Dayton residents could see a few more oars in the water in coming months. Five Rivers MetroParks has announced the start of a Community Olympic Development Program to train young rowers.
There are already 12 of these programs around the country—but this is the first in the nation developed for the sport of rowing.
The Dayton Boat Club, Greater Dayton Rowing Association and Five Rivers will work with the U.S. Olympic Committee and USRowing.
The CEO of USRowing, Glenn Merry, says the partnership will be a boon to both the park system and the sport.
“You have all this wonderful waterway and all these access points up and down the Miami River," he said. "I think it’s really going to see it double and triple in size over the next five years, and the number of kids being involved.”
The idea behind this program is to get the support of the U.S. Olympic Committee to raise the level of training for youth with Olympic potential.
The new organization—Dayton Regional Rowing—will design Olympic training programs for athletes, coaches and referees.
Five Rivers MetroParks Executive Director, Becky Benná, says partnership also highlights their efforts to promote health activities within the community.
“We think this is a great regional effort, we have great partners and we’re just very excited to see what the future can do as we move forward,” she said.
