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Schuylkill Navy pools Philly's Boathouse Row talent

The Schuylkill Navy aims to turn Philadelphia's distinguished rowing tradition into a more formidable international presence.

Rowers practice on Schuylkill. Photo courtesy of Sabina Louise Pierce
Rowers practice on Schuylkill. Photo courtesy of Sabina Louise PierceRead moreSabina Louise Pierce

The rowing clubs of the Schuylkill Navy are teaming up in an effort to raise Philadelphia's standing in the sport to a new level.

The Schuylkill Navy High Performance Collaborative will combine the top talent of the clubs of Boathouse Row, allowing for internationally competitive boats that draw from the top caliber of the city. The collaborative, which was announced in June, has one goal: cementing Philadelphia's place at the top of the American rowing scene.

"We hope this will bring us a lot more success on an international front," said Bonnie Mueller, the vice commodore of the Schuylkill Navy. "We've had individual success from Boathouse Row here and there, but it's been a very long time since we've had a boat exclusively from Philadelphia go to a podium finish internationally."

Boathouse Row is home to the oldest rowing clubs in the country, dating back to 1858, and for centuries the area has produced some of the nation's top rowing talent. This legacy brings both pressure and responsibility to the Schuylkill Navy, Mueller said, and it served as an impetus for change.

Before the collaborative, the Navy existed as an organizing body for the clubs, which trained and competed separately. This made it difficult for Philadelphia to remain competitive, however, because the top talents of the city were split into different boats.

Now, athletes will split training time between their clubs and their collaborative teams. This allows top rowers to train and compete at a higher level, while still remaining tied to their club communities.

"This is uniting a bond that was really there already," rower Kate McFetridge said. "There's a standard here. It's a tradition of excellence and I think everyone who trains here and comes up through [the Navy] understands that and respects it."

The transition happened at a convenient time in the international rowing calendar. The year following the Olympics is always focused on rebuilding, when teams and programs often restructure and look to the future.

The merger also comes in the same year that the United States will host the World Rowing Championships (Sept. 24-Oct. 1 in Sarasota, Fla.) for the first time in more than two decades. The Schuylkill Navy aims to be a dominant presence there, and in international competitions in the future.

Ultimately, Mueller hopes the new format will reinvigorate the legacy of the Schuylkill Navy as one that is known for attracting and producing champions.

"When you think back on the history of the [Schuylkill] Navy, you want to live up to that," Mueller said. "There's an expectation and a sort of pressure to always be working to continue that legacy."