BachmanROC Makes Rowing at Bachman, Well Rockin'
by Tim Dickey
There is an exciting new rowing program launching at the Bachman Recreation Center – focused on raising awareness of the life-changing benefits of competitive rowing among Northwest Dallas public middle and high school students.
“BachmanROC Rowing Club” is a new non-profit organization that is partnering with the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and the Dallas Independent School District to significantly broaden access to this sport. “BachmanROC” stands for “Bachman Rowing Outreach to the Community,” and that is exactly what their leadership team has been doing for the last few months, and will continue to do going into the 2024-25 school year. Their results so far have been compelling.
Because of the significant financial resources required to acquire and maintain indoor rowing machines, rowing shells, coaches’ launches and boathouse facilities, the sport of rowing in middle and high schools has historically been accessible primarily (but certainly not exclusively) to students attending private schools. Many of these rowing programs are literally “world class”; just see our social media post about Teal Cohen and her rowing team in the 2024 Olympics!
In addition to holding “learn to row” clinics at four Dallas Recreation Centers last December, BachmanROC has put on two well attended “learn to ERG” sessions for students at Thomas Jefferson High School, plus some pilot “learn to ERG” classes in June at the Bachman Recreation Center.
And there’s more! Much more.
BachmanROC has placed about 15 high end Concept2 ERG rowing machines in the Bachman Rec Center for students and residents to use in supervised rowing clinics, regular exercise classes and, if requested, by other select groups.
The Bachman Rec Center is home to the only Special Needs Boy Scout Troop in Dallas and supports a wonderful community of other Special Needs students and adults who, among other activities, walk and play pickleball together. BachmanROC plans to explore how to offer mid-day indoor rowing programs to this community and supporting family members and caregivers in addition to its rowing program for adults and high school students participating in early morning, afternoon and evening workouts.
In conjunction with its land-based rowing facilities, BachmanROC plans to locate its fleet of 13 competitive rowing shells, oars, equipment, and chase boats on the south patio of the Bachman Rec Center under a large “event tent.” A soon to-be-constructed floating dock will provide rowers and coaches with access to Bachman Lake.
In addition, BachmanROC applied for – and won – a nationally competitive grant from the George Pocock Foundation’s “ERG Ed” program (one of only two clubs in the nation in 2024 to do so). That grant provides 20 new Concept2 ERG rowing machines for deployment in physical education classes likely at Thomas Jefferson, W.T. White, Hillcrest, North Dallas, Pinkston and Booker T. Washington (in addition to several middle schools) over the next five years with the goal of reaching ~8,000 students/year. Students wishing to pursue competitive rowing beyond their ERG Ed classes will be apprised not only of programs at BachmanROC, but also at the Dallas Rowing Club, Dallas United Crew, and White Rock Rowing. In a sense, BachmanROC will serve as a “feeder” program for DISD students to the local rowing programs.
BachmanROC’s “mantra is, “Learn to Swim, Learn to ERG, Learn to Row, Go to College.”
For students unfamiliar with swimming, there’s access to swim lessons at the Bacman Rec Center indoor pool year-round or the adjacent outdoor Bachman Regional Aquatics Center during warm weather.
With 15 ERG rowing machines at the Bachman Rec Center and 20 “ERG Ed” rowing machines on DISD campuses, awareness of indoor rowing in DISD schools will rise rather dramatically.
With its fleet of rowing shells: 3 quads, 4 doubles and 6 singles, there are 25 seats available for morning and afternoon on-the-water coached workouts. Offers of additional equipment have started coming in from rowing clubs outside of Dallas.
For academically inclined students with a strong work ethic, and moderate to strong athleticism, there are paths to college and in some cases, scholarships.
BachmanROC attended a college/high school recruiting event at a National Championship regatta in mid-July and met with 30+ collegiate rowing coaches.
According to Patrick Hamner, its President and Co-founder, “BachmanROC Rowing was inspired by Arshay Cooper's 2020 book & movie: 'A Most Beautiful Thing.'" It’s the true story of the first all-black high school rowing team in America. A successful Chicago investment manager and rower seeking to give back to his community, lifts the heads of a small group of young men in a West Chicago, gang-infested high school seeking to teach them rowing and entrepreneurship. A few students engaged and pulled themselves up, ultimately attending college or starting businesses. It’s also a story of racial reconciliation. During training for a “reunion row,” years later, four white Chicago police officers were invited to join Arshay Cooper and his three then middle-aged classmates in training led by US Olympic coach Mike Teti. The men all raced together in an eight man shell at the Chicago Sprints with their families cheering them on. 'A Most Beautiful Thing' has ignited a movement to bring rowing to underprivileged students in public high schools across America – including Dallas. It inspires BachmanROC today.”
BachmanROC rowing coach is Flo Elkins, a US Rowing Certified Rowing coach and UCanRow2 & Concept2 Indoor Rowing Instructor. Flo moved to Dallas following work with RowLA's “ERG Ed” indoor rowing program and a stint with a charter school where she introduced ~1,500 young girls to rowing. RowLA is a Marina Del Ray, California-based program for girls in middle and high schools (low to modest income households) seeking to lever rowing for college admission and scholarships. Approximately 98% of RowLA’s competitive rowing team graduates went to college on academic or rowing scholarships in a recent year. In addition to being the lead coach, Flo is a co-founder of BachmanROC.
For more information or to contact this fantastic new non-profit in the area, please visit them at their website: www.BachmanROC.com.
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