Glastonbury High Crew Team Still Rowing Strong

Even at its inception more than 12 years ago the crew team proved popular among students. At an organizational meeting in the spring of 2000 about 80 kids showed up to hear about the budding group.

Within two years the fledgling club had become a varsity team and today, with more than 1,000 team members over the years, it’s the largest athletic team at the high school. It has a strong booster club, which has raised nearly $600,000 for the team, has eight coaches and hosts a popular annual fundraiser in town, the Glastonbury River Run.

Now the team is poised to become an even more established athletic force here with the town’s proposal to build it a $4 million boathouse on the banks of the

The boathouse is part of a larger $12 million proposal to expand by building out the long-planned second phase of the park, which includes the boathouse, as well as multiple boat ramps that will give the town its first and only public access to the river.

The expansion plan will include a ramp specifically for the crew team’s boats, something that will make it safer and easier for them to launch their crafts during practice, a member of the team’s booster club, the Friends of Glastonbury Rowing, told the Town Council this week. He was among about 30 supporters of the team who showed up at the meeting to support the Riverfront Park and boathouse proposal.

“We’ve had over 1,000 rowers over the past 12 years crew at the high school and I really hope council members will vote in favor of the second phase” of the park, said Rod Pelletier, president of Friends of Glastonbury Rowing.

The boathouse will also help protect the team’s expensive equipment, which now is stored outside and is exposed to the elements, team members said.

“The importance of a boathouse for this team is incredible,” said Brianna Kosher, an alumnus of Glastonbury High School and a former crew team member. “It would be a huge asset for the entire team. Through crewing I’ve fallen in love with the water but the only place to enjoy the water in this town is down by the ferry.”

The town will hold a hearing next month on the boathouse and park plans. A referendum is tentatively planned for early November.