Letter from Joel Shinofield, USRowing’s New CEO

To the American rowing community, 

I am proud to be USRowing’s newly appointed CEO and look forward to building on the sport's hard-earned momentum. Momentum that would not be possible without each of your contributions.  

I believe in the power of sport. I have seen directly how sport makes a difference in the lives of people and communities, including in my own home. I’ve spent the last 40 years immersed in the Olympic movement: first as a swimmer in school, and then professionally in many forms: as a club and collegiate coach, and the leader of the oldest coaches’ association in America, and most recently at USA Swimming, where we provided member services, education, competition, Safe Sport, athlete developmental pathways into the national team, and team services to over 370,000 athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers. 

Both swimming and rowing have changed my life; my wife and I met at the University of Minnesota, where she coached rowing, and I coached swimming. As many of you may know, when you are married to a rowing coach, the sport becomes a part of your life. You learn to do whatever it takes to add value. You tie down boats before an impending tropical storm, load boats on a trailer, repair and rig boats, set the course, and build racks. I can promise you that I will approach every day with my sleeves rolled up and with a commitment to serving the rowing community to the absolute best of my abilities.  

People come to rowing in many ways, through local learn-to-row programs – I am in the midst of learning to row in Colorado – school teams, collegiate programs, masters clubs, summer camps, or even supporting a friend or family member who rows. I know that coaches, clubs, officials, and athletes at the community and elite level thrive when they have the resources and support needed. I want to hear how we can remove barriers, support growth in all areas, and bring the entire community together with a strong sense of pride in being a part of USRowing. 

Rowing is a sport that demands excellence, commitment, and hard work. You should expect those qualities from the organization and me. Building on the foundation in place, we will be committed to excellence: excellence in service, excellence in communication — both how we listen and share — and excellence in the experience and support we provide. We are committed to providing support from the grassroots level up to the national teams, in areas where we can have the most impact, so that our community — at age 18 or 80 — can reach their greatest potential.  

I have three sons, two of whom play sports in college and one in high school, all striving to hit their individual greatest potential. Their experiences are both vastly different and strikingly similar to my own as an athlete and a coach. On the one hand, the available resources and their costs have grown significantly – programs that don't use the best in sport science, analytics, and performance development are left behind. On the other hand, the difference that excellent coaches and teammates can make remains constant. I know the same to be true in competitive and elite rowing. 

Whether you found rowing as a teenager or well into adulthood, I look forward to learning from you on how we can continue to provide excellence for our members and athletes. Whether you race competitively, aspire to be on the national team, or get in a boat for the pure raw joy of rowing without ever looking at a split, I look forward to meeting you in the coming months and years as we grow together. As I said, I am constantly reminded of the unique and potent power of sport, and I’m humbled to help steward rowing in our country.  

I am grateful to the search committee and Board of Directors for the opportunity to lead USRowing, and I thank you all for your contributions to the sport. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the coming months. 

Joel Shinofield 
Chief Executive Officer 
USRowing