Five Rivers MetroParks has entered into an agreement with the United States Olympic Committee and USRowingto designate the newly formed Dayton Regional Rowing a Community Olympic Development Program (CODP). Dayton Regional Rowing is a partnership between Five Rivers MetroParks, the Dayton Boat Club and Greater Dayton Rowing Association. Dayton Regional Rowing is the only U.S. Olympic Committee and USRowing sanctioned CODP for rowing in the nation and one of only 11 CODPs in the nation.
“This local and national collaboration is another example of how collective efforts can make great things happen in communities,” Five Rivers MetroParks Executive Director Becky Benná said. “The CODP designation elevates the sport of rowing in the region and across the country as the nation’s first CODP for the sport of rowing.
“This designation also complements the Dayton region’s status as the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest and offers Five Rivers MetroParks and its rowing partners additional opportunities to serve the community by connecting people to nature, our rivers and promoting healthy lifestyles,” she added.
The mission of Dayton Regional Rowing is to provide lifelong personal development and active lifestyles for Miami Valley youth through the sport of rowing, as well as to enhance high-quality intermediate programs for youth to maximize their potential in the Olympic sport of rowing.
“This partnership with Dayton Regional Rowing is a great opportunity to leverage the value that U.S. Olympic Committee and USRowing affiliation can bring to the local level,” said USRowing CEO Glenn Merry. “USRowing is excited to amplify the work being done in Dayton, drive rowing growth in the region and strengthen critical constructs, such as referee and coaching development.”
“USRowing has a long and successful history of partnerships through our U.S. Olympic training sites in Oklahoma City and in Princeton, N.J,” he added. “The CODP is a new opportunity to root Olympic excellence at the local and development level for rowing in the United States. Rowing is a lifelong sport and USRowing serves to unlock the champion within our athletes whether in their first year of youth rowing or at the Olympic podium.”
Beginning in 2012, Five Rivers MetroParks led the effort to establish a U.S. Olympic Committee-designated CODP to enhance opportunities for youth to connect with nature through Dayton’s rivers. This leadership included bringing together the efforts of the region’s two rowing clubs, the Dayton Boat Club and Greater Dayton Rowing Association.
“This recognition represents a huge achievement for the Dayton region and the sport of rowing,” said Jim Wall, president of the Greater Dayton Rowing Association. “This recognition of the quality of our facilities and our program is extremely rewarding. We look forward to continuing our work with the youth in our community, introducing rowing as a sport and identifying future national-level competitors.”
The Dayton Regional Rowing CODP will collaborate with the U.S. Olympic Committee and USRowing to offer a community-based rowing program. This program will build partnerships and leverage U.S. Olympic Committee and USRowing resources to help athletes develop their performance — enhancing the Olympic sports feeder system right here in Dayton. Dayton Regional Rowing’s initial goals include hosting coach and referee trainings, creating a clear pathway of athlete development, and increasing participation and improving performance in youth rowing.
“We are eager to begin this exciting collaboration between Dayton Regional Rowing, USRowing and the U.S. Olympic Committee,” said Mike Miles, Dayton Boat Club head coach “I expect we will see Dayton rowers competing at the Olympics before too long.”
Five Rivers MetroParks will serve as the local administrator of Dayton Regional Rowing, with Director of Outdoor Connections Amy Dingle serving as lead staff member.
About Five Rivers Metroparks: Five Rivers MetroParks is a nationally renowned park system composed of natural area parks, gardens, high-quality river corridors, urban parks and a network of recreation trails, celebrating more than 50 years of preserving green space and natural areas. Five Rivers MetroParks protects the region’s natural heritage and provides outdoor experiences that inspire a personal connection with nature. Educational programs and recreational opportunities are offered year-round for all ages. To learn more about Five Rivers MetroParks, visit www.metroparks.org or call 937-275-PARK.
About The Community Olympic Development Program: The United States Olympic Committee has partnered with sport communities across the nation to help American youth receive the best sports development services possible. The USOC created the Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) in 1998 to help address the needs of progressing athletes from the beginning stages of development to the elite level. The goal of the CODP is to partner with national governing bodies and community groups to enhance high quality, intermediate sports programs for talented youth and maximize their potential in Olympic and Paralympic sports.
About The Dayton Boat Club: The Dayton Boat Club is home to competitive juniors and masters rowing programs. DBC competes in regattas in Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee and regularly has entries in the U.S. Junior National Rowing Championships. During the past 10 years, its teams have placed in the top 10 nationally nine times.
About Greater Dayton Rowing Association: GDRA has provided the Dayton community with access to rowing since 1992. Located alongside the Great Miami River at Island MetroPark, it provides sculling and sweep programs for adults and youth, on both competitive and recreational levels for the Miami Valley Region. GDRA also hosts the Charlie Doyle Memorial Regatta the first Saturday in October.
About USRowing: USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing has 75,000 individual members and 1,200 member organizations, offering rowing programs for all. USRowing’s official suppliers include Concept 2, Croker Oars, JanSport, Nielsen Kellerman, Vespoli and WinTech. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation and its corporate sponsors and partners: ANXeBusiness Corp, Boathouse Sports, Bucket List Events, Connect-A-Dock, EMCVenues, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Rudy Project and Shimano. USRowing relies on strong partnerships to enable continued success. America Rows, which supports diversity in rowing and provides opportunities for those with disabilities, also benefits from corporate support.
Additional information may be found at www.usrowing.org | Twitter: @usrowing | YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/usrowingorg | Facebook: www.facebook.com/usrowing | Tumblr: http://usrowing.tumblr.com/ | Instagram: usrowingngb
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