CRCA Board Meeting (USRowing)

Friday, December 6, 2013

Minutes

I.               Present: Matt Borghard, Karen Klinger, Jimmy King, Robin Meiggs, Glenn Putyrae, Brett Sickler, Martin Stone, Robbie Tenenbaum, Colin Truex, Jane La Riviere, Dan Wollenbein, Wendy Lavash

II.             Roll Call for 12/6 –All Present: Matt Borghard, Karen Klinger, Jimmy King, Jane LaRiviere, Robin Meiggs, , Glenn Putyrae, Brett Sickler, Martin Stone, Robbie Tenenbaum, Colin Truex, Dan Wolleben

III.          Treasurers Report  (Jane)

60. Current account balance (as of 10/31/13) Checking $39,060.27, Savings 14,554.78)
61. Current accounts outstanding: $5,000 Paypal

IV.          Election of Officers

1. Officers confirmed as a group
   1. President – Robbie Tenenbaum
   2. VP/Treasurer – Jane LaRiviere
   3. Secretary – Karen Klinger

V.             Selection of Committee Chairs

a.     Confirmed all assignments as a group

Standing Committees:

1. Awards – Jimmy King/ Colin Truex
2. Championship and Competition- Martin Stone/Karen Klinger
3. Legislative Review- Robbie Tenenbaum/Bill Zack
4. Membership – Karen Klinger (helping Dan Wollenbien)
5. Nominating – Robin Meiggs
6. Lightweight – Wendy Lavash
   1. Confirming Martin Doyle and Claire McKell to help (??)

Ad- Hoc Committees

1. Coaches Poll – Glenn Putrae
2. Coaches Education – Brett Sickler
3. Hall of Fame – Max Borghard
4. Sponsorship – (is this still a committee?)

VI.          Committee Reports

1. Standing Committees
2. Awards  

• Decided to change Asst. Coach of the Year to Staff of the Year DI
  1. Justification: Doesn’t require one coach to be singled out, but awards excellence for a “team” of coaches
• Timing of All America Awards – keep the same
  1. DII and DIII the week before NCAA
  2. DI currently after (it is tied heavily to NCAA results
  3. Use Website, social media to publicize results/winners and also give more attention to sponsor Pocock
  4. Move awards paperwork online
  5. Canvas region: some people not nominating athletes – find out why?

6. Championship and Competition
   • Championship venue announced for 2015, 16, 17 and 18
   • Championship Venue issues from 2013 to put forward?
     1. Weather/wind definitely a concern
   • Boat Weight –Decided not even to bring it up to membership at this time
   • Scheduling issues – is there anything CRCA can do to help facilitate scheduling for schools in rowing -TABLED
7. Legislative Review
   • Declassification of GA (to a 4^th paid coach) – bring it to the membership
     1. Justification – were given information that looking at it from a “safety” and “student athlete welfare” perspective – coach/athlete ratio would be more powerful than arguing about some programs ability or lack of ability to have a GA
     2. Discussed what the NCAA process is
8. Membership
   • What are membership numbers? Ask Dan
9. Nominating
   • No changeover in 2013
   • Bebe Bryans suggested as a new member instead of Steve Pritzker (confirmed)
   • Need to put together the terms list, and prepare for nominations and take into account regional re-alignment
   • Develop Board materials (Robbie and KK)
10. Lightweight
    • No issues

 

1. Ad Hoc Committees

Note: Getting a current copy of the bylaws – as I think these have been made standing committees

1. Coaches Poll

• Virginia has agreed to keep hosting the web form
  1. Authorized paying them (about $250 a year?)
• Confirmed final coaches poll is not based on NCAA results alone

3. Coach Education
   • Feedback from group was that at regatta was more difficult
   • Possiblity for combining up with USRowing (Jacksonville, FL in 2014)
     1. Discussed a keynote speaker, a panel
     2. Approach USRowing/Willie Black about combining up and putting CRCA “day” on Friday
   • Agreed to provide up to $2000 in “scholarship” for 2 coaches to the conference (confirm this number)
4. Hall of Fame
   • Still looking for a permanent home
   • Proposal to change from “retired from coaching” to 25+ years in coaching women’s rowing (and 5 retired)???
     1. Passed
5. Sponsorship –
   • Pocock – $5000. They are on the awards, and title sponsor in directory
   • Can we give them more for their sponsorship ?
   • Should we look for other sponsors?

VII.        Other Business

1. Salary and Staffing Survey
   1. Propose to create and use one, providing report to the membership

Ask the membership for ideas at the general meeting

1. Website
   1. Firm has been hired to work on the site
2. Use of CRCA Funds
   1. Generate a list of ideas: (some under other committee headings)
      • Website improvements – authorized for $7000
      • Scholarships to CRCA conference -Authorized to “up to $2000”

(please confirm that amount)

VIII.      Confirmed General Membership Meeting Agenda

2-4pm Friday December 6th

Kelly Shaul – NCAA Rowing Liaison, will be in attendance

Hall of Fame Award

Awards changes

Program and Salary Survey

IX.          Next Board Meeting – Conference Call

Wednesday January 29^th, 2014  1pm EST

XI.       Adjournment

 

Minutes of General Membership Meeting

Friday December 6, 2013

 

1. Greetings
2. Thank USrowing for use of facility
3. Introduce Current Board
4. Introduce NCAA reps – Kelly Shaul DII-DIII Liaison
5. Thank Pocock for title sponsorship of awards for the past 9 years

 

6. Committee Reports

Awards – put forth the proposed change of “Staff of the Year”

Championship and Competition

Talked about the site selection, how that was done, reminded of date of announcement

Legislative Review – discussion on the 4^th paid coach

Mentioned potential changes in the recruiting calendar

Membership – pressed for full staff and full participation by all NCAA programs

Kelly Shaul – Answered questions about legislative process around 4^th coach issue,

and about NCAA site and Championship.

Confirmed that the post-championship surveys were read and acted on

Confirmed why hotel arrangements are organized the way they are

Coaches Poll- put forth a request for pollers, reminded membership of how the poll is run,

and what the criteria for polling is

Education – Described the proposed CRCA “Day” as part of USRowing – feedback was positive

Described the “scholarship” for Asst. Coaches to attend

Hall of Fame – Chris Combs daughter Kristen accepted the award and read remarks

(attached at bottom)

 

7. Other Business:

Website improvements – let the membership know about improvements coming

Salary and Staffing Survey – Asked the membership for ideas –

Many ideas were put forward, and the membership suggested that this survey be used specifically to support the growth of all rowing programs, and to include not just salary and staffing, but overall funding, facilities, financial support, equipment, etc.

(Draft of survey sent by Martin to Board) Goal will be a CRCA “Position Paper”

Will hire an outside firm to do the survey

 

 

 

 

Remarks from Chris Combs (read by Kristen Combs as she accepted the award for her father)

                                                                                                       Christopher Combs

                                                                                                            170 Maple Street

                                                                                                                        Litchfield, CT  06759

                                                                                                                        860-836-6122

                                                                                                           

Yes, I sincerely wanted to join your meeting today to thank the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association for the honor and recognition you bestowed on me with the nomination to the CRCA Hall of Fame. However – occasionally business has interfered with time I am able to spend at our sport’s events, and today is one of those conflicts for me.

 

I would like to share this honor with the supporters from our rowing community that we see at various regatta’s who work during races to give our athletes a chance to compete on a fair venue to the best of the athletes’ ability. This is very important and appreciated.

 

Some of you may understand that I have worked in rowing these many years organizing races and managing regatta’s just for the racing and the community we have all enjoyed. My appreciation for the sport has always been about the people, the connection with water and effort needed to succeed, not only the physical commitment but also the mental element and need for some to pursue persistence, over and over and over….

 

We can agree that we all found our way to rowing in varied journeys.  I will thank Hart Perry from Kent School and Chick Willing at South Kent School for adding me to their teams at various times to help set up, organize, manage, report results and promote rowing. I have been lucky to see the growth of women’s rowing from a unique perspective since the 1979 Sprints arrived at Lake Waramaug for a 20 year visit. In that era parents were trying to find their daughters at the first race they had ever attended and needed someone to explain so much.

 

The years, since then, have added to the history, great races, talented athletes and wonderful coaches I have had a chance to work with and provide whatever help I could to a sport I have always loved and appreciated. Understanding the mental and physical effort that rowing requires has always given me great respect and value of the efforts our coaches need to create a better and faster racing crew each year with new and different challenges.

 

By the way, since I am missing from Seattle,   if you see US Rowing’s Willie Black at this convention please thank him for his work organizing – in the early 90’s – pulling the course from Lake Waramaug. Until he offered to spend a day at the lake, that job was just one more thing to fit in for me and after he left Connecticut, my kids were big enough to be helpful. I am proud both my children found their way to our sport after getting a “back stage” perspective of rowing as the regattas were often a family effort.

 

Finally – the assistance and community created for our sport by Row 2K with Ed Hewitt and his team of unsung helpers was incredibly helpful to our efforts to manage and promote better Sprint’s and Ivy Championships as well the positive effect for all rowers everywhere.

 

I look forward to offering as many of you as I can a personal thank you when we meet on the side of a river or lake during next few years. My sincere thanks to the CRCA, your officers and the Hall of Fame Committee for their support.

 

Thank you all, very much.