Rowing alums keep giving, coming back

When the newest Princeton shell is christened in a few weeks, both the current Tigers who will enjoy the boat and the former Tigers who funded its purchase — members of the Class of 1972 — will come together to mark the occasion.

Such occasions are quite common for Princeton rowers, who benefit from among the closest team-alumni relationship of any squad on campus. In addition to making sure the program is among the best-funded in the nation, alums often continue to train with and advise the team.

It's a partnership that both groups of Tigers greatly value.

"[Rowing] was such a valuable experience they [alums] had while they were at Princeton," men's heavyweight head coach Curtis Jordan said, "[so] they want to make sure the experience continues to get better."

The most obvious way that crew alumni have given back to the sport and school is through funding. As with other varsity sports, the crew program has a "Friends Group" dedicated to raising funds and helping the program improve. Senior captain Spencer Washburn attributes much of the crew teams' success to those donations.

"We are almost entirely funded by our alumni," he said, "and it is their support that allows us to take yearly training trips to Tampa, as well as have an amazing boathouse and constantly the best equipment on the market."

Team members fully realize just how lucky they are and do not take the support for granted.

"[We're] aware that our fabulous equipment, the food tents set up for us at races, etc . . . [are] due to alumni or parent (often the same) generosity," junior James Wray said.

More than money

But the support goes beyond simply writing checks — crew alumni contribute to the crew program in other important ways as well. As Jordan explains, many "play an image and a leadership role" for current rowers.

Alumni are "still extremely active and involved in the success of the team," junior heavyweight Steve Coppola said. "Whether it is workout [or] training pointers, help or advice on academics or just being at races to cheer us on, they are ever present and always willing to help a younger Tiger out."

Washburn echoed Coppola's sentiments, adding "Their enthusiasm for the sport is contagious and definitely works to inspire those of us currently rowing to uphold the tradition of success that past rowers worked so hard to establish."

According to junior Jackie Zider, that tradition of success, which includes numerous rowers who have raced at the international level and in the Olympics, serves to "inspire us to push and exceed our limits on a daily basis."

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While most alumni have moved far away from the Lake Carnegie boathouse, a select few are able to remain uniquely involved because they have not yet left Princeton. The United States National Team is based in Princeton, sharing the Shea Boathouse facilities with the Tigers.

Former captain Mark Flickinger '01, who is currently on the National Team, said that among rowers there is the feeling that those "who came before you built the program, [and it is] your job when you're there to maintain [it]."

There is a sense of legacy and continuity, he added, in that "what you do in the boathouse sticks with the classes that come behind you."

Hanging around

So Flicklinger and others express their gratitude for the Princeton rowing experience by "just being around the boathouse" whenever possible.

"I try to be accessible, to talk to [current rowers] about things, to encourage them to pursue rowing," he said.

Flicklinger, along with other alums on the National Team, also occasionally assist the coaching staff with practices. Flicklinger said he strives to instill in rowers a firm sense of "not only [rowing] technique, but also how to make the most out of the University."

Coppola and his fellow rowers seem particularly grateful for this level of support and dedication that alumni like Flickinger offer.

"I would not call it an attempt to live vicariously, though," Coppola said. "It's more like they want to hear our stories and then compare them with their own, and they are always quick to tell some good stories from yesteryear."