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Tempe
Junior Crew was unofficially formed in March
of 2000 when a small group of athletes, training under
Coach Daniel Duxbury, traveled to and competed in the Long
Beach Spring Regatta.
This experience sparked the desire for
competition in these young athletes who would later turn
out to be the predominant driving force behind the first
competitive crews of Tempe Junior Crew.
Over the next year and a half the athletes
competed under this unofficial umbrella.
It quickly became clear that these athletes were
on the fast track to becoming a force to be reckoned
with in junior rowing.
Despite less than perfect equipment, which was
either rented or borrowed from other programs, TJC crews
performed much at a much higher level than to be
expected from such a new program.
In
December of 2001, in an effort to assist these athletes
and Coach Dan, a group of dedicated parents began to lay
the groundwork needed to form an official club that
could support the competitive ambitions of these young
rowers. By February 2002, a Board of
Directors was formed and tax-exempt status was
achieved. Tempe
Junior Crew was now a reality.
By this
point, TJC had already taken delivery of its first
shipment of equipment.
The club had managed to purchase three used
shells, an 8+ and two 4+s, and twenty oars.
Soon after, with the assistance of Kaschper
Racing Shells Ltd., the club purchased two brand new,
top of the line shells. The sleek, black 8+ and 4+ arrived in Tempe in April of 2002,
just in time for the Regional Championships.
Since
then, TJC has enjoyed numerous successes.
Membership has
expanded, seniors have received college scholarships,
athletes have participated in National Team Talent
Identification and Development Camps and the Board
of Directors has continued to gel into a cohesive
group working in partnership with the coaches and
athletes to continue to drive TJC towards being one of
the top junior rowing programs in the nation.
And of course, we?ve gotten much, much FASTER!
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