Rowing club brings Milwaukee Public Schools students into the fold

The first time Kyree Fitzgerald rowed on the Milwaukee River this spring, he was terrified — because he didn't know how to swim.

But that didn't stop the 12-year-old from learning how to use an oar or following the instructions from a coxswain, or befriending the other eight people in his boat. And in the last few months, he's learned how to tread water, too.

By this month, Kyree seemed at ease, eager to hop into the boat and get going.

"When we get on the water, I know there’s people on the boat I can trust," Kyree said.

He's one of eight students from Fifty-Third Street School on Milwaukee's northwest side who joined the Milwaukee Rowing Club's middle school team this year. Their presence is promising to the team's coach, Will Bott, who hopes the team will work to break down racial barriers in Milwaukee and the sport of rowing.

After all, Bott knows the stats: more than 90% of students at the school are black. Compare that to competitive rowing, which has a reputation of being "elitist, white and suburban," Bott said.

Bott, a Whitefish Bay native who joined the Milwaukee Rowing Club in high school, witnesses the reality of these numbers, too.

When Bott started working as a teaching assistant at the Fifty-Third Street School last year, he found himself shuffling between two worlds: city students and the budding rowers he coached for the Milwaukee Rowing Club.

So the club raised $2,000 last Thanksgiving to help fund rowing lessons for 16 Milwaukee Public Schools students, half of whom came back for the summer.

While other cities have similar programs, Milwaukee's is the first club Bott knows of that doesn't keep underprivileged students on a separate team, but rather integrates them with the rest of the rowers.

That doesn't mean there aren't other obstacles to overcome: being a rower is pricey, with coaching, boat and boathouse fees. And being able to swim — a prerequisite to getting in the water — can be inaccessible for children who haven't been exposed to lessons.

Now, the Milwaukee Riverfront District is chipping in, partnering with the rowing club to make sure the students have access to the river.

Swim lessons, then rowing

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Fifty-Third Street students get a ride from their homes to swim lessons at the local YMCA in the morning, before going to the rowing club's boathouse in the afternoon to join a dozen teammates.

The students wrapped up their summer season this week with two final practices, including some intrasquad races.

One practice began with a team-building activity: they broke off into teams for a competition to see who could mimic the motions of a team leader with the most coordination.

The team leaders issued directives in the form of yoga poses, toe touches, even a slowed-down version of the Macarena as their teammates tried to follow along. They gave themselves team names like Beer-Bottle-Nosed Dolphins. Giggles ensued.

Fun aside, the activity mirrored ethics that's just as important on the water: synchronization and teamwork. Rowers have to focus on staying in rhythm with their teammates, or they risk getting jammed in the back by an oar handle.

Driving a motorboat, Bott accompanied a boat of newer rowers making their way down a stretch of the river as passing boats honked encouragingly. Brows furrowed with determination, the rowers pulled on their oars, propelling forward as their seats pushed back, tucking their knees into their chests.

"Ready, row," called out Jamir Richmond, a Fifty-Third Street student, from the stern of the boat. As the coxswain, Jamir doesn't row, but gives directions to the eight rowers. This means he troubleshoots, too, like directing teammates in differently numbered seats to row if the boat starts to veer off-course.

His favorite thing about the role is being in charge, Jamir said.

A teammate and fellow coxswain, Gastone Stanley, described the job as "awesome." What's his game plan for getting out of a tough situation?

"Drink some Gatorade," Gastone said, and tell someone to row.

Bott called out suggestions and doled out praise, maintaining a cheery demeanor as exertion showed on the rowers' faces: "Right into the wind, right into the current!"

As they approached the dock at the end of practice, the rowers made it a group effort to help carry oars and boats back into the boathouse — a final show of unity.

"It is never a cakewalk down here," Bott said after the practice. "But it is always really fulfilling and satisfying."