Two free rowing classes will be offered to the public as part of RowFest 2025, a national rowing championship coming to Ford Lake in Ypsilanti Township this year. USRowing, Friends of Detroit Rowing, and the Ann Arbor Sports Commission have partnered to present one class for adults and one for youth.

Last fall, USRowing announced that 2025 would bring RowFest to Ford Lake for the first time, with plans to give back to the community in thanks for hosting the event. The rowing classes are part of that effort. Participants will meet at Ford Lake Park, 9075 S Huron River Dr. in Ypsi Township. Classes are free but registration is required.
 
The youth session for rowers ages 12-18 is scheduled from 6-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. The adult session set for Friday, July 18, is already sold out, but spots are still open for the youth session, says Mike Gentile, a coach with the Friends of Detroit Rowing.

Participants in the Learn to Row sessions will receive personalized, hands-on instruction from
experienced rowing coaches and athletes, starting with rowing machines and moving onto the water. These sessions are aimed at complete beginners, and Gentile describes the 90-minute sessions as an opportunity to "get a sampling" of what rowing is about.

"It's just enough time to get the basics on the machine and then get to the dock and try it out on the water," Gentile says. 

Rowing emphasizes teamwork from the beginning, so the classes will not only focus on individual form but on ability to work with teammates.

"You're not only learning the proper stroke but you're figuring out how to do it in time with people who are also learning," Gentile says. "You get to see how the parts are greater than the whole. From the beginning all the way to racing in the Olympics, it's about how you can work with other people."

Gentile encourages those interested in the class to stick around for other RowFest events that will be open to the public throughout the festival from June 12-20. You can register for the youth rowing lesson here.