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= Tampa Rowing Club - TRC = The Tampa Rowing Club is an amateur rowing club located on the campus of the University of Tampa in downtown Tampa, Florida on the Hillsborough River. The club is currently focused on providing access to low cost adult and family recreational sculling. Members are provided with access to the University of Tampa boathouse in which 2 bays are used to house club and private shells. The club has a fleet of sculling boats of all sizes and varieties supporting both novice and skilled scullers. Lessons and informal learn to scull sessions are provided. The equipment is maintained by the members themselves.

The club maintains a web page at TampaRowingClub.org.

River Maps
There is an almost unlimited amount of very flat and rowable water available from the Tampa Rowing Club.. The river is a very popular boating area so the best water is in the early mornings before the power boat traffic begins. The interactive river map on the website allows viewing the various mile points to the north and south. The static map ton the TRC website shows the general area along with the commercial parts of the port which must be avoided.

Club History
Tampa Rowing Club was formed in 1972 at the University of Tampa (UT) as the Hillsborough Rowing Club, with only two members. The club however grew quickly to 30 plus members.

In 1984, the club’s name was changed to Tampa Rowing Club (TRC); this was a strategic move to gain recognition, as the city of Tampa was much better known than Hillsborough. The organization also became incorporated this same year and relocated to its current location at the University of Tampa McNeel Boathouse shortly thereafter.

In the mid 1980’s the original UT Boathouse was torn down. At the same time, the Florida State Fair, which occupied land now known as part of UT, was moving to its present location. TRC was able to utilize the old fairground buildings to house their equipment.

Following being housed at the old fairgrounds, TRC made a move to an old bridge repair building under the Boulevard Bridge. This facility use was at no cost to the club, which made it tolerable to use a cement block that slanted towards the river as a dock! This was to be a temporary solution for TRC as attempts were being made to obtain a boathouse to call their own. TRC made this location home for 9 years, spiffing up the place for its members by installing shower and toilet facilities over the years.

In the meantime, back at UT, the administration was considering dropping the crew program from its sports line up. Not wanting to see this happen, a TRC member approached the president of UT. They asked if TRC raised $100,000.00 would UT match it and build a new boathouse, therefore strengthening their crew program. This challenge was accepted and more than met! Altogether, TRC members raised $275,000 and a new boathouse was built, McNeel Boathouse.

A few years later the UT crew coach invited TRC back to the UT campus for a partnership in the McNeel boathouse. UT believed that TRC dues would help fund the UT crew program. This was a win-win! Including the $275,000 that was raised, TRC has contributed over $500,000 to UT. The excitement of this partnership grew TRC to over 100 members.

Tampa Rowing Club was not always just recreational. From the inception of TRC through the 1990’s, TRC members were competitive. Participating in regattas across North America. Our competitive members made TRC proud and put the club on the map by continuously winning medals at these events. The current focus of the club is adult and family recreational sculling. Only persons older than 18 are allowed to row without a supervising adult.

Moreover, if you could not tell already, TRC was and is passionate about supporting the sport of rowing locally and nationally. The organization has been instrumental in getting high school rowing programs established at H.B. Plant High School and Hillsborough High School, as well as serving as coaches for several local programs.