BY ED MORAN
PHOTO PROVIDED

The first time Ted Bonanno watched a Fordham men’s crew practice, he knew he was looking at a good opportunity.

They weren’t “particularly good,” Bonanno recalled, but they were doing everything their young coach was asking of them, and working hard to improve. 

“They were really into it and enthusiastic, and I got the impression there was potential for that program to develop.” 

For Bonanno, the notion that he was looking at something that could become bigger and better was inviting.

It had been two years since he had coached a collegiate team, after nearly 15 years at Rutgers University, and a spell at Columbia University, where he was named head coach three years into his tenure.

After leaving Columbia in 1987, Bonanno coached Juan Felix, a Columbia oarsman rowing the single and representing Puerto Rico in the 1988 Olympics and at the Henley Royal Regatta the following year.

Bonanno wasn’t at Fordham looking for a job that day. He had been asked to visit a practice by James Hammond, another Columbia grad and one of Bonanno’s former team captains who was coaching the Fordham men’s club crew and planning to leave after the season ended.

Although he grew up in the Bronx, Bonanno had never been on the university’s Manhattan campus, but an invitation from Hammond was enough to get him in the launch.

“He had a men’s eight, and they weren’t particularly good, but they were really into it and enthusiastic,” Bonanno recalled, “and I got the impression there was potential for that program to develop.

The following season, Bonanno signed on for the position Hammond had vacated and set out to build Fordham into a successful collegiate program.

“It was challenging,” Bonanno said. “They had a club program that wasn’t competitive. They weren’t winning any races, or very few, but I thought there was potential.”

After just one year, the Fordham men’s team was winning races and growing under his direction and recruitment efforts. In his second year, he added the women’s program to his duties and coached and developed them alongside the men.

He not only coached the two squads but also built  solid alumni support for both teams and guided the women into Division I when rowing became a NCAA varsity sport.

In October, Bonanno, 72, retired from the position he assumed in 1989, leaving behind a 31-year legacy of excellence and a textbook example of how to seize potential and turn it into success.

In his years at Fordham, Bonanno turned a modest program with little funding into a men’s and women’s team whose strong alumni support has enabled it to travel the country and the world to race.

Bonanno grew the program from a single men’s eight into a dual squad that included nearly 100 athletes in 2019. He also helped develop plans to build a permanent university-owned boathouse, a process that will continue into 2021.

During his tenure, 10 Fordham crews have had undefeated seasons and Fordham crews have won 17 national championships, including a Division I National Collegiate Rowing Championship, the IRA Regatta, 11 Dad Vail Regatta championships, and three ECAC National Collegiate Invitational Regatta titles.

Bonanno’s teams through the years were consistent medal contenders at multiple prestigious regattas, including the Dad Vail, IRA and NCAA championships, Henley Royal Regatta, and the Head of the Charles.

More than just a coach, Bonanno guided hundreds of young men and women through their undergraduate careers and into successful adult lives.

“He has produced great results for both the women’s and men’s programs, even though the teams have not had a permanent boathouse during his tenure,” said Charles Elwood, Fordham’s deputy director of intercollegiate athletics, whose daughter, Kylie, rowed for Bonanno and will be a senior on the team this year. “The struggles of not having a permanent boathouse were difficult, but it  motivated Ted and the student-athletes only to work harder.

“Ted has always been known as a great technical coach who can get the most out of his team from every practice, and his dedication to the academic and athletic success of the student-athlete is evident in everything he does and stands for.

“He is known for his ‘Ted Talks,’ his sometimes daily talks to the team on topics ranging from practice and fitness to academics and success for life. His constant theme was to strive for excellence and do your absolute best for your team, yourself, and your program.”

Seeing Potential and Sizing Opportunities

The essence of Bonanno’s approach at Fordham was taking baby steps and setting achievable goals. When his team was small, he focused on the boat that he thought could be most successful during that particular season.

In his first year, Bonanno coached the men’s varsity eight to an undefeated dual season and a spot in the finals at the Dad Vail Regatta. The next season, Bonanno’s priority crew for the Dad Vails was the men’s four, and he coached that to a second-place finish.

From the very first season, Bonanno, who began rowing at Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx before rowing at Marietta College, made recruiting and building a vibrant and supportive alumni network a priority.

Before coaching at Columbia, Bonanno coached men’s lightweight rowing at Rutgers, and he made sure he had a lightweight component in both the men’s and women’s squads at Fordham. His men’s lightweight eight was at times as competitive as any boat in the country.

“It got much, much better pretty quickly,” Bonanno said. “Our strong suit was lightweight men, and we built one of the stronger lightweight men’s eights in the country over the next couple of years. We beat all the Ivy League schools at one point or another.”

While building the men’s team, Bonanno also focused on recruiting and coaching the women and saw an opportunity he believed could lead to getting a crew invited to the first NCAA women’s championship in 1997.

When the regatta was announced, the rules did not require that an entire team had to qualify, as they do now. There were automatic bids for crews that won at specific qualifying regattas, including the Dad Vail.

Bonanno thought he could center the women’s season around a four and pointed his women rowers toward winning at Dad Vail and racing in the NCAA championship. The plan went perfectly. But when Bonanno called the NCAA office after the victory to learn how to enter, he was told that because the women belonged to a club team they were ineligible. 

“That was not great news,” Bonanno said. “After that happened, I pushed pretty hard, and the next year we were varsity.”

It might seem unmanageable–one person coaching both men’s and women’s teams, especially with limited budgets and the men competing as a club squad while the women rowed as a varsity NCAA team.

But Bonanno was undaunted. He coached both teams together, pitting men’s and women’s eights against each other when they matched in relative speed, and frequently creating mixed boats that helped rowers of both genders  develop.

“When the women rowed with the men, they got sharper,” Bonanno said, “and the men were quicker and  more explosive at the catch.”

The men became better technically from the women who “were better at setting the boat.” Bonanno said.

“We didn’t do it all the time, but they enjoyed it when we did. The two teams were always very tight and close with each other. And when we raced the mixed boats in practice, they were very competitive.”

The Perfect Fit for a Career Coach

If Bonanno was a perfect fit for Fordham, the university and the students who attended were a perfect fit for Bonanno, who besides coaching at Rutgers and Columbia guided rowers on the elite and international level and coached at some of the bigger club programs in the country.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Fordham,” Bonanno said. “The students were sort of blue-collar rowers. You told them what to do, and they did it. The fact that I had a pretty good reputation when I first got there helped.

“I wasn’t your typical small-program club coach. Most of the coaches they had at Fordham before me were like [Hammond], my former team captain. He was just a rower looking for something to do for a year. Or they had a recent grad who stuck around to coach a season.

“The rowers knew I had a strong background. And then we started to win, and that just fit into what I was doing there. It worked out pretty well, and then the women started to take off as well. We had some really good success.

“But the programs were quite small at the beginning. The funding was virtually non-existent. I made a real effort to build up alumni support, and as a result, we were able to do some interesting things. We started to win, and the alumni liked that and started to support the program.”

By the late ’90s, the program was enjoying ample success, alumni support was substantial, and the men could do anything the women could do.

“If they wanted to go to any regatta, they could,” Bonanno said. “We went to Henley several times. We were regular attendees at the San Diego Crew Classic. We could really do whatever we wanted, budget wise. We had tremendous support, and still do to this day.”

“I totally enjoyed my years at Fordham. Obviously, it was challenging, and a lot of work, but the students I coached–hard-working, dedicated, willing to put in a big effort–made it all worth it.”

BY ED MORAN
PHOTO BY PETER SPURRIER

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has notified USRowing that it has begun “a review” of alleged concerns raised by “certain segments of USRowing’s elite athlete population,” which are being viewed as significant enough for the USOPC to hire an independent law firm to conduct interviews and provide an “outside perspective.”

USRowing was notified of the action by the USPOC with an email dated Friday, January 8 that included an attached letter detailing who was conducting the review and what steps they will be taking. No specific allegations or complaints were contained in the email or the attached letter that was addressed “Dear USRowing Athlete,” and a copy of which has been obtained by Rowing News.

The letter states that the review is being conducted “with the full support and participation of USRowing, and was prompted, in part, by USRowing’s request for assistance in responding to athlete concerns regarding athletes’ ability to obtain impartial responses to complaints involving USRowing personnel and practices.”

The Friday email states:

“The USOPC’s Office of Compliance is responsible for ensuring National Governing Bodies are fulfilling their obligations as set forth in the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act as well as the USOPC Bylaws and various other USOPC policies. Among the most important of an NGB’s obligations is meeting the needs of, and being responsive to, the concerns of their elite athlete populations.

“We are reaching out to you today because certain segments of USRowing’s athlete population have raised concerns about the culture for elite athlete competitors which we believe warrants an outside perspective. To that end, the USOPC has hired the law firm Arent Fox LLP to conduct an independent review and assessment to identify the root factors contributing to those concerns and determine how to address them.

 “The manner in which this review will be carried out is detailed in the attached letter. Please note that not everyone who receives this letter will be contacted by Arent Fox, but if they do reach out to you, we encourage you to speak openly and honestly with them about your experiences. Also, if you are not selected but wish to speak with Arent Fox, instructions for contacting the attorneys conducting the review are included in the letter.

“The USOPC looks forward to receiving Arent Fox’s report when this review has concluded, and to sharing its findings and any recommendations with the USRowing community.”

Reached Saturday afternoon, USRowing CEO Amanda Kraus said:

“The well-being of athletes has and always will be a foundation of our mission to champion participation and the passionate pursuit of excellence in rowing.”

“USRowing has been taking specific steps to ensure a competitive culture where athletes can thrive in a safe and healthy way for the last year, after having received expressions of concern from some athletes.

“Among other steps, USRowing requested an outside perspective from the USOPC and we welcome that assistance in the form of this independent review. We encourage our athletes and personnel to participate in the review and cooperate as much as possible and we look forward to getting valuable feedback as a result,” Kraus said. 

The attached letter also did not specify what concerns were raised to them that resulted in the review.

The letter states:

“Dear USRowing Athlete:

The USOPC retained Arent Fox LLP (“Arent Fox”) to conduct an independent review and assessment to identify root factors contributing to feelings of distrust and concern expressed by certain segments of the athlete population and determine what is necessary within USRowing to maintain and/or create a healthy culture so that its elite athletes can have successful rowing careers while maintaining their physical and mental wellbeing.

“The USOPC has asked Arent Fox to identify specific athlete needs compared to the current practices of USRowing, and in that context to evaluate whether any USRowing practices are inconsistent with its general duties and obligations as a National Governing Body, as set forth in the USOPC Bylaws.

“This review is being conducted with the full support and participation of USRowing, and was prompted, in part, by USRowing’s request for assistance in responding to athlete concerns regarding athletes’ ability to obtain impartial responses to complaints involving USRowing personnel and practices.”

The letter said the areas of review will center around the Olympic team selection process, mental, and physical health resources, USRowing “resource allocation practices,” and USRowing’s high-performance policies and practices to “review whether elite athletes’ concerns are capable of being heard in a fair and neutral way, that does not contribute to a fear of retaliation.”

The letter stated that review will involve speaking on a confidential basis “with a wide selection of current and former USRowing elite athletes, select members of USRowing’s Board of Directors, USRowing athlete representatives, and select members of USRowing’s staff.

When finished the findings of the review will be presented in a confidential report for the “USOPC’s eyes only,” and will provide a “collective consensus of athlete needs relating to the topics listed,” and any compliance issues identified during the review.

“In addition,” the letter continues, “Arent Fox will make recommendations with respect to impediments (if any) that it concludes are or may be interfering with the maintenance or creation of a healthy and successful culture for elite athlete competitors.”

A separate report will be made available to USRowing, and a summary of the findings and “any corresponding recommendations will also be shared with the USRowing Community.”

According to the letter, all athletes interviewed will be identified by name to the USOPC “if the interviewee consents,” but no names will be revealed in the report to USRowing.

“For those who wish to remain anonymous in the USOPC report, efforts will be made to do so, including withholding names, dates of involvement with USRowing, position, gender and other background information,” the letter states.

BY LUKE REYNOLDS
PHOTO PROVIDED

Every year, the Oklahoma City RIVERSPORT Youth Rowing League hosts its fall championships, with hundreds of students from local schools descending upon the Boathouse District for a 500-meter race under the lights of the world’s only illuminated rowing venue.

This fall was only slightly different, making the program and its season-ending race a positive outlier among several events and programs that were canceled or axed.

“This season started in mid-September,” said Gena Terrell, the league’s coordinator. “Normally, we would start the second week of August, but schools were still trying to figure out what they were going to do, which made us think we really weren’t going to have a season at all. And then, as we got into it, we were, like, ‘These kids still need a place to go, and we need to keep them engaged in order to bring them back for future seasons.’

“So we decided we could have a season on a small scale and we reached out to the schools to see if they were willing to participate, and fortunately they were on board.”

With a go-ahead from a few local schools, the league’s coaches and administrators had to figure a way to make training safe while also having a race at the end of the season, given that purchasing a new fleet of singles would be impossible.

“We all started brainstorming, and Mike Knopp [RIVERSPORT executive director] came up with the idea of getting athletes on the water by utilizing OarBoards,” Terrell said.

The OarBoard was an elegant solution to the problem of getting athletes on the water while maintaining social distance, and also not forcing the program to buy a whole fleet of singles.

“From a rower’s standpoint, we were a little skeptical at first just because we didn’t know if it would be possible to get the kids on the water or how durable they were. We had to adapt our coaching methods because it’s a sliding rigger instead of a sliding seat. But once Mike said that this is how we get the kids on the water, we were, like, ‘OK, we’ll give it a try.’”

The OarBoard, which is a rowing mechanism that rests on top of a standup paddleboard, allowed the athletes to get on the water safely and learn to scull, which enabled them to race at the end of the season.

“It actually worked out really well,” Terrell said. “The kids were a little unsure at first, but once we got them out there and actually on the water, they just took to it and were off. I think it allowed them the freedom to rely on themselves, as opposed to their teammates in the eight.”

The season-ending race took place in October, with more than 10 heats of 500-meter OarBoard races.

“The event went extremely well, considering everything,” Terrell said. “The racing itself was incredible. I was surprised at how many breakout athletes we had that day. A lot of things clicked for the athletes on race day, so that was really great.”

Terrell believes this Covid-forced adaptation will benefit the program in the long run and expects the league will use the new rowing mechanism well into the future. 

BY CHIP DAVIS
PHOTO BY ED MORAN

You don’t have to remind us how bad the year 2020 has been, with all of its terrible losses. I probably don’t have to remind you, either. And it might get even worse before it’s over.

But we all could use reminding of what wasn’t so bad, of what was good, and of when the worst of times brought out the best in us. Longtime contributor Connor Walters, who recently became the head coach of his high school’s rowing program, does exactly that in his feature “The Things We’ll Remember.” Ed Moran, whose addition to the Rowing News crew is another positive part of this year, realized early on in the planning of this issue how it would be different, and better. In a normal year, the December issue is a “Best Of” edition, in which we recap the biggest wins from the top regattas and recognize the top-performing coaches, programs, and crews.

Of course, there were precious few actual regattas this year, and naming winners seemed meaningless, if not impossible. But in discussions with Walters, Moran heard the young coach’s joy as he described the enthusiasm and creativity with which his junior athletes had met the challenges of rowing through the worst year of their lives, recalling late-night workouts and the irrepressible optimism that underlies all training.

Andy Anderson, better known as Doctor Rowing to faithful readers (whose subscription support we appreciate now more than ever), writes with a positive tone about the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion for our beloved sport.

And so, the expanded Rowing News crew–including new assistant editor, Art Carey; recently promoted managing editor, Luke Reynolds; and our newest associate, Liz Hinley–has come together after our own terrible loss of our friend and editor of 20 years, Ed Winchester, and shone a positive light on the best parts of the year with an optimistic view of the way forward, and all the potential it holds.

As Walters writes in his feature, “We pursued greatness, and we did it together.”