Pride 2024 Pre-Order Store
We are so PROUD to be an LGBTQIA+ ally. Equality, Love, and Pride are the principles that JL is built on. Join us in showing your support for your teammates and your community with our performance pride collection made in collaboration with Team JL Ambassador, Michael Toutloff, for Pride Month. Pride Month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall Riots, and we welcome you to get ready to celebrate around the boathouse with us! Order your gear now, and wear it in June!
A Lasting Legacy: The Journey of Women in Rowing
Each year, at least once, I watch NINE. The story doesn’t get old. The women who stood tall in the face of exclusion; those brave and powerful women paved the way for the rest of us. While they may not have set out to leave a legacy, they have done so. For that, I am forever grateful.
Black Kids Go Fast by Joshua Rafferty
Last summer, I had the privilege of attending the Black Student-Athlete Summit in Los Angeles, CA. At the conference, there were over 500 varsity student-athletes across all NCAA divisions. I had the honor of meeting the most talented, hard-working, smart, and kind people with whom I have ever interacted. As I met track runner after track runner, I began to wonder where the rowers were. Joshua Rafferty interviews Black athletes and coaches on their rowing journey, poses the question "How can we get more Black kids in college boats?" and discusses ways that we can diversify our sport at the higher levels.
Celebrating the Launch of Xavier Rowing Club
In September 2023, New Orleans Rowing Club and Xavier University of Louisiana partnered to launch the Xavier Rowing Club program, becoming only the second of its kind at a Historically Black College or University. The initiative is currently led by NORC members Elizabeth Manley and Chloé Jobin. Over the past months, more than a dozen enthusiastic Xavier students with no previous rowing experience have learned the fundamentals of the sport on the waters of Bayou St. John and at the NORC indoor rowing facility. The team is eager to continue to train this season with a group of capable and eager novice rowers, and they hope to race in fours or eights in the spring.
Two Passions on a Single: Charlie, the Rowing Chestnut
I have some rather niche passions. The first one might not seem so niche to you, since you are currently reading “The Launch” a rowing blog made by a rowing gear company, but for many, it seems quite odd to have a wake up before 5 am to go sit on a tippy boat, narrower than your butt, to move backwards on a river…My second passion is the Castanea dentata tree (I told you it was rather niche…), the American Chestnut tree!
National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2024
National Girls and Women in Sports Day (February 7, 2024) is a special day all about giving props to women in sports, recognizing their grit, and pushing for equality. As we gear up to celebrate, we sat down with some of our Team JL Ambassadors to learn more about their journey in sports. Join us as we delve into their personal experiences, memorable moments that shaped their athletic journey, and the empowerment they've discovered through participation in sports.
Athlete Spotlight: Grace Kennel
Meet Grace Kennel, a sophomore on the rowing team at Purdue. Grace loves 6 seat because she gets to follow, but likes to be in stern four, and she enjoys practicing in a 2-, but racing in a 4+ or 8+. "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Khaled gets her pumped up to row a 2k, and you'll find her eating handfuls of dry cheerios as a post-practice snack on the way home from the lake. Outside of rowing, she enjoys cooking since it is a fun way to destress after practice while also fueling herself. We sat down with Grace to find out what it's like being a student athlete, and what she has learned from the sport of rowing.
Honoring Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month
My name is Tammara Quevedo and I am a senior studying Kinesiology and Disability Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am a current varsity member for the Illinois Rowing Team. I started rowing my freshman year of college and I have fallen in love with the sport ever since. In celebration of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month, I am honored to have JL Racing invite me to the conversation about what it is like to be a Latina in the rowing community and celebrate my culture.
Team JL 2024 Ambassador Program
Do you want to be more involved in the rowing community, and share the sport with a wider audience? Are you interested in becoming a part of JL and helping us grow? Would you enjoy creating content for the JL brand? Applications for the 2024 Team JL Ambassador Program are open from September 6 to September 20.
Team JL Spotlight: Willow Arts
We are PROUD to be an ally. Equality, Love, and Pride are the principles that JL is built on. Today and everyday, we come together to celebrate Pride Month. Inclusivity and unity are important in the rowing community, and we are fortunate to have passionate individuals who are part of, or advocates for, the LGBTQIA+ community. Today, we shine a spotlight on one of our Team JL Ambassadors, Willow Arts, who is a transgender athlete.
Father's Day 2023: Celebrating Dads
Coaches, rowers, coxswains, dad of a rower - there are many roles that dads can play in the rowing community. Each role is important and we'd like to give a big THANK YOU to all the dads out there! In honor of Father's Day, we are highlighting two of our Team JL Ambassadors who are dads. Read about how they are involved in rowing, how they balance family life with training/racing, and what they are most proud of as dads.
Mother's Day 2023
Moms play a big part in the rowing world: we have women who show their strength as mothers and on the water as part of a masters team; we have moms who coach not only their kids, but also a rowing team; and of course moms who support their children who row/cox! In honor of Mother's Day, we sat down with three of our Team JL Ambassadors who are all moms who row! Read about how their training has evolved pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, and post-pregnancy, how rowing has helped them as moms, and what they are most proud of as moms.