Clam Island Coaches

Masters Learn to Row and Novice Coach

Conrad Plyler is the Novice Boat Coach and Instructor for Try Rowing and Learn To Row classes.  He rowed for four years in eight-oared shells for the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and was the recipient of three Varsity Letters.  He was a member of Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia, and raced in Fours and Double Sculls, including several regattas on the East Coast and the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. In the early 90’s, he was a member of the Occoquan Boat Club in the Washington D. C. area in double sculls.  He found Clam Island Rowing Club after retirement and took up first rowing and then coaching.  He has been with CIR for six years, and has coached the LTR and Novice Boat for five years.  Full of encouragement and historical knowledge of rowing, Conrad will get you rowing in boat and you will not want practice to end.

Juniors Coaches

Ellen Strong  Ellen’s approach to coaching teens and young adults is based on having fun, making friends, and improving fitness. She has been rowing since 2014 and has coached many Juniors in both sweep and sculling.  With her positive approach and encouragement, students will learn the skills to continue rowing for recreation or move to the competitive level. Ellen brings many years of teaching children and young adults, preschool through high school, as a speech language pathologist. She previously coach high school color guard and has extensive experience organizing practices and taking students to competitions around the state. She now brings that experience plus her love of rowing to the Juniors program. 

Alex Moore  

Jennie Peterson   I started rowing at Ithaca College in the fall of 2012 and rowed through my graduate year in 2016. After my novice fall in 2012, I was moved up to the Varsity team and rowed in the Varsity 8 for all 4 spring seasons that I was on the team. I also sculled in the fall of 2014 and 2015 in singles, doubles, and quads. I went to the DIII NCAA national championships in the spring of 2013 as well as the spring of 2016. I am looking forward to my second year of coaching the varsity junior squad and helping them to further their skills and continue to become the best rowers and people that they can be!