Message from the Head Coach
March 2008
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the Spring 2008 rowing season! We are excited to have another great turnout. There is a full schedule of training and nationally competitive regattas scheduled this season. With over 90 rowers and coxswains the growth of the Loyola Academy Rowing Team is evident. As the Director of Rowing my goals are three fold. First, 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.” In the past we have raised money for the Juvenile Diabetes Fund, while participating in the Ron Santo Walk for a Cure. We’ve 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. Second, each rower understands that academics are a priority after service. We boast one of the best team GPA’s within the Loyola Community. I will not hesitate to have your child sit out if I feel that their grades are not where they need to be. And finally the rowing itself. While this is a club it 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 the coaching staff and myself is to train the student athletes to compete for National Championships. Loyola Academy Rowing has become a perennial national powerhouse.
Loyola Academy Rowing Association (LARA) is made possible by the tireless work of volunteers. The generosity and effort of our parents as well as the indispensable Mr. Tim Kane, our Faculty Moderator, make Loyola Rowing possible. Many parents volunteer their time and support to allow LARA to function. We receive volunteer support that allows the entire crew to travel and be fed at regattas as well as race in matching uniforms. This same group of volunteers raises money for the tools and equipment that are required to build a nationally competitive crew team. Without the logistical and financial support of the parents and the Board, LARA could not function. Please join one or more of the many volunteer jobs available.
In addition, 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 are 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 spiritual based top scholar athlete who can compete at the highest level on both the academic and athletic fields of play. Coaches receive a small stipend to cover their expenses while parents receive nothing more than a thank you. It takes hundreds of hours of work to coach, supervise, and organize our crew. 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 volunteering and supporting this great sport.
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 2007 season ended with our Women’s Varsity Eight missing the finals at Nationals by a mere tenth of a second, while still managing another top ten National Ranking. With continued interest at the school, 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.
Sincerely,
Matthew P. Baldino, LA Class of ’93
Director of Rowing- Loyola Academy
Head Varsity Women’s Coach
The Loyola Academy Rowers are proud of their accomplishments!
Here are just a few highlights from the last few seasons:
SERVICE: ROWERS FOR OTHERS
Rebuilding Together
Volunteers at area Soup Kitchen
Participants in the Ron Santo Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund Walk
Recent Regatta Results
Head of the Charles - October 2007
Youth Men's 8: 31st out of 56 boats
Youth Women's 8: 17th out of 49 boats
Scholastic National
Championship - May 2007
Semi-finals: Men's Varsity 8, Women's Junior 8
Petite Final: Women's Varsity 8
National Qualifier: Men's Second 8
Midwest
Scholastic Championship - May 2007
Second Place: Women's 2nd 8, Men's 2nd 8
Third Place: Women's Junior 8
Fourth Place: Women's Varsity 8, Men's Varsity 8
Semi-finals: Men's Junior 4+
Head of the Charles - October 2006
Youth Men's 8: 34th out of 80 boats
Youth Women's 8: 15th out of 62 boats
Scholastic National
Championship - May 2006
Quarterfinals: Men's Varsity 8
Semi-finals: Women's Varsity 8
Second Place: Men's Freshman 8
National Qualifier: Men's 2nd 8, Women's Freshman 8
Midwest Scholastic Championship - May 2006
Gold Medals: Men's 2nd 8, Men's Freshman 8
Second Place: Women's Varsity 8, Women's Freshman 8 (A)
Fourth Place: Women's 2nd 8, Women's Junior 8
Fifth Place: Men's Varsity 8, Women's Freshman 8 (B)
Matt Baldino - Rowing Director and Head Coach
Head Coach Varsity Women
Brian Martin - Head Coach Novice Men
Rob DeCleene - Head Coach Varsity Men
Tom Hotchkiss - Head Coach Novice Women
Mike Kelley - Assistant Coach
Tim Kelley - Assistant Coach
Ryan Maki - Assistant Coach
Maire Mulroe - Assistant Coach
Sara O'Connor - Assistant Coach
Dammrich Rowing Center
Skokie, Illinois
Home of Loyola Academy Rowing Association
Site of Summer Rowing Camps (offered through Skokie Park District with Loyola coaches)
Site of the Annual Judge Dunne Regatta held each April