Editor, Gazette-Journal:

For what seems to me to have been only a few years ago, my son and daughter were both members of the Mathews High School Crew Team. It was not a sport that had been offered for many years at the high school, but our children who had both been “water babies” since birth and loved being on the water had made their minds up to row!

Now that I am writing this and consider all that has changed over the years, it was definitely more than a few years ago! Anyone familiar with the beginning years of the rowing program in Mathews or for those who have heard the stories of those years are quite aware of the program’s humble beginnings. By the time my children were rowing, there were more than two shells, the old buildings that housed the equipment had been given a few coats of paint, and uniforms were being donated from some kind individual who just wanted to help us out.

Anyone who has ever watched a crew race may que...