Recognition & Development (Q2 2026)

Welcome to the “Recognition & Development” series of The Boathouse Blog!

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In this quarterly series, the TRRA Development Committee shares details about the projects our staff and volunteers are working on behind the scenes.

If something catches your attention, there may be a way for you to get involved—either to help steer us in the right direction (evade that log!) . . . or add some power strokes to the “boat” (Power 10!).

The following projects are either completed, in-progress, or on the radar.

If you have connections, ideas, skills, or questions, please share them here and we will be in contact with you ASAP.

Thanks for being part of the crew,

TRRA Staff

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1. First Row Summer Camps 2026

Pittsburgh’s Newest Rowers Take Their First Strokes in a Boat

First Row Summer Camp is a free, multi-week rowing camp that introduces underserved Pittsburgh youth to life on the water. The camp serves as the recruitment base for our new year-round First Row 2.0 program (more on this below). In 2025, the camps welcomed 22 young rowers in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh’s CEC–Hill District (two weeks) and Sarah Heinz House (one week).

This summer, we’re expanding participation and STEM-integrated curriculum developed and taught by Isabel Joyce, a University of Pittsburgh biomedical engineering PhD researcher. After a morning on the water with TRRA coaches, the campers will travel back to the Pitt CEC-Hill District for educational sessions on the physiological science of sports. With FR Summer Camp only weeks away (July 6^th-July 17^th, Monday-Friday), the time to learn more, volunteer as a bus chaperone, or sign up to help out at the boathouse for camp is now.

First Row Summer Camp 2026 is being funded primarily with a generous grant ($10,000) from the Weisbrod Foundation. TRRA also recently received ($5,000) from the Eden Hall Summer Mini-Grant program. 

How You Can Help

1. Volunteer during camp — help with on-water safety, logistics, or lunch distribution. We are also looking for Bus chaperones to meet at the Pitt CEC Hill-District. Must be able to pass required background checks. Contact us for dates.

2. Help us cook! — due to some budget restrictions, we are providing and purchasing food for some of the days. We are working on the menus now!

3. Spread the word — know a family, teacher, or youth organization on the Hill District or North Side working with kids ages 12–18? Help us reach them.

4. Help us capture the season — photographers and videographers who can document camp give these athletes. 

2. Adaptive Advancement Initiative 

Advancing Pittsburgh as a Premier Home for Adaptive and Para Rowing 

Rowing is one of the most adaptable sports on the water, and TRRA wants to be the region’s home for athletes of every ability. The Adaptive Advancement Initiative (AAI) is our plan is to improve pathways for adaptive and para athletes in Pittsburgh, as well as across the country.

The AAI is led by Coach Matthew Houser, TRRA’s lead adaptive coach and a U.S. Technical Classifier for Para Rowing. TRRA was recently awarded the 2026 United We Row Grant ($10,000) from USRowing to support AAI. TRRA will be in close contact with USRowing as part of this year’s cohort, and plan to deliberately share its reports with other Adaptive programs across the country and world.

What Coach Houser seeks to accomplish with AAI: 

• Develop and host the first regional Adaptive Flip Test Camp at TRRA.

• Attain the Adaptive & Inclusive Trainer (AIT) certification.

• Recruit 5-8 new Adaptive athletes, particularly Youth athletes.

• Purchase new Adaptive equipment, such as an adaptive SkiErg base. 

• Create a Publication Portfolio of info, data, templates, photos, and video to be shared with Adaptive programs across the country and world. 

• Support TRRA Adaptive athletes financially as they attain new International certifications.

• Work with local CrossFit trainers to create innovative Adaptive strength and flexibility training routines.

How You Can Help

1. Connect us to adaptive-sports networks — VA programs, rehabilitation hospitals, disability advocacy groups, or parasport clubs that serve athletes who would thrive on the water.

2. Lend professional expertise — experience in adaptive coaching, classification, accessible facility design, adaptive CrossFit, or occupational and physical therapy would be invaluable.

3. Help fund adaptive equipment — specialized boats, pontoons, adaptive seats, and dock modifications open the sport to more people.

4. Share the story — athletes and advocates willing to talk about what rowing has meant to them help us build the case for this work.

3. First Row 2.0

A Social Mobility and Violence Prevention Program for Underserved Youth in Pittsburgh

First Row 2.0 builds a year-round pathway for dedicated youth from our partners—the University of Pittsburgh’s CEC–Hill District, Sarah Heinz House, and the Thelma Lovette YMCA—to join Three Rivers Youth Rowing (TRYR) year-round at a subsidized rate. Participants row alongside TRYR athletes, travel to regattas, and are exposed to college-recruitment opportunities, including the unprecedented expansion of NCAA Division I women’s rowing scholarships. TRRA plans to partner with our University teams to establish a volunteer tutoring system for students who seek academic support, and all TRYR athletes will have access to College Essay Prep workshops or Personal Development workshops. 

First Row 2.0 is at its most pivotal moment yet. We’ve been awarded a major multi-year grant ($300,000 over a maximum of 3 years) to build the program’s full infrastructure: coaching, coordination, transportation, participant support, development, and supplies. 

The First Row Summer Camp flows directly into this program, which means the work we do this summer determines who steps into the boat this fall.

How You Can Help

1. Become a mentor or sponsor: provide academic support, financial assistance, or simply a steady adult presence for a participant.

2. Volunteer with the youth program: coaches, chaperones, and regatta-day hands, tutors are always needed (background checks required).

3. Spread the word: know a family, teacher, or community organization working with youth ages 12–18 on the Hill District or North Side? Help us reach them.

4. Open a door: connections to colleges, employers, or funders who invest in young people can change a participant’s trajectory.

4. The Millvale Dock Replacement Project

A Shared Public Dock on the Heritage River Trail

The dock at our Millvale Training Facility is over twenty years old and has reached the end of its lifespan. It serves Hearts of Steel, Paddlefish, several local high school teams, and Friends of the Riverfront programming—and it is free and open to the public. Replacing it is, realistically, a $600,000 undertaking.

Our strategy is to coordinate a multi-source funding effort between internal fundraising, foundation, and government channels. Guidance from our state conservation advisor requires the full project scope to be funded as one coordinated package, so the pieces have to come together in a timely sequence.

How You Can Help

1. Connect us to Borough of Millvale stakeholders — elected officials, residents, business owners, or civic leaders who can advocate for this project or provide letters of support.

2. Help organize grassroots fundraising — if you’ve run community fundraisers, pub crawls, or crowdfunding campaigns before, we could use your playbook.

3. Offer capital-project expertise — construction management, capital planning, or infrastructure consulting experience is valuable as we coordinate multiple funding streams.

4. Serve as a community convenor — help bring together the organizations and people who use the dock into a coalition behind the replacement.

5. Community Business Friends

Recognizing the Businesses That Power Our Teams and Events

1. Happenstance Cafe selected TRRA as its local nonprofit in March, donating 1% of profits to TRRA. The total donation was $586.78. 

Happenstance Cafe sources locally and they have a fantastic catering menu as well. Consider visiting them for an ‘after practice’ meal or team building event. Looking for a relaxing date night spot? This is it!!

6. Major Donations

Celebrating the Gifts That Move Us Forward

• John Kelly for his donation to seal funding to purchase a new coxed Wintech 4X, named after long-time beloved TRRA member, volunteer, and friend, Linda Lang.

• Dr. Rosen for your continued support of the TRRA Adaptive Program

• Our Monthly Giving Donors for your consistent support.

• All other donations, annual or otherwise, thank you.

  
  

Stay tuned for the next edition in Q3.

Questions? Ideas? Email aodhanridenour@threeriversrowing.org

Three Rivers Rowing Association  •  Washington’s Landing & Millvale, PA