought in her memory, this would be a good idea. Crew is the kind of activity that naturally instills self-confidence and time management. It demands structure.”

Rowers will have various reading assignments followed by guided reviews to help improve reading, comprehension, retention, vocabulary and language arts.

To be eligible for travel and racing, rowers must complete reading assignments and reviews, have good conduct in school and in the community and not have unexcused absences from crew sessions.

About 50 youngsters between ages 11 to 17 have signed up so far, according to Mosley.

On Monday and Wednesday mornings starting on June 8, about 20 teens from the Lafourche Parish Juvenile Detention Center will take part in the Steph’s Kids program.

“They (detention center) contacted us,” Mosley said. “They said they were happy to have an activity for older kids because most of the things offered are for kids under 12. Most of the kids they serve are between 12 and 18.”

The rest of the youth practice on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings beginning on June 10.

Eleven-year-old Katie Carnline of Labadieville hasn’t hit the water yet, but is already anxious to get out on Bayou Lafourche to learn rowing.

“My mom knows I like outdoor stuff. She thought I’d be interested,” she said. “I love the water. So I came by, and I can’t wait to start.”

For a relatively young club like the BRA, receiving such high-quality racing vessels is an unexpected delight.

“This is such an expensive sport, we’re excited to be getting these because these are good boats,” said Thibodaux resident Kay Dugruise, a one-year member of BRA. “We just have to change some bolts damaged from salt water.”

The ZLAC Rowing Club in San Diego donated two double scull racing shells, and a single scull shell came from the Swan Creek Rowing Club in Lambertville, New Jersey.

To get the shells to the BRA boat launch on La. Highway 308 at Greenwood Plantation Road, Mosley called on friends in the rowing community at several universities.

Oak Ridge, Tenn., which hosted the American Collegiate Rowing National Championships in May, was the transport hub to get the racing shells to Thibodaux.

“(The University of) Notre Dame picked up the San Diego boats after a race they had out there and brought them to Tennessee,” Mosley recalled. “The University of Virginia brought the boat from New Jersey to Tennessee, and then Tulane took all three boats to New Orleans and brought them to Thibodaux.”

Rather than waste the day, Tulane rowing coach Bob Jaugstetter let several team members practice on Bayou Lafourche. The natural waterway provided a big change from their normal routine.

“We practice on the Bayou St. John Pumping Canal in New Orleans,” said Jaugstetter, a former coxswain for the U.S. Rowing Team from 1974-84 who won a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“So it’s nothing but white walls on both sides – not very scenic,” he added. “This will give them a chance to learn to concentrate when there are different things around them.”

Tulane rowers – John Huppi, Andrew Walker, Caitlin Colgan, Kim Lewis, Kari Oakman, Kirstin Heinrich and coxswain Joanna Kauffmann – are preparing to compete in the 1-5/16-mile Henley Women’s Regatta (June 19-21) and Henley Royal Regatta (July 1-5), which take place on the River Thames, at Henley-on-the-Thames in Oxfordshire, England.

“The Henley Royal Regatta started in 1839. It’s the oldest regatta still going and the second oldest trophy still competed for in the world continuously,” Jaugstetter said. “A lot of the best crews from all over the world compete. It’s the Mecca of rowing. Every rower wants to compete there at least once.”

Mosley hopes having a crew the caliber of Tulane for a practice session will inspire the BRA rowers to perform at a higher level.

“Now that I know more about it, I can really see what they’re doing and analyze their stroke,” Dugruise said. “We have a coach that tells us what to do, but it really helps to see somebody do it right.”

“This will be great motivation for them,” Mosley insisted. “They’ll get an idea of how elite rowers practice and the demands made on them.”

The Bayou Rowing Association is still accepting youths 12-17. For more information, call (985) 859-0766 or e-mail bayourowing@hotmail.com.

Tulane rowers – coxswain Joanna Kauffmann, Caitlin Colgan, Kim Lewis, Kari Oakman, Kirstin Heinrich – practice on Bayou Lafourche for the Henley Women’s Regatta, June 19-21 in England. The team was in town after it delivered three racing shells donated to Steph’s Kids, an initiative by Bayou Rowing Association co-founder Charles Mosley to get teenagers into rowing and improve their reading skills. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF