Veterans Rowing League
Active, discharged and retired military veterans
As part of the Summer Rowing League (SRL), this 12-week program teaches the basics of sweeps rowing. The program is designed for rowers of all abilities who wish to work together as a team in an eight-person shell. During the 90-minute coached practice sessions, rowers will develop rowing stroke technique and boat handling skills. Teams are most often coed.
The program is inclusive to all service-disabled Veterans with a future goal of including BK (below-the-knee) amputees.
The Veterans fee includes all equipment, coxing and coaching during the season.
Veteran's teams participate in the two SRL regattas during the summer session. The first regatta is in June. The second regatta is the last week of the summer session. Teams may also have the opportunity to compete in away regattas and row in the Head of the Cuyahoga (HOTC). All rowers receive a Rowing League T-shirt.
Program Eligibility: Active Duty Service Members, National Guard and Reservists, Veterans/Service-disabled Veterans, Gold Star adult family members. Link to Veteran's rowing team evaluation for the Freedom Rows Program: Click here
For additional program information, contact
Veterans@westernreserverowing.com
Practices
Boats leave and return to the docks at the times specified below. Participants should arrive 15 minutes prior to practice time in order to change, prepare equipment and meet with your team. The Cleveland Rowing Foundation (CRF) locker rooms and showers are available to all registered WRRA members.
*Sessions are subject to change due to coaching availability and enrollment numbers.
Weekday Evenings
Fridays | 5:45 – 7:15 pm
Freedom Rows
Western Reserve Rowing Association is a proud partner of the USRowing/Freedom Rows Veterans Program.
USRowing is opening boathouse doors throughout the country to our U.S. veterans and members of the armed services with disabilities. We're excited for them to join our team and experience the full range of opportunities and benefits to be gained from recreational rowing at their VA sports facility or local club to competing in the Paralympics.
USRowing is partially funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to offer Freedom Rows, an adaptive sports grant program facilitated and managed by the National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events Office (NVSP&SE). The mission of the NVSP&SE office is to provide opportunities for veterans to improve their independence, well-being, and quality of life through adaptive sports and therapeutic arts programs. The VA awards grants to qualifying organizations to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports opportunities for veterans and members of the armed forces with disabilities.
Click here for a list of USRowing Adaptive and Freedom Rows Programs.
Primary Goals
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Increase the number of disabled veterans participating and competing in adaptive and Para rowing categories.
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Provide expert training and technical assistance in adaptive rowing to VA adaptive sports program managers, community rowing coaches and instructors, and VA recreational therapists.
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Provide outreach coordination, Paralympic classification of athletes, FISA-certified training of classifiers, adaptive rowing program development, adaptive rowing equipment, evaluation, and other activities related to the implementation and operation of the program.
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Provide a supportive environment for veterans to enjoy familiar teamwork and comradeship.
All You Need to Know
