(Photo by Spurge Hogan) caption: MAKING A SPLASH: Members of the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association (CLRA) women's eight display the medals they earned after winning their race at the Cooper Cup in Camden this past April. Pictured from left are May Lee, Barbara Hogan, Tayana Kessler, Yasmine Watkins, Kristy Seymour, and Mary Stober. Four of the rowers shown, Hogan, Kessler, Watkins, and Seymour were recent graduates of the CLRA's Learn-to-Row program. The registration date for the 2007 Learn-to-Row program is August 20.

For Injured Tennis Player Watkins, Learn-to-Row Class Changed Focus

Bill Alden

Dealing with a nagging case of tennis elbow last year, Yasmine Watkins became desperate to get back on the court as soon as possible.

On the advice of her husband, she turned to Pinnacle Therapy where she was directed to Bob Kaehler.

During the course of her treatment with Kaehler, a former Olympic rower as well as a therapist, Watkins' athletic focus was forever changed.

"Rowing is a big spectator sport where I came from," said Watkins, a native of Canada who moved to the Princeton area in 2003.

"Bob and I talked a lot and it turned out he had trained with a lot of people I had watched. One thing led to another and he told me about the Learn to Row program run by the Carnegie Lake Rowing Association (CLRA). I made up my mind to try it."

Watkins, 44, took to the three-month program right away and is now an ardent lightweight competitor in the CLRA's novice program.

With the application deadline approaching for this year's Learn-to-Row program, Watkins is an enthusiastic proponent of the class and its benefits.

"I would encourage people to try it," said Watkins, noting that one can apply to the program through August 20 with registration information available on the club's website at www.clra.com.

"It takes incredible time and you need to make a big physical and mental commitment. Personal gains are important but all accomplishments are as a team. You can be a big and strong athlete but it doesn't matter if the boat doesn't work together; everyone must be on the same page."

The rowing neophytes start at square one in getting introduced to the sport. "There is a weekend orientation in September," explained Watkins, noting that the club trains out of the Princeton University boathouse. "You get a tour of the boathouse, you get familiar with the routine. You learn the procedures for taking the boats in and out of the boathouse and how to store the boats."

In order to graduate from the program, the beginning rowers must complete 10 on-water training sessions from September through Thanksgiving. The sessions take place at the Princeton boathouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The sessions require dedication and persistence. "You learn the stroke technique, how to hold the oar and how to feather it," said Watkins.

"You have to focus and clear your mind. You can't be thinking about going to the grocery store when you're on the water with seven other people. It can be cold and raining and you are still out there. There are no excuses. It was difficult physically and mentally. For me, it was an endurance thing, I had never trained like that in other sports."

A key element of the program is the hands on coaching provided by the CLRA. "The coaches are fantastic," asserted Watkins, noting that the coaches are experienced at the college and national level.

"Everything was on time and organized in our course. They can be tough. I remember ERG sessions where they were one foot from my face, pushing me to give more. They know how to pull out reserves you didn't know you had."

After completing the program last fall, Watkins took the next step and made her debut in competition this past April in a regatta on the Cooper River.

"I went into that race extremely relaxed," said Watkins. "It was like an exam for me where I hadn't crammed but studied all along. We did extra race boat sessions. I was confident in the seven other rowers and we had a very experienced cox."

As she rowed in that first race, Watkins employed the focus she learned through the Learn-to-Row program.

"I kept my eyes on the stern," recalled Watkins, who has now competed in five or six regattas and is currently training for the Head of the Carnegie which is slated for August 26.

"I didn't want to look at the other boats; what they were doing wasn't affecting me. I also didn't want to get out of rhythm with our boat. When we crossed the finish line, I didn't even know where we placed. We ended winning by four boat lengths."

In addition to enjoying the competitive challenges of rowing, Watkins has relished the club's camaraderie off the water. "I've become very involved socially with the club; I'm very close with my novice class," added Watkins, a former media relations aide who is now a stay-at-home mother with her two daughters.

"There is a great variety of people in the club; I love being with the different people. We have Princeton professors, local doctors, and people who commute to New York City. They are busy people but whatever they do, they make time and organize things around their morning row."

For Watkins, who now heads to the boathouse four mornings a week, sleeping in is not an option. "I never thought I'd like to get up at 4 a.m. But it's my normal routine now," said Watkins with a laugh.

"I don't think about it anymore. It can be pitch black and cold and then you see a shooting star. It's unbelievably beautiful on the water; it's beyond anything I could ask for. It's so quiet and still, it's the perfect time of the day."

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