The arms race for rowing talent is hotting up. Where once a programme relied solely on the intake they were given via admissions, a recruiting drive to stack the very best athletes in the world into a number of powerful American programmes is already a trend that has affected every aspect of the rowing pyramid. It was no surprise to see so many medals won at the Paris Olympic Games by men and women who, in their earlier years, had travelled to study at some of the world’s finest educational and sporting institutions.
Right across the world, junior athletes are being offered remarkable opportunities to better themselves physically and mentally, in exchange for their commitment to helping their programme ascend the steepening ranks of collegiate rowing in the USA. Robbie Tenenbaum, a former Ohio State and US Junior National Team Coach, has spent over 30 years guiding NCAA rowing programs and is now working in this field, helping to consult and guide young athletes on their journey to potential stardom.
“When I first started in rowing, coaches were laughing at the idea of recruiting. Mike Teti famously said he would just coach whoever shows up,” he explained. “Rowing coaches have gotten smarter watching other sports, and I learned a lot of things from speaking with those folks earlier in my career.”
“Coaches used to be very scared of the unknown and it took a few trailblazers to do this initially. Xeno Muller is a good example who went to Brown and did really well. It was still the exception and not the norm, though. As rowing became a more popular sport throughout the nineties – including at non-traditional rowing schools – programs started to think about how they could add talent from a wider pool.”
You need only glance through the rosters of some of the premier rowing outlets to understand how much the landscape has shifted. It is also easy to see why a young athlete might be attracted to row in the USA. The education is first-class, the squads are deep and talented, and the community – both current and alumni students – is incredible. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Syracuse, Dartmouth, Brown, Cornell, Columbia; these are some of the world’s most revered educational facilities, but they also offer accomplished junior athletes the chance to become part of their fabric.
“When I speak to prospective students, the first thing I tell them is that this is a life-changing event for you,” said Robbie. “You won’t just get the education, but you’ll possibly get generous scholarships that enable those from lesser means to access these fantastic opportunities. Your knowledge of the world and your global connection base will expand immeasurably. When you try to get a job after university, it gives you a discernable edge.”
The rise of social media has sped up the recruitment process and brought it to a wider market. “When I first started recruiting and you wanted to approach somebody internationally, you had to know somebody in that country or find that person at an event,” he said. “Instagram, Facebook – these methods didn’t exist. I remember searching for a young lady from Estonia who I wanted to speak to about university in the USA. I went to the ‘yellow pages’ equivalent and found there were 27 people all with the same surname in her home town, so I sent a letter to all of them with my email address and phone number. One day, I got an email from someone saying that it wasn’t them but that I was probably looking for their niece. That was an amazing moment.”
“The explosion is now that a coach or recruiter sitting at home can search and find people online within minutes. The convincing element of the role is still the same – everyone is shopping for the same talent and you need to be completely aligned with the student and their family on what they want.”
After a long career in coaching and recruiting for specific campuses, Robbie is now independent and available to help guide and coach young athletes through the complex and often daunting process of applying for and successfully enrolling at an American university. “When I first meet a family, I invest a lot of time in getting to know them and exactly what they want,” he explained. “There is no ‘one size fits all’ in what I do. Regular consultations and in-person meetings are critical. I want to meet the family, see the athlete row and ensure we’re working off the same playbook.
“My role spans from consulting on the types of schools that might be appropriate for that specific client, to searching for scholarships and opportunities at the elite universities, to helping the family go through all the various differences and commitments within each programme. There are many great programmes that are very obvious but there are also other locations that have fantastic culture, a great rowing experience and fantastic education that I can help to unlock.“
Robbie’s role is focused on objectivity, which is why he has no formal relationship with any specific university. He is totally independent, which ensures his advice is purely based on what the family want. “Some families that come to me want their child to be the next Olympic star but on a measured budget whereas others are able to afford any school and want the best possible all-round fit,” he said. “It varies person to person but in all situations, I am focused on finding solutions. The process is long and can be quite demanding and I work closely with the family throughout to ensure they get the best possible outcome.”
Rowing is both an art and a science and part of Robbie’s remit is conveying to programmes the quality of an athlete. “You see so much more when you’ve watched an athlete row and behave in person,” he explained. “I can go to coaches and tell them more about the context of that athlete, where they are coming from, how they train, how they row and what sort of cultural fit they will be.”
To deny that this trend is pervasive would be to ignore the facts. The opportunities on offer at these world-beating institutions are unrivalled, particularly if you’re able to attend on a scholarship that enables anyone from any background to access. Robbie’s role in mediating that ever-expanding community is critical and there is no doubting that as more athletes ply their trade overseas from their home, his importance will grow.
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