There are more than 14 high schools on Long Island that have rowing teams, including Manhasset High School and Chaminade which are already training in Hempstead Harbor. Manhasset's rowing team has grown from 18 to 60 members in just one year. Rowing programs can help students gain admission to more prestigious universities and may also lead to scholarship opportunities.

Rowing can help a student differentiate himself or herself from other students, which admission committees look favorably upon. Schools such as Harvard, Yale, Penn, Brown, Cornell and Wisconsin have rowing programs, but not enough rowers. Schools are willing to offer rowing scholarships, especially for experienced women high school rowers under Title IX. Also, rowing promotes mental as well as physical well-being. Few rowers suffer knee, hip and ankle problems or stress fractures. It is a lifelong activity that helps to counter the effects of aging by increasing strength and aerobic capacity.

With two bays, Port Washington is ideally situated to support a rowing team. Why aren't we?

Monika Dorman