Previn here saying hello from Oklahoma City! I'm down here for a couple of reasons: 1) to tag along during the visit of RNY's own Felicia Crowder to Oklahoma City University, and 2) to do a little reconnaissance on a city that has developed it's community into a major rowing hub.
On the first count, things are going very well. Novice coach Melanie Borger has laid out the red carpet for Felicia. When asked what she likes to do, Felicia said she enjoys softball, and within hours she was batting on a field with team members. It's great to see that our athletes really do reap the benefits of their hard work. This is certainly a sport that rewards patience and discipline over time.
On the second count, the visit has been eye opening. Tens of millions of dollars have been poured into the development of several boathouses servicing the various universities as well as the community. In addition to a community center, OKC is home to a national training center (where, incidentally, I bumped into Jeremy Ivey, the former Smith College Asst. Coach of Simone D'Abreu RNY '07, and Aaron Marcovy, a former athlete of mine at Columbia...small world). Hopefully, New York City will take note of the benefits of expanding municipal support for community rowing!
Final fun fact: I had a good time when people, sensing my California accent and my New York roots, asked me whether this was my first time to Oklahoma City. "My second" I'm telling them. "I was born here."
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