Many thanks to senior Rachel Hunnicutt for the the following article which appeared in the Avon Post.  For the last few years, while Avon had no program, Rachel and one other senior girl worked out with the Farmington high School Crew.

 

 

08/02/2007
Join the crew: rowing is growing in Avon
By:Rachel Hunnicutt , Special to the Post

Since the 1800s, rowing has been touted as one of the most dynamic and interactive team sports in both England and America. The highly respected Simsbury High School is just celebrating its 30th year. In 2005. Farmington High School has developed its own new but promising team. After all of these years, Avon has finally caught the drift.
Thanks to the efforts of Sue Passmoor, recently an active member of the Farmington Valley Rowing Association, and Eric Rosow, an experienced rower who has competed at the national level and coached at both Trinity College and Simsbury High School, Avon High School will finally be able to boast its own crew team. Last spring, Passmoor and Rosow proposed to the Avon Board of Education a plan that would start a developmental crew team in Avon. Initially, fees paid by rowers and raised by the Friends of Avon Crew will cover the costs of the sport. After five years the expenses will be integrated into annual spending covered by the Board of Education. This five-year phase-in plan is similar to that of the wildly popular Avon/St. Paul hockey team. While it will be primarily an exhibition sport in its early years, Avon crew will ultimately be broken down into tradition varsity and junior varsity levels.
Where will this money go? Fortunately for Avon, Passmoor and Rosow, both parents and Avon residents, have donated their coaching talents. As for equipment, Vespoli in New Haven is donating a crew shell. This vessel, which holds eight rowers and a coxswain, will allow the greatest amount of rowers at a time and will be stable enough for novices or first-year rowers. To ensure the safety and efficiency of practices, rowing coaches travel alongside their teams in launches or motor boats. The Herman family of Avon is donating a launch to the cause. Riverfront Recapture, a Hartford rowing program, is loaning the start- up team a floating dock to accommodate the rowers. All of this equipment will be stored in the repurposed bathhouse at Batterson Park Pond in Farmington. The park is owned by the city of Hartford and will be under surveillance of patrolmen to ensure the safety of participating students. Transportation to and from the practice site will be provided by the school system in accordance with its insurance program.
The addition of this sport allows Avon High School to broaden its participation in regional sports. The ultimate team sport, rowing allows athletes to condition themselves in a number of ways: they can emphasize their strengths, address their weaknesses and learn the importance of intra-team communication and developing a support system. As young rowers learn the techniques, the lingo and the culture, they become involved in a sports community in which they can participate well past their high school or college years. In addition, the growing popularity of crew means opportunities for Avon students to compete for crew scholarships at the collegiate level. Thanks to the initiative and the dedication of coaches Passmoor and Rosow, Avon's students will soon be able to take advantage of all of the benefits that rowing has to offer.
Although the program has made monumental progress to date, it is still in need of the town's help. The Avon High School Booster Club has established Friends of Avon Rowing to encourage community involvement and to act as the team's fundraising vehicle. Several committees have already formed to tackle the task of raising money and awareness for the team. These groups cannot stress enough the need for volunteers and for financial support, especially during the first season. Donations will help defray the costs of equipment and facilities, and they will help ensure a safer and more enjoyable experience for Avon rowers. For more information on how one can donate and get involved with Avon Rowing, visit AvonCrew.org and watch for regattas and other crew events this fall.