Dismantling the Barriers
Dave Harvey is doing things a little differently and we’re all about it. Here’s why:
He’s making lemonade: Having moved to the Tacoma area 5 years ago, Dave was coaching a collegiate rowing team in March of 2020 when the season was canceled due to Covid-19. Dave took this opportunity to consider how he could bring more access to the sport of rowing in Tacoma, a place where water is plentiful but barriers exist, including scarcity of transportation, equipment insufficiency, and, a plain old lack of knowledge that rowing even exists.
He’s community-oriented: Since then, Dave has been dedicated to bringing awareness and opportunity to rowing. He partnered with MetroParks to find a site, install a dock, and establish an agreement allowing for waterway access. The long-term plan will dedicate this park to human power watercraft. First, though, Dave and other constituents must show the need for water sport activities (rowing, SUP, kayaking, boating, etc.) in the area. Dave is at the forefront of demonstrating the need.
He’s aiming high: The Tacoma Rowing program currently serves 15 youth, with a growth goal to get 100+ middle and high school youth and 50+ adults on the very water for the first time by the end of 2022. Additionally, the program aims to grow in a way that reflects the diversity, talents and needs of Tacoma. These are ambitious goals and along with his three-person board, Dave is going to need some help. Here’s where his creativity has come in. Knowing the importance of community and buy-in from companies and organizations around Tacoma in order to bring awareness to the rowing program and the park, Dave has spent time reaching out to local business owners, giving them the opportunity to participate in or partner with the program, or both.
At the GPRF, we’re always listening to the needs of our PNW rowing community. Here’s what we learned while chatting with Dave.
IF THE FIRST ENTRY POINT CAN BE WITH PEOPLE, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
Dave has found ways to bring people into the rowing community. He and his team have been visiting minority-owned businesses, hanging out with the staff and owners, getting to know them. Most haven’t heard about rowing, which is no surprise, but they’re interested in learning. Building relationships and establishing trust has taken time. However, it’s paying dividends, and when business owners and community leaders have been invited out on the water, they’ve been very open to it. Dave shared “it’s clear that a casual invite to come and row can be so powerful.” Church groups, community groups, and business groups are all invited to be a part of this greater objective to increase access to rowing, becoming ambassadors for our sport and the larger community.
WE NEED TO BE WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS
70% of kids in Tacoma Public Schools qualify for free or reduced lunch, based on family income. What does the community need? Outlets for kids to get outside and do things they wouldn’t ordinarily do. Rowing is not just about going to regionals or nationals - there are other experiences that are just as beneficial. Dave believes we can show these kids so much more and wants to host excursions to different lakes and waterways in the region where they can row, hike, and explore being in nature.
The greater rowing community has been very supportive and the Tacoma Rowing team has received donated equipment from other programs like NorCal, who gave them some 8’s and a 4 and delivered the boats to their location, too. The need for equipment continues for rowing programs whether they are established or grassroots. An additional area of need is the coaching pipeline, which we all know can be quite anemic. Dave’s strategy here has been to recruit fitness professionals and personal trainers whose schedules are flexible and who already have some income and some experience with training and coaching others. Now he simply has to teach them to row so they can teach others.
Sometimes the rigidity of our rowing programs is prohibitive but Dave’s outside-the-box thinking means that he is slowly, but surely, dismantling the barriers to introduce rowing to the greater Tacoma community.
HOW YOU CAN HELP DAVE AND TACOMA:
Through the generous support of a grant provided by the Names Family Foundation, the GPRF secured 20 ergs to establish Erg Ed, an educational program about indoor rowing, in Tacoma last year. The ergs are maintained by Tacoma Youth Rowing. The next step is to finalize the partnership with the Tacoma Public Schools, building on the lessons we learned in partnering with Seattle Public Schools. Right now what Dave needs is equipment, coaching candidates, and sponsorship support. If you would like to help, you can reach out to Dave directly, or check out this link for their fundraiser to set up a permanent rowing site on Foss Waterway.
