OAR Coaching Staff

High School/Adults
Coach Lydia has been coaching Youth and Adults at OAR since Fall 2022. Her background includes nearly 6 years as Head Coach and Director for Duwamish Rowing Club in Seattle. Prior to that Lydia coached rowing at The Evergreen State College for nearly 6 years after competing for the Evergreens rowing program.

Lydia is a Level 2 USRowing Certified Coach.

Middle School/Adults
Coach Trott is an OAR Junior Program alumna who joined the coaching staff in 2024.

High School/Adults
Franklin Polk started rowing in 2011 while at The Evergreen State College. Not content with taking the summer off, he started rowing with OAR in 2012, and continued on with Evergreen after graduation as a coach. He has been coaching with OAR since 2022. 

High School

Coach Kathryn began her rowing career at Brown University, where she rowed for four years and served as captain and varsity stroke. She has rowed competitively for over 50 years, earning medals at the regional, national and international levels. She joined OAR in 2017 and began coaching in 2018. 

Kathryn is a Level 2 USRowing Certified Coach.

High School/Adults

Coach Dave  joined OAR  in the Fall of 2024. While Dave is new to youth coaching, his rowing background includes 4 years with the the University of Washington Crew.  Dave also leads fundraising activities for the club.

Dave is a Level 2 USRowing Certified Coach.

Middle School

Coach Gretchen began rowing in high school. After college, she began coaching novice masters women at a club in Washington, D.C.  After a hiatus, she began coaching and rowing again at OAR in 2001.  She became increasingly involved with the youth program, especially novice rowers.  Her recent coaching has been with the middle school program and Adult Learn to Row Classes. Gretchen enjoys the reward of watching the skills and confidence of all novice rowers grow 

Gretchen is a Level 2 USRowing Certified Coach.

Adults
(Bio in Progress)

Adults

Coach Helen started coaching at OAR in 2001. She caught the rowing bug in college, rowing for two years at University of Puget Sound and two at the University of Washington. After graduating, Helen was an intern coach at the UW for two years then coached novice teams at Syracuse University and Washington State University. 

Helen enjoys sharing her love of rowing with others and to see people learn to row and grow their skills.

Adults

Coach Steph joined OAR in 2022 as a rower and began coaching adults in 2023. Her rowing career began at Ohio State from 2014-18. She stayed on as a coach for the novice program, coaching her boat to a win at the Big Tens. As a rower, she was part of an NCAA Team win and a runner-up plus four Big Ten wins.

Steph continues to train and race with her OAR teammates.

Individual Lessons

Kate Ash (she/they) started her rowing career in 2014 at Belmont Rowing Center, just outside of Charlotte, NC. Ash coxed for their adult team at regattas throughout the region, eventually becoming a sweep and scull rower herself. She became the BRC head masters coach and program manager, with a focus on club organization, program development, team cohesion, and staff management. After BRC, she moved across the country to begin work as the director of rowing for OAR. She currently coaches Individual Lessons for OAR.

Individual Lessons /OAR ERG ED® Program Lead

Coach Jim coached at OAR from 2002 to 2009 and returned in 2023. He also coached youth and adults at Commencement Bay Rowing Club for ten years, and coached college athletes at Fordham University and the University of Puget Sound. Jim rowed competitively at Fordham and the New York Athletic Club.

Jim is a Level 3 USRowing Certified Coach.