Varsity Rowing Team, entering its second year of competition, is gearing up for a busy season new Head Coach Wayne Berger. This season is the first led by Coach Berger, who was previously on the school’s faculty from 1988-91.

Coach Berger, a graduate of Cornell with a background in coaching education, has 35 years of experience working with rowing programs at the Groton School, Deerfield Academy and Harvard University among others. During his time at Harvard, he coached boats that won three Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships and five Eastern Sprints Championships. While at Groton, his boats won two New England Interscholastic Rowing Association (NEIRA) championships and were a finalist for the Princess Elizabeth Cup. 

Berger has also coached boats competing for titles at the U.S Clubs National Championship and the World Championships, at which his boat won a bronze medal in 2015.

At the core of Coach Berger’s coaching philosophy is creating a culture of hard work and collaboration. He said, “My number one goal is to make the experience equitable so that all kids are getting on the water, getting coaching, and getting the opportunity to do some racing.”

This was a challenge last year given the large size of the team, but Berger believes it will be possible this year with the help of Assistant Coaches Amanda McClure and Jennifer Likar. Abby Renger ’23, a member of the team, said “Their coaching style, which is different from last year, has been unifying, despite the varied levels of experience of our rowers and coxswains.”

The girl’s team had some notable finishes last year, including gold at the Mahoney Cup Invitational and finishing in the top 20 in the country at U.S. Rowing Youth Nationals. They are looking to continue their success, especially with their first boat. Co-captain Charlotte Moody ’23 said, “This year, the goal is to qualify two girls’ boats and two boy’ boats for the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association championship and to qualify our eights for nationals.”

Coach Berger is placing a large emphasis on equipment, technique, and training. He said, “If we focus on the process, and we do the process well, we will win some boat races.”

Vlad Grass ’24, co-captain of the team, agreed, saying “The boys’ goal is to get faster through bettering our technique, mental and physical strength, and teamwork.”

Leighton Smith ’24, a member of the team, said, “He has been able to advocate for new equipment including new ergs, uniforms, and survival suits.” Renger shared that the team has been focusing on creating a solid foundation by “building up a strong understanding of technique.”