Opening the Boathouse Doors: A Breakthrough Week for Dallas Youth Rowing
April marked a new chapter for rowing in Dallas—and a major milestone for the George Pocock Rowing Foundation’s ERG ED® Program.
Over four action-packed days, 128 students from four Dallas Independent School District (DISD) high schools took part in unforgettable field trips to local rowing clubs, many experiencing the sport for the very first time.
Thanks to support from key DISD administrators—who provided transportation and lunches—these field trips weren’t just possible, they were seamless. Their collaboration with BachmanROC Rowing Club Co-Founders Patrick Hamner and Flo Elkins helped turn an ambitious idea into a week filled with energy, learning, and excitement.
After students had completed the ERG ED® indoor rowing program during PE classes (over a 2-3 week period at their respective campuses) and signaled interest in a field trip to a local boathouse to learn more about rowing, BachmanROC and DISD went to work to organize the field trips. Kimball, Thomas Jefferson, and New Tech High Schools visited the two boathouses on Bachman Lake: BachmanROC and Dallas Rowing Club. Bryan Adams students traveled to White Rock Lake, where they were hosted by Dallas United Crew’s coaching staff, along with BachmanROC.
Three of the visits began with a tour of the Bachman Lake Recreation Center, including a “sneak peek” at their indoor pool and outdoor water park - a venue for swim lessons as needed. Inside the assembly hall—future home of indoor ERG workouts—students warmed up and raced 500 meters on indoor rowing machines. The fastest boy and girl at each site earned a Chick-fil-A gift card!
From there, students explored the boathouses and learned about equipment, racing shells, and rowing safety. On the dock, Coach Hamner gave a hands-on "dock talk" and live water demonstration that covered:
· Safely entering and exiting the boat
· Performing “river” turns
· Rowing a racing shell
At the Dallas Rowing Club, students were warmly welcomed by club leadership, coaches, and rowers. They toured the boathouse, gym/erg studio, and—then mounted the ERGs for another 500m sprint race!! DRC volunteers then conducted a dock talk and on-the-water demonstration using a double scull team boat.
The tour wrapped up with lunch in the adjacent Bachman Lake Park and wide-eyed conversations as students reflected on their experience—many already asking when they could row again.
A snapshot of the excursions:
· April 28 – Kimball High School @ Bachman Lake (26 students)
· April 29 – Thomas Jefferson High School @ Bachman Lake (37 students)
· April 30 – Bryan Adams High School @ White Rock Lake (35 students)
· May 1 – New Tech High School @ Bachman Lake (30 students)
This wasn’t just a busy week. It was historic!
Tim Dickey of the Dallas Parks Board, (a dedicated advocate for bringing rowing to DISD students) sent a note describing literally being in a Park Board meeting while a field trip was in progress:
…“At this very moment, at the Bachman Recreation Center, students are ERGing, then heading to the dock to see rowing, after which they’ll go to the Dallas Rowing Club for another tour – they can join either BachmanROC or Dallas Rowing Club … point being “exposure to rowing” for Dallas ISD kids is happening!!
Again, THANK YOU and your amazing team of volunteers for your extraordinary commitment, dedication, and VISION. "You (ie. BachmanROC and DRC) have done more to expose Dallas public school kids to rowing at Bachman Lake in the last year than has happened in the last 30 years… Not one shred of doubt about that."
Tim also noted that this is the first-ever Recreation Center-based rowing program in Dallas—a powerful step toward equity and access to a sport that has long been out of reach for many.
This week sparked an overwhelming sense of pride among our collaborators and the George Pocock Rowing Foundation—because it marks the start of something far greater. With continued support from DISD, the local rowing clubs, and dedicated volunteers, we’re building a future where rowing is open for everyone!
None of this would have been possible without the generous grant support from Concept2, Inc. In partnership with the George Pocock Rowing Foundation, Concept2 helped launch two new ERG ED® sites in 2024—including BachmanROC in collaboration with DISD. Through this support, the club received 20 Concept2 RowErgs, access to the full ERG ED® curriculum, and comprehensive teacher training implemented by Flo Elkins and Patrick Hamner with dedicated DISD high school coaches, successfully completing the first of an exciting five-year run with DISD!!
