Brian Calandro for Director

Fellow NHRCs,
First, thank you to Jim Kearns for nominating me and to the other NHRC members that encouraged me to run for the board.

I have been a member of our club for the past 12 years. Those who know me well know that I feel deeply and passionately about the New Haven Rowing Club and rowing.
Many accepted formats that our club has enjoyed in past seasons, I brought to this club from my experiences elsewhere. Namely, the two coach system (for sculling and sweep), the organization of sweep and sculling through the position of captain, the payment of coxswains as a method of recruitment, and even the idea of reduced fees for younger oarsmen and oarswomen which will be discussed at this annual meeting, I introduced in committee in 2005, at the annual meeting of 2006, and at a board meeting shortly thereafter.

I have worked on the finishing of the boathouse construction, volunteered at 21 of the 24 regattas that we have hosted as a club and been a volunteer at numerous Yale races. I have represented NHRC as a rower at FISA Worlds, US Masters Nationals, the World Games, and countless regional events.

I have rowed at several different local clubs, Saugatuck Rowing Club, Norwalk River Rowing Association and Norwalk Leander Rowing Club, and Community Rowing and Union Boat Club in Boston, as well as in multiple composite crews.
I feel there are several issues that affect our club today and over the next years.
1) Junior rowing with the Hopkins School
As I have not been on the board or involved in the discussions, all the relevant facts are not available to me to come down unequivocally on one side or the other. However, this proposal will profoundly affect how our members interact and how we function as a masters rowing club. I feel strongly that the issue should be debated in an open and transparent manner over time. The claimed benefits of having Hopkins here should be presented in a detailed manner accompanied by evidence, direct or otherwise, to support the achievement of these alleged benefits. Our membership should be able to debate whether the evidence presented supports the claimed benefits, and make an informed decision as a collective. I am currently coaching the varsity boats at Fairfield Prep High School, and I am familiar with the pros and cons of a junior rowing program.

I feel I have a valuable perspective to add to board discussions on this topic.

2) Declining membership in the 30’s-40’s age demographic
I have long maintained that a healthy sports club covers a broad population, diverse in age, skill levels and competitive goals. I do not believe that a healthy club can have a dominant gender or age group, or single program. I believe there is something to be gained as a club to be broad based. In business, one sure way of getting team members to be productive is to make all members feel like they are valuable and respected and are contributing to the success of the organization. When that doesn’t occur, members disengage. When members feel that their needs are not met by club programs or club leadership there is disengagement. Whether the disengagement manifests itself in the leaving of our club, or dropping out of organized programs or an exodus into singles, the disengagement is a symptom of a greater problem.
One way to address this issue is to have exit interviews by phone or in person by a board appointed club member or by the membership committee with those that leave our club or stay with NHRC but no longer participate. This would be productive in identifying where the club is falling short, and lead to constructive changes.
We have lost several members in the past three seasons that fall directly into an age group
which is underrepresented. The cost of our membership and associated initiation fees, or how the programs themselves are run, may be partly to blame. If we as a club want to maintain membership we need to change in a way that is supported by evidence not only opinion, and not be afraid to look hard at weaknesses not just our strengths.
I served three years as membership director at NHRC. At one time during my three year term, I had NHRC at 106 members proposed. At that time, I supported the recruitment of women rowers, because that group was underrepresented and our board had to discuss which group should receive preference when the cap was met. I have recruited 14 new members that came to NHRC. I have worked with Günter Buenter when he was coaching Norwalk River RA in putting together a recruitment plan for NRRA’s masters rowing program.

I feel I have relevant and valuable experience to add to board discussions on this topic.

3) Competitive Rowing
It is my belief that a club that has successful results on the water is a club that benefits as a whole from that success. I believe that the right atmosphere of training and striving for a common goal is more important than winning itself. Still, sports are one of those few areas where success is measured in a concrete way. Winning races or finishing close is defined as success and finishing poorly is not.
I believe that putting together a winning team on the water, is putting all the appropriate pieces together first, and the execution of those pieces along the way.
Coaching is one piece, training another. Collective energy and club support are essential. All interact with each other. Good coaches are energized by a competitive group that is goal oriented, and improves.
I have been involved in sports my entire life. I have captained every sport that I have participated in, including three seasons at the NHRC with the men’s sweep program. I was a Division 1 decathlete in college and I spent two seasons as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Syracuse University while studying exercise physiology. Under head coach Mike Woicjek, who is now with the Patriots, I was taught the application of physiological principles and empirical evidence in writing training programs for different athletes. I served 4 years on the NHRC coaching committee.

I feel my education and history would be valuable to board discussions on this topic.

4) Strategic Planning
Hardly any one of our membership could define today what our club wants to look like in 5 years or 10. The discussion of a strategic plan has gone in a circular fashion here, according to personal, not club interests. Should we not have a road map for our membership to discuss in an open and transparent way? When we define what we want to look like in 5 or 10 years, it will be easier in the decision making process to measure whether an initiative helps or hurts us get to where we want to be. Will our club be a thriving master’s program of 100+ diverse rowing members, 20+ non rowing active members, and a junior program, or will we be a 40 member masters program with a thriving junior program. Or perhaps we will be a different combination. Regardless, shouldn’t we have a plan that is known to all our membership as to where we are headed?
I run my own business, I have worked in athletic administration at the university level, I hold an MBA, as well as PHD credits in economics.

I feel a perspective that sets short term goals as a roadmap measured against a long term plan template will add to board discussions on this topic.

5) Stewardship and leadership
The original NHRC founders did us a great service by getting together and putting our facility on the Housatonic. The effort is deserving of respect and gratitude. But by this virtue alone, this group, of which many I count as friends, cannot claim ownership to all decision making. For this club to go forward there needs to be a sense of stewardship, that our leaders see their role as nurturing NHRC , not just for current members but for future generations.
In my view, this is the difference between ownership as a private personal club and that of a collective ownership. In collective ownership based in stewardship, our leaders seek out opposing viewpoints, to gain perspective, while protecting the viability of our rowing club for the longer term. I do not believe a board of directors of similar views and similar backgrounds promotes healthy debate and good decision making.
I may differ with current board members on some issues, but I do not differ in that I want to see NHRC a prosperous entity in the future.

I feel my contributions on the board will complement the input from other board members.

6) Summary
I believe that many of us are not happy with the current atmosphere at NHRC. When I joined here 12 years ago the atmosphere was very different. Even 4 years ago our club was very different. Our club is in desperate need of a change in course and an additional perspective on the board. I think I can bring my experience in a way that will benefit all of us. I am very open to discuss any current or past issues, one on one, with any interested member. My cell: 203-526-5226, my e-mail: CalAssoc44@aol. com. I invite any member to contact me, I would welcome any discussions. I hope that you will consider voting for my candidacy for the board of directors.

Brian Calandro