ATTENTION, ROW!

By Mike Walsh

Attention, ROW!  These are the first words that April Torres and her rowers hear at the beginning of their two kilometer race.  Torres, a recent graduate of Charlotte Catholic and a rising freshman at Appalachian State, has been a coxswain for Charlotte Youth Rowing all four years of high school and is the daughter of Joanne and William Torres. 

As the coxswain of the boat it is April’s job to steer the boat and to keep the rowers in her boat encouraged and informed about other boats in the race.  This can be a daunting task considering the fact that the boat April steers in longer than most power boats seen on the Charlotte area lakes.  At nearly 42 feet long, April’s four-man racing shell can prove to be a handful, but Torres has proven she is more than capable of performing her duties, and she was made the head varsity coxswain for her team. 

Torres says her favorite part of rowing is the camaraderie she has shared with her teammates, “I have made so many friends from all over Charlotte.  This team has really brought people from all over together.”  Head coach Dr. Paul Althall and his wife have been running the Charlotte Youth Rowing program with the idea that rowing should not just be for the privileged.  This has helped many of Charlotte’s youth to become active in what once was an elitists sport.  The team practices four times a week on Lake Wylie and participates at regattas year round.  This requires a great deal of dedication from the rowers and their parents.  The regattas are held all over the Southeast and the team usually must leave Friday afternoons in order to arrive to the race site on time.  Thanks to the dedication of the rowers, coaches, and parents the Charlotte Youth Rowing program has flourished into a successful team representing Charlotte and its surrounding areas.  The South Charlotte Sports Report wishes the Charlotte Youth Rowing program the best of luck in the upcoming season and would also like to wish April Torres success as she moves on to a new page in her life.