Program areas at TRRA
TRRA, based in Pittsburgh, PA has a broad base of rowing and dragon boating program opportunities and experiences for youth and adults. TRRA is one of the largest community rowing and paddling boathouses in the nation.
TRRA has offered an Adaptive Rowing program for over 20 years. It was one of the first adaptive rowing programs in the nation. Rowing clubs across the country have modeled their own adaptive programs on ours. The sport of adaptive rowing has grown in the 20 years to now include a US Rowing Adaptive National Team that competes internationally. Rowing is a sport that allows freedom on water to individuals with disabilities. The TRRA program offers weekly practices to individuals with disabilities including physical disabilities, limited mobility, cognative disabilities, and visual impairments. The Adaptive rowing programs provide participants with the ability to compete in multiple regattas including the Bayada in Philadelphia, the Head of the Charles in Boston, and the Head of the Ohio in Pittsburgh. The program is offered at a very low cost to participants by scholarship so that financial circumstances do not impede access. About twenty individuals with disabilities participate in the program annually. The Director of Outreach coordinates the program and organizes about 50 individual volunteers. These volunteers have offered more than 700 hours of volunteer service over the summer.
TRRA establishes rowing programs for youth in area high schools. Three local high schools have established programs that call TRRA their home during the academic year. TRRA also operated its own Juniors programs which accept participants from all local schools. TRRA offers summer rowing opportunities in which students are able to refine their skills and continue to develop as athletes, leaders, and young adults. Many Pittsburgh area youth have developed their skills enough to earn college scholarships, some extending their talent to the National Team Level including one Olympic gold medalist. Another youth program that TRRA offers is First Row. The mission of First Row is to engage Pittsburgh's urban high school girls in a community rowing and college preparatory program that cultivates self-discipline, confidence, team-building, and improved health, while working with girls to achieve post-secondary goals. The program is completely subsidized by grants and donations. First Row has evolved into First Row 2.0, a land based program in which TRRA brings rowing TO the community, particularly middle schools and community centers, to raise awareness of the sport, increase access to rowing and showcase opportunities the sport provides. Another program operating out of TRRA is the Hearts of Steel Dragon Boat Team. Hearts of Steel empowers breast cancer survivors to strengthen the mind, body and spirit through camradarie and the sport of dragon boat paddling. TRRA also continued to grow its rowing program for Veterans with over 10 Veterans participating in our Summer Rowing League program and raced at the Highmark Challenge Regatta.