Special to The Enterprise

When our womenÕs varsity crew team at UC Davis was told that our program could be cut for budget reasons, we believed it was our obligation to share our passion for this sport in hopes of salvaging it. We contact you out of pure love, and solidarity. We believe our story should be heard as a call-to-action. The decision will be made in early April and we must act now.

WomenÕs participation in a broad number of sports is possible now because of Title IX, which requires colleges to provide equal opportunities for male and female athletes. UCD has built one of the most competitive female rowing teams on the West Coast. The program has been around for 33 years and has excelled beyond expectations by moving into a new level of competition Ñ Division 1. The womenÕs rowing team competes in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association and San Diego Crew Classic, two of the most prestigious races in the country.

What makes our team so special?

Our coach, Carissa Adams, empowers us to believe we are strong. Before we take out our boats, we say, ÒMy name is _____ and I am a strong female rower.Ó

Our mission statement says, ÒEach day we strive to go beyond our expectations. We rise to the challenge with confidence, pride and positive attitudes. We empower and engage one another through a network of trust, support, improvement and respect. We work as a team on and off the water.Ó

There are 60 strong women rowers who never stop trying, constantly work together and encourage one another to just keep striving for more. The sport of rowing teaches women to become strong and smart leaders for the future, by working as a team and conquering unbelievable goals while balancing the rigorous academia of college. We need to keep building strong females in our society.

Here are a few stories about the women on our team:

Becca loves rowing because it gives her not only a physical outlet, but she loves the way it forces you to connect to the other eight women in the boat. Eight women have to be able to move in synchrony with each other, and the product is so rewarding: a beautifully set boat, the single noise of every single oar feathering at the exact same time, and just the feel and run of the boat.

Caleigh is a 4-foot-11 coxswain, the voice and brain of the boat. On a 5-foot-8 average rowing team, she has learned how to make her small body transform into a strong and confident voice on and off the water.

Maggie never gives up. In high school, she rowed for years and no one believed she could reach her potential, but she never quit. Finally, during her third year of rowing, she found the power within her and became the varsity stroke. The stroke is the leader of the boat. She sets the pace and stroke for all seven women behind her and each rower trusts and looks up to the stroke. She never thought she would be rowing for an NCAA Division 1 team.

Robyn was born to love the water. Her parents sailed the world, fell in love and upon RobynÕs arrival, they gave up their sea legs for land legs to support their new family. Now, she enjoys rowing more than any other water sport and appreciates its international community of athletes and supporters.

Paige started rowing with her mom for fun and then tried out for the local team. As she continued in the sport, she learned to be more disciplined in every aspect of her life and how to approach a challenge. Rowing is unique, because as a team and a boat, you must all strive for the same goal. Today, she canÕt imagine her life without rowing.

Danielle started college homesick and overwhelmed; she even contemplated dropping out. However, one day she was approached by rowers who asked her to join the team. Her confidence to pursue sports in college was challenged. Beyond what she expected, joining the womenÕs rowing team allowed her to truly reach her potential. The team became her family and she gained a sense of confidence she has never had before.

The UC system is in a huge financial crisis. As many as nine sports, including the womenÕs rowing team, might have to be cut at UCD. We have potential to save our team, keeping the opportunities alive for people who come after us.

The womenÕs rowing program at UCD has a long-standing, 30-year-plus track record of athletic excellence and a strong tradition of producing accomplished women who have become valuable assets to their communities throughout the United States and the world. The womenÕs rowing program also reflects well on the university, putting it in a class with many Ivy League colleges and universities that offer strong programs in womenÕs rowing.

If we raise enough money, our team can be saved and, with it, the potential for future women to develop into powerful and passionate people through rowing at UCD. To get a sense of the passion we have for rowing, see this video on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=374590944569&ref=nf.

To make a donation, visit http://ica.ucdavis.edu/DEVP/giving/wrowing_upay_form.php. Your donation is risk-free, because if the program is eliminated, the university will return your gift.

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