LARA

September 2009

Dear Parents,
Welcome to the 2009-2010 Loyola Academy rowing season! We are excited to have another great turnout this fall and we are pleased to offer a full schedule of training and nationally competitive regattas for your child. With over 60 rowers and coxswains, the growth and success of the Loyola Academy Rowing Team is evident.

As the Director of Rowing my goals for this program are three fold. First, that each student athlete understands the importance of service to the community and each other. We accomplish this through our in house service program, "Rowers for Others". This summer we partnered with St. Joseph's Services, a charitable organization serving the Humboldt Park and Austin communities, to provide a Learn to Row day for children in these impoverished areas. Our rowers paired with over 50 children in St. Joseph's summer camp, giving them the experience of learning the skill of rowing and socializing with them at a BBQ... it was a great day! Our rowers also collected over $2700 in donations to help fund the community programs so generously provided by St. Joseph's. In the past we have raised money for the Juvenile Diabetes Fund, volunteered at a Franciscan Soup Kitchen and we look forward to participating in the nationally acclaimed "Rebuilding Together" program which rebuilds homes for the less fortunate. Sharing the Jesuit mission of service to others is an important part of our program.

My second goal is that each rower understands that academics are a top priority along with service. We boast one of the best team GPA's within the Loyola Community. I will not hesitate to sit your child if I feel that their grades are not where they need to be. We work very closely with Loyola Academy administration to make sure that our rowers are academically eligible to participate.

Finally is the rowing itself. Although this is a club sport due to the expenses associated with the team, this is not a hobby. This is a competitive sport and your children will be trained at a level few high school athletes ever reach. The goal for me and this coaching staff is to train these student athletes to compete for Midwest and National Championships. Loyola Academy Rowing is on the verge of becoming a perennial national powerhouse and I am going to see that it gets there.

Loyola Academy Rowing Association (LARA) is the product of cooperation among volunteers. The generosity and effort of our parents (and the indispensable Mr. Tim Kane, our Faculty Moderator) make this experience for your children possible. From parents who have the inclination and ability to volunteer their time, we receive support that allows the entire crew to travel, race in matching uniforms, be fed at the Regattas, and raise money for the tools and equipment that is so important to building nationally competitive crews. Without the logistical and financial support of the parents and the Board, LARA could not function.

On the other side of the equation, we are thrilled to introduce one of the finest Scholastic coaching staffs in the country. The staff boasts an impressive resume of Collegiate and Scholastic National Championships, as well as degrees from America's top universities and colleges. Each of the coaches is well qualified to communicate the different aspects of rowing, from land training to the water and all the way through complex racing strategies. The coaches will instill the physiology, techniques, tradition, and above all the work ethic that has sustained rowing for centuries. Highly motivated and successful people are synonymous with rowing worldwide. Our goal is to produce a spiritually-based, scholastically superior athlete who can compete at the highest level both academically and athletically. While coaches receive a small stipend to cover their costs, we appreciate that our crew parents receive nothing more than a thank you. It takes hundreds of hours of work to coach, supervise, and organize our crew experience. The people who fill these demanding roles do it because they want to contribute to an activity that benefits young people in so many ways. My staff and I can attest to how all the hard work pays off and ask you to consider where you might be able to help.

I am looking forward to another great season and building on our great tradition of success in the community and classroom, as well as on the water. This year we once again look forward to the challenge of winning a Scholastic National Championship. The 2009 spring season ended with our Women's Varsity Eight and Men's Junior Varsity 8 narrowly missing the finals at Nationals. Both the Women's Second Varsity 8 and Varsity 8 finished second at the Midwest Championships to the eventual National Champs. The Men's JV 8 won the 2009 Midwest Championship! The Women's Second Varsity 8 went on to finish an amazing FIFTH in the country at the Scholastic National Championship. With continued interest, investment and support from the Loyola Academy community and so much regional growth, LARA is poised to become a national institution that provides an unparalleled testing ground for young people. I hope to get the opportunity to meet everyone and I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

WELCOME and WELCOME BACK!

Sincerely,

Matthew P. Baldino, LA Class of '93
Director of Rowing- Loyola Academy
Head Varsity Women's Coach