What happened in June 2025

Introduction

Summer. Temperature over 90 and still - children of Sarasota want to learn rowing. Our first Summer Camp in June is over and 10 days / two weeks of fun, learning and swimming and making new friends is over. Over two month of summer and the Scullers are training. The growing team shapes new goals for the fall 2025 and spring 2026 season and training became for most of them part of their life now. The search for our possible indoor erg training sessions comes into the final phase and two locations (one north and one south of our Boatyard) are spotted.

HeadCoach Stomporowski and assistant Ray having already first talks with our team about bringing training to the next level and signing up in the fall season to our Performance group will be harden then before.

Our HeadCoach travelled to Pelotas - Brazil. He said Good-Bye to his friend HeadCoach Oguener Tissot and his Junior-Team which died tragically on their way home from the Brazilian Championships. “Stompo” together with his friend Fabrizio talked about an exchange of athlete and a generous donor stepped in and will finance the trip of the first two athletes and their coach from Pelotas to Sarasota in the fall of 2025. More to that in our next Newsletter in August. See more about the club in Pelotas here LINK

Summer Camp 1 - June 2025

Our first Summer Camp started a few days after school finished. Many of our team and a bunch of new excited rowers showed up at our boatyard. European style … coach Stompo let everyone try in our singles … skinny - tup - coastal … everything was tried and everything ended disastrous in the water … with big laughter

During the days of learning our Masters had some sympathy and provided our newbies with good words and advice … and a lot of watermelon - THANK YOU

Finally - after a week of training … movement - teamwork and fun came together and the big boats started moving. Thank you to all campers and the patients everybody brought. Many of you we will see back in the second camp and some even will go racing in Halifax with us.

Maintenance - best thing of the year :-)

Tuesday is maintenance day … and actually the athletes are helpful :-)

Our fleet - like all fleets around the world - takes a “beating” during the Fall and Spring Seasons. Docking goes wrong, low tide, boat lifted to high out of the rack and got pinned or simple old age. Nothing better than in 90 degrees to give back some love to the seats we call home for 80min or more.

Summer Camper and our seasoned athletes finally learned what a 7/16 might be. Or a sander … or how to lose a rigger from the boat when it seems to be fused with all the salt our IntraCoastal is throwing at them.

The entire team, parents, and board is grateful for all the hours of work that our athletes put in to bring back the best of our material … and thank you for every boat we got donated during the past 12 month and we now can look even more forward to bring rowing to our Novice Team and that our Racing Team will perform at the race courses in Florida.

Preparation for Halifax 2025

The end of the summer holidays marks always the begin of our team into the fall season 2025. This year a record number of athletes stayed in Sarasota and trained during the summer holidays and all of them are looking forward going to Halifax this year.

The preparations are “im vollen Gange” and parents and athletes are ready to race and enjoy the other side of Florida. 15 or more athletes will do the trip with their parents, our boats and lots of hopes for medals.

As usual we are staying mainly together at one of the big Atlantic Ocean Hotels and will enjoy the evenings with beach walks and a Saturday team dinner … this year we are organizing this the first time and we all hope to have a great race-day and a nice celebration dinner.

Team’s suggestions are pouring into coaches WhatsApp account and if everyone’s desire could be met - the athletes would not leave the water and race all day long - unfortunately we do not have enough boats.

We are all excited to return to Halifax

Jessica Torgano our assistant to HeadCoach Bernhard

The assistant to our HeadCoach is Jessica Torgano. During our HeadCoachs time in Brazil he was introduced to Jessica Torgano. She was acting HeadCoach for the Flamengo Canoeing Team. After one year working together Jessica became also Bernhards assistant at Flamengo and both started working together.

Most of our team know Jessica through her work in our WhatsApp group but also when the seasons start and we all get reminded to sign-up, fill out waivers and getting the FSRA paperwork done. (Get ready athletes - this will start soon again).

Who is Jessica … let read …

“I'm Carioca, and I've been involved in sport for 24 of my 36 years, as an athlete, coach and assistant. I love music and I'm starting to play the drums again. I'm Maria Lúcia's granddaughter, she's a lesson of strength and faith. I have a lot of fun with my family, they are the best part of my day!”

Who is Sage Belaire

Two years ago, Sage Belaire stepped into our Boatyard - Summer Camp. 14 years old - Taekwondo, school and rapping songs have been his big passion. He tried rowing before (not with us >ᴗ•) but somehow it did not spark. Summer Camp means learn to teach yourself being patient. Show respect to others and help. Sage is an incredible empathic person. He always has a look for the others and on the other hand he is driven … by something he did not know in the beginning.

Let’s hear some of his own words:

“In rowing, every stroke counts — not just your own, but the ones beside you. Victory is built on sweat shared, not just strength shown”

“The boat only moves when we pull together — trust, effort, and grit are the oars that carry us forward”

HeadCoach “Stompo” realized in the first month of Sage being with the Scullers - not only his mom Michelle makes fantastic Cuban coffee - Sage carries some flame.

Anise … talking about her brother:

“Not sure exactly but he’s a hard worker and will put in the effort if he’s truly passionate and committed to something… funny and interesting to talk to, will never disappoint personality wise … he always wants to improve on himself, rowing or otherwise”

Athletes of the Scullers training somewhere else

What happens in July 2025

25-27 July Regatta Halifax in Daytona LINK: Events - Halifax Rowing Association

10 July SSYRP visits Waters Edge Retirement Home in Bradenton LINK: Water's Edge of Bradenton - 2025 Pricing, Photos, 7 Reviews in Bradenton, FL