The 2014 USRowing Fan's Choice Awards recognizing excellence in rowing across seven categories, will be awarded at the Golden Oars Awards Dinner on Thursday, November 20, at the New York Athletic Club.
Fan's Choice Awards are nominated by and voted on by the rowing community for outstanding performances in 2014. Everyone is invited to participate by nominating outstanding athletes and coaches of the year. This is the fourth year of the Fan's Choice Awards, which are a key element of USRowing's long-standing tradition of bestowing awards for superior performances and contributions to the success of our sport.
Co-sponsored by row2k Media, USRowing Fan's Choice Awards will be given to an "Athlete of the Year" (including rowers and coxswains) in the junior, collegiate, masters and national team categories and a "Coach of the Year" in the junior, collegiate and masters category.
Key Dates
Nominations will be accepted via email at
fanschoice@usrowing.org through midnight EDT Wednesday, September 24, 2014. The selection committee will choose the finalists in each category. Finalists will be announced October 1, 2014. The winners will be selected by online voting, which will run October 1 through October 20 on
www.row2k.com. Winners announced October 22, 2014. Awards will be presented at Golden Oars on November 20, 2014.
Categories and Nomination Criteria USRowing Fan's Choice Athlete of the Year Criteria for Selection: A male or female rower or coxswain who has achieved extraordinary success in 2014. Success may be defined as an outstanding performance, having a breakout year, perseverance in spite of difficult odds, consistent strong performance, outstanding service off the water, a combination of the above or other worthy measures.
- Junior Athlete of the Year: Defined as a junior/scholastic athlete in the 2014 spring season.
- Collegiate Athlete of the Year: Defined as a collegiate athlete in the 2014 spring season.
- Masters Athlete of the Year: Defined as a masters athlete in the spring/summer 2014.
- National Team Athlete of the Year: Defined as a member of a USRowing Senior National Team in the spring/summer 2014.
USRowing Fan's Choice Coach of the Year Coach of the Year: A rowing coach who has achieved extraordinary success in 2013. Success may be defined as outstanding performance, having a breakout year, making a significant impact on an individual athlete or team performance, perseverance in spite of difficult odds, consistent strong performance, or a combination of the above or other worthy measures.
- Junior Coach of the Year: Defined as a coach of a junior/scholastic rowing team in the 2014 spring season.
- Collegiate Coach of the Year: Defined as a coach of a collegiate rowing team in the 2014 spring season.
- Masters Coach of the Year: Defined as a coach of a masters rowing team in the 2014 spring season.
All nominations must follow these guidelines to be accepted:
Voting The USRowing Fan's Choice Awards Selection Committee will review all nominations and post the finalists for each award by October 1, 2014. Voting will take place at
www.row2k.com. One vote per person in each category is allowed. Voting will close October 20, 2014 and winners will be announced October 22.
Award Winners All winners will be recognized at the
Golden Oars Awards Dinner on November 20 at the New York Athletic Club. USRowing invites all award winners and a guest to attend the Golden Oars dinner. Travel costs are not included. Ed Hewitt, Founder of
row2k.com will present the awards. Attendance is encouraged, but not mandatory to win the award. Tickets are not transferable.
Golden Oars Awards Co-hosted by USRowing and the National Rowing Foundation, the
Golden Oars Awards Dinner is in its fourth year of recognizing excellence in rowing. Golden Oars is the one time each year when the rowing community gathers to honor its own. Proceeds from the dinner help support USRowing's national teams and America Rows, an organization changing the lives of urban youth and those with disabilities by providing rowing as an opportunity for all.
All are welcome as we celebrate excellence in our sport for 2014. Major Awards, including Fan's Choice will be presented on November 20 at the New York Athletic Club. Information on the dinner, purchasing tickets and sponsorship opportunities may be found at http://www.501auctions.com/GoldenOars2014.
We encourage everyone to think back over the year and nominate the rowers/coxswains and coaches who you feel made a difference in the rowing community and to our sport. We look forward to honoring them at the Golden Oars Awards in November. Any questions should be addressed to Beth Kohl. For media accreditation, please contact Allison Frederick.
Click here for a list of past Fan's Choice Award Winners.