A Place to Grow by Daniel Tahbaz
For the past three years, PCRA has provided me with a place to grow as both an athlete and a person. I have been surrounded with incredible role models, excellent friends, and an overwhelming desire for success. Our program has changed drastically in past years. We have set our course for competition on a national level, and it is extremely evident that the whole team is on board with making this goal a reality. However, while much may have changed during my time at PCRA, some things have remained the same.
The aspect of PCRA that I have always found, and have grown to love most is that of community. Arriving at Glen Island for practice, one instantly notices the chemistry among the boys team. I have made some amazing friends during my time at PCRA, and the sense that everyone is looking out for each others best interests is truly felt.
Head to the Island before a regatta, and find the whole team helping out to get the trailer loaded, one of my favorite times during the season. See us out on the water, and it’s clear that everyone is pulling their hardest for the people sitting with them. Members of our team are not only talented athletes, but are also committed members of our community all driven towards a common goal, winning. This goal is one that our coaching staff drives hard every practice, but it does not consume us.
The second aspect of PCRA that I love so much is the fact that our coaches do not just advise us on technique or training, but on life. One of my favorite memories at PCRA was when the whole boys team gathered around Reid and listened to his life story. We volunteered to be lectured by a coach, something not all athletes enjoy, because we have an enormous amount of respect for him, and have a desire to learn. Our coaching staff may push us to our physical limits, but they constantly show an interest in us as people, and are always people we know we can fall back on. The countless lessons taught to us on how to be better athletes, more driven, focused people, and better members of society are lessons I will never forget, and I am extremely grateful for them.
PCRA truly is an amazing team. It provides it’s rowers a place to go to perfect their sport, make lasting friendships, and develop as people.
