A trip (row) down memory lane (Schuylkill River)

While looking for something else on the web, I ran into an article that the Heavyweight Crew (rowing) coach at The University of Pennsylvania, Stan Bergman, was resigning and taking an administrative position in the athletic department at Penn.

This brought back many memories of my 2 years on the crew team at Penn, after 4 years rowing in High School before it, and two years afterwards sculling (two oars per person instead of one like sweep rowing) at Vesper Boat Club and Penn AC. This all was many years (and pounds) ago.
Coach Bergman came my sophmore year - by then I knew that there was no chance of my making the Varsity Heavyweight boat. At 5'11 and 175lbs I was TOO small for heavies (most of them were over 6'3 and 200+ lbs.) Height especially can be a factor since the taller you are, the longer your blade is powerfully in the water (once the blade is in the water it moves very little...it is the boat that is moving and the blade the fulcrum point). By Sophmore year I had sucked weight, down to 153, to row lightweights. But I got to observe and interact with Coach Bergman, and I have always had a great respect for him.

The photo above is a recent Penn Crew, and below is Coach Bergman in a double scull. Perhaps some day soon I will scan a few pictures from my Penn Rowing days and post them as well for a good laugh!