Oakland Strokes Incorporated

OAKLAND STROKES PROVIDES YOUTH ROWERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN TO ROW AND ULTIMATELY COMPETE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT NURTURES DEVELOPMENT OF CHARACTER, STRENGTH OF COMMITMENT, AND PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE

OVER THE DECADES THE STROKES HAVE ENJOYED MANY COMPETITIVE SUCCESSES, INCLUDING VICTORIES AT THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, REPRESENTATION AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND INVITATIONS TO PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL ROWING EVENTS SUCH AS HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA ON THE RIVER THAMES IN LONDON. OUR ATHLETES ARE FREQUENTLY ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL AS WELL AS RECENT STROKES ALUMNI ARE ROWING AT YALE, CAL, PRINCETON, WASHINGTON, DARTMOUTH, PENN, STANFORD, CORNELL, USC AND MICHIGAN AS WELL AS MANY OTHER FINE SCHOOLS. YET, OUR MOST MEANINGFUL ACHIEVEMENTS CANT BE TOUTED ON SCOREBOARD OR SUMMED UP IN A GRADE POINT AVERAGE. WHILE ITS TRUE THAT PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES EAGERLY SEEK OUR ROWERS, ITS NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE TOP ATHLETES, OR HAVE A PERFECT 4.0. COLLEGES SEEK OUR ROWERS BECAUSE OF THEIR DEPTH OF CHARACTER, STRENGTH OF COMMITMENT AND PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE. IN THE END OUR ALUMNI TELL US AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT THE SELF CONFIDENCE AND LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS FORGED DURING THEIR TIME WITH OAKLAND STROKES ARE AMONG THE MOST PRICELESS EXPERIENCES THEY'VE HAD. OUR PROGRAM GOALS ARE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS *PROVIDE EXCELLENT COACHING AND RIGOROUS TRAINING IN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ROWING. *TEACH PERSISTENCE, DETERMINATION, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT. *HELP ALL TEAM MEMBERS FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL AND DEVELOP THE CHARACTER TO THRIVE WITH DIFFICULT TRAINING AND COMPETITION *DEVELOP A SENSE OF TEAMWORK AND SHARED PURPOSE - THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ON A SUCCESSFUL CREW, EVERYONE WORKS FOR COMMON GOAL.