Small Club Saturday: Rock City Rowing

General Club Information:

When was your club founded? Arkansas Boathouse Club was re-established in 2004. There was an original ABCfrom 1882 to 1945 which was disbanded after a fire in the boathouse. ABC is now our non-profit organization that supports Rock City Rowing, which was rebranded and established in 2016.

What is the general background of the club? Arkansas Boathouse Club hired RowAmerica to assist in growth in the club in the fall of 2015, this is how current head coach Ted Riedeburg made his way to Little Rock, Arkansas. RowAmerica and ABC parted ways in 2016, but Ted Riedeburg remained to help grow the sport in Arkansas, renaming the racing program Rock City Rowing. In August of 2018, after 2 years working with Little Rock Parks and Recreation, Corps of Engineers, and Pulaski County, Rock City Rowing moved its location from downtown Little Rock and the Arkansas River to a beautiful and calm tributary west of the local dam called the Little Maumelle River. Since then, the team has had exponential growth over the last few years.

What is your club's mission/goals? Our mission statement is: To promote a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community where athletes of all ages and abilities can discover the powerful connection between mind, body, and spirit while learning to row in our Natural State.

Any motto or quotes your boathouse lives by? "Learn independence, self-awareness, and heighten skills in the single to row successfully in all types of boats"

Program Structure:

What initiatives has your club implemented to bring in students and athletes? Over the years we have attended local events promoting the club like charity 5K runs and Little Rock City health fairs, spoke at schools and set up ergs for gym class, and made a strong social media presence in the area.

How is your program structured, do you compete at a higher level or against other clubs, etc.? We have a junior development program for 6-8th graders that focuses on skill development and fun learning to scull, most of whom spend lots of time in singles. The youth racing team competes in the USRowing Central division, and we have a very active adult program. Some of our masters have begun racing and some have had success at Masters Nationals with 2 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze between 2 female athletes.

Small Club Tips:

Can you talk about your fundraising efforts and how you do outreach throughout your community? We haven't done much community outreach for fundraising, however in an effort to pay off a fleet of boats we received early on, we had a boat naming fundraiser that was very successful, and that paid off the boats we currently have and now are able to focus on getting better equipment moving forward.

What are some recommendations or strategies that have allowed your club to be successful in growing and maintaining members over the years? My main thing is individual or very small group attention in the form of private lessons, and making sure they are ready enough to fold into regular practices with the youth and adult teams. This individual attention is a lot of work, but pays dividends and is invaluable in growing the team, especially if you are a coaching staff of one!

Any tips to share that might help other small clubs do the same in their communities? Be patient, consistent, offer an excellent product, and think outside the box

Have you run into challenges with getting members? Any advice on how other small clubs can combat those challenges? We had challenges in the beginning mostly due to the location of the club, now that we have moved it is much more appealing and we are having much more success getting and maintaining members.

Anything else you would like to share about your club that would be beneficial to other clubs and our members! Stay positive and have fun with what you are doing!