Coach Richie Fredericks, Juniors and Masters Coach
Our newest addition to the coaching staff is coach Richie Fredericks. Richie recently moved down to Stuart to take care of his grandmother and was lucky enough to land a job with the TC Rowing Club. Richie was born and raised in south Jersey where he rowed for four years at Ocean City High School. He was also a lifeguard for 7 summers for Sea Isle City Beach Patrol where he rowed and competitively raced Van Duyne ocean boats in the off season. While attending OCHS he was privileged to row with a solid group of rowers and competed in many large scholastic regattas. During his time at OCHS he competed in in many major races including the Stotesbury National Regatta (the largest high school regatta in the US), the Philadelphia City Championships, and he won a scholastic national championship in the JV8 category. His crews were competitive year after year and he continued his rowing career through college.
He rowed at Marietta College in Southeast Ohio. His freshman year he took home a bronze medal at the Dad Vail regatta in Philadelphia, and won the Challenge on the Canal in New York, hosted by Hobart. As an upperclassmen he competed in, and won, the Head of the Ohio in the varsity 8 category which takes place in Pittsburgh. Richie rowed for 3 years in college, ultimately stopping his senior year due to a back injury, but his injury has made him extremely aware of rowing with proper technique and this is something he strives to pass on to the kids he coaches.
Before he came to Florida he was the assistant coach for the Villanova Men’s rowing team where he was in charge of 2 eights of pure novice rowers. Family issues brought him from the cold down to sunny Florida where rowing on the water everyday has been a blessing. Richie couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such a young, successful, growing program and hopes his experience can help Coach Stef continue the good things already here at TCRC.