Students find their rhythm on the river with Bay City Rowing Club

On the banks of the Saginaw River, where the water moves steadily and quietly and the sky seems to stretch just a little wider, something meaningful is taking shape for local students. At the Bay City Rowing Club, teenagers are learning more than just how to move a boat through water. They are learning how to move together, how to trust one another, and how to find a rhythm that carries them forward, both on and off the river.

For Bay City Rowing Club President Lora Brehm, the high school program began with a simple idea. What started as an adult-focused club evolved as interest from younger athletes grew.

“The Bay City Rowing Club decided to create an opportunity for youth in the tri-city area and beyond to learn the sport of rowing,” Brehm explains. “Our club was mostly adults, but we were getting inquiries from young people that wanted to learn to row.”

That interest took shape in 2018, when an experienced rowing coach moved into the area and helped develop the high school program. Since then, it has expanded to include high school students, recent graduates and, for the first time this year, students entering eighth grade.

For many participants, rowing is entirely new. Students begin by learning proper technique on rowing machines, then progress to handling equipment and practicing strokes at the dock before eventually pushing off into the river with their teammates.

As skills build, so does confidence. What starts as a careful, step-by-step process becomes a synchronized effort, with crews learning to move as one.

Set along a peaceful stretch of the Saginaw River, the club’s boathouse and gazebo offer a welcoming place for both rowers and visitors. The natural setting becomes part of the experience, with wildlife and open water providing a quiet contrast to students’ busy daily lives.

For Dow High School student Addison Butcher, that experience has been both grounding and social. “Rowing has always been a fun and calming outlet, and meeting people through it has been super cool,” she says.

Brehm says that sense of belonging is part of what makes rowing different. “Some students that have not really enjoyed other team sports find rowing is the sport that makes them happy,” she explains. “Some have mentioned that rowing helps them relieve everyday stress from their busy lives.”

Without a spotlight on individual performance, rowing requires trust and shared responsibility. Each rower plays a role, and success depends on the group working together.

“It has been rewarding to watch the youth become very good rowers, and gain confidence in their interactions with each other and the adult members of the club,” Brehm shares.

The club’s structure also creates opportunities for connections across age groups. Students and adults participate in the same regattas and support one another, building relationships that often last beyond a single season.

This spring, a generous donor is helping make the program more accessible. High school students can participate in May and June sessions at a reduced cost, with fees lowered by more than fifty percent. The effort is designed to give more young people the chance to try rowing, regardless of prior experience or financial barriers.

The program is open to students entering ninth grade in the fall, as well as recent graduates. Practices are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with sessions beginning May 4 and June 1. Additional sessions will run throughout the summer.

Beyond the immediate experience, rowing can open doors. About a dozen Bay City Rowing Club athletes have earned college scholarships, and two former rowers have gone on to compete internationally as members of the U23 USA National Team, winning World Championship medals and training for the 2028 Olympics.

Still, the program’s impact is not defined only by those achievements. It is found in the confidence students build, the friendships they form and the sense of purpose they carry with them long after they leave the water.

Rowing offers something steady in a fast-moving world. It teaches patience, teamwork and resilience, one stroke at a time. And along the Saginaw River, those lessons are taking hold in ways that reach far beyond the shoreline.