PRINCETON, N.J. - USRowing is pleased to announce that Oak Ridge Rowing Association board president Bob Franks has been named the new chairman of the association's masters committee.
Franks, 60, brings an aggressive agenda that he hopes will strengthen masters rowing across the country and both increase participation in competition and in USRowing.
"I'm excited," said Franks. He said that he is in the process of gathering together the seven other members of the masters committee to discuss the top three things he hopes to accomplish in the first six months of 2013, which are communicating USRowing's role in and support of masters rowing, increasing communications among masters rowers and clubs and strengthening participation at regional masters championships.
"I'm getting ready to put out an email to get the masters committee on the phone for a conference call to talk about my objectives," Franks said. "And it's simple to explain.
"One, we need to make the rowing masters aware that USRowing can be there for them," he said. "I think we, in the past, the masters, have thought that USRowing is just for juniors and Olympians and not for the masters. I would like to see that change so that masters understand that USRowing does have something for them.
"Communication is number two - communication between all of the clubs and all of the rowers. We need to talk to each. For example, here in the Southeast region, I started up a Facebook page for the Southeast region. It's going slowly, but it is something that people are looking forward to being on and for information going back and forth," he said.
"And third, I would like to see the masters regions be stronger in their regattas, meaning all of the regional masters championships are well attended."
Franks is in a unique position to help accomplish these goals because he, himself, found the sport late in life and benefited from participation. Six years ago, Franks was severely overweight and facing serious health problems as a result. After moving from California to a home on a lake in Tennessee, he decided he wanted to row and bought a used single.
"In 2006, I was somewhere around 300 pounds and I discovered rowing and found out that I had to lose weight to even get in a trainer," he said. "And then I had to lose more weight to get into another boat, and I had to lose more weight to get into a racing single. Rowing was a life-changer for me."
Franks now competes regularly, coaches masters rowing, has been on the board of the Oak Ridge Rowing Association for the past four years and became a masters committee member representing the Southeast region in 2012. Franks is hopeful that during his time as chair, he can bring significant change to the masters rowing community, a goal USRowing Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Merry, fully supports.
"As USRowing looks to provide increased value to the membership in 2013, I am excited to have Bob Franks enter into the pivotal leadership role as chair of the USRowing Masters Committee," said Merry. "He brings business perspective and enthusiasm for the sport together as we shape new services for this important constituency. I look forward to working together."