The
purpose of the Reach Out And Row (ROAR)
Program is to present the benefits of rowing and provide youth development
activities to the diverse
population in our local community. The NRRA is the only rowing club in
Fairfield County to provide rowing programs for at-risk youth at low or no-cost
to participants.
Why
rowing?
Athletes from all
income brackets have the opportunity to experience the intrinsic benefits of
rowing, such as:
teamwork
goal setting
physical fitness
discipline
self respect
respect for others
respect for the environment
Who are
the participants?
ROAR currently provides enrichment
programs to students through the following local organizations:
Family and Children’s Agency
(FCA)
Horizon’s Student Enrichment
Program
Norwalk Economic Opportunity
Now, Inc. (NEON)
Norwalk Housing Authority
Norwalk YMCA
Side-by-Side Community Charter
School
Does
Norwalk really need outreach programs?
According to
social researcher Mary H. Shann, after school hours are when students are most
likely to spend time unsupervised, participate in risk-taking behaviors, and be
the perpetrators or victims of crime or abuse. In her 2001 study “Students’ Use
of Time Outside of School: A Case for After School Programs for Urban Middle
School Youth,” Shann found that less than 14% of economically disadvantaged
youth have the opportunity to participate in after school programs or lessons,
although nearly one third report watching TV or playing video games for four
or more hours per day.
In Norwalk, nearly one third (31%)
of public school students are considered economically disadvantaged. Of the
students in the Norwalk Public School District, only 14.5% of the total
student population opportunity to participate in after school programs sponsored
by the Norwalk After School Alliance. Many of the students who do participate
are attending at-cost childcare programs. This leaves a considerable portion of
the at-risk teenage population under served, as the after school programs in our
area do not have the capacity to provide services. As a member of the Norwalk
After School Alliance, ROAR looks to fill the need of after school programming
in our community.
Is ROAR successful?
The ROAR program
directly affects the lives of those who have the opportunity to participate as
they develop physically, socially, academically and emotionally. Dan Pierce, a
2006 graduate of NRRA’s Youth Racing Team, first got his start as a member of
ROAR. When asked how he decided to stay involved in rowing, he replied, “There
just wasn’t any sport like it.” While Dan considered playing hockey or
football, rowing offered a different kind of team, which impressed him.
Through his strong start in ROAR, Dan went on to join the racing
team, serving as captain his senior year. Dan credits his academic
performance to his participation in the sport; the dedication and leadership
skills he developed as a rower easily transferred to class work. While Dan
always knew he wanted to go to college, he never expected that he would receive
an athletic scholarship to do so. Following offers from Cornell, Wesleyan,
and Trinity Universities, among others, Dan chose Washington College to continue
his academic career and row on the Varsity Men’s Team as a freshman. This
fall Dan returned to his team, where he has stroked his collegiate boat, while
pursuing a degree in Business Management with a minor in Economics.
While Dan’s story is impressive,
it is not unique.His
progression from novice ROAR rower to college recruit is one example of what
rowers have done since ROAR was founded. ROAR athletes have seen their concept
of “college” go from being something meant for “other people” to a reality now
open to them by virtue of ROAR and the massive influx of scholarship funding
that has become available to the sport of rowing. Now is the time to
restructure the ROAR program in order to ensure that more students like Dan have
the opportunity to pursue rowing, develop solid goals, and gain the exposure to
valuable life lessons.
