Head of the Ohio Regatta: It's all in a row
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It can be said that the majority of high school athletes ply their craft in relative obscurity.
Only a few select sports draw big crowds -- and even that is only for games. Football players, for example, typically sweat through two-a-days in August without anyone cheering them on.
For rowing, that's even moreso -- and it has nothing to do with the popularity of the sport. Training usually begins each day before most people are awake -- often, before the sun rises.
The annual Head of the Ohio Regatta is Saturday, and Pittsburgh's biggest rowing event is the area's most prominent opportunity for local rowers -- including dozens of high school athletes -- to get their moment in the sun, so to speak.
"One thing to really stress, especially on the high school level, is these kids work really, really hard," said Oakland Catholic coach Joe Mariuzza, a former standout rower for Central Catholic.
"This is a competitive sport that takes a lot of time and a lot of commitment. High schoolers are dealing with plenty in general, and then you have kids who go down four or five times a week early in the morning or late after school, and they are competing and working really hard.
"A lot can be said for that, and this is one of those times they can get everyone at their school, classmates and friends and teachers can come out and watch them, enjoy themselves, see what rowing is all about and why these athletes put so much time and work into it."
In all, there are more than 2,000 participants racing in more than 500 boats coming from more than 100 organizations across the country and even from Canada.
High School racing is a significant segment of the competition but is still only part of the day, what with colleges, corporate teams, rowing clubs, individuals with disabilities and others also represented.
First Published October 8, 2010 12:32 am
