IRCA ANNOUNCES SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS, COACH, and STAFF OF THE YEAR
The Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association is excited to announce the winners of our Individual and Team Specialty Awards, which honor several exceptional student-athletes as well as our well-deserving colleagues and fellow coaches. This year's awards include:
Inspiration Award - given to an athlete or coach who has demonstrated the drive and motivation to overcome adversity or make a major impact on their team or community
Comeback Athlete of the Year - given to an athlete who has shown significant improvement with their perseverance, determination and dedication
Comeback Team of the Year - given to a team that has shown significant improvement with their perseverance, determination and dedication
Novice Walk-on Award - given to an athlete (oarsman or coxswain) who started their rowing career in college and has become a top tier athlete within their program and in the sport of men’s collegiate rowing
Scholar Athlete Award - given to the top scholar athlete in all of men’s collegiate rowing, taken from IRCA Scholar Athlete Nominations
Coxswain of the Year - given to a coxswain who has demonstrated great leadership and skill to motivate their team to compete at the best of their ability
Leadership Award - given to a coach or administrator who has shown great leadership and become a role model for men’s collegiate rowing
Nominations for each award were submitted by IRCA member coaches, along with their comments and recommendations, and were then voted on by the IRCA Board of Directors to select a winner.
The winners for each of the specialty awards, as well as the Coach and Staff of the Year awards, can be seen in the galleries below (right click to “open image in a new tab”) or on our Instagram at @ircacoaches in the story highlight “IRCA Awards ‘21”.
In addition to the awards listed above, the IRCA is pleased to honor our colleagues with the following awards:
Division 1/2, 3, and Lightweight Coach of the Year - given to the coach that demonstrates excellence in his or her ability to develop both individual and team performance while cultivating an environment that is built on fairness, respect, mentorship, and upholding the values of the IRCA and men's collegiate rowing
Division 1/2, 3, and Lightweight Staff of the Year - given to the assistant coach(es), volunteer coach(es), boatmen, etc. that demonstrate excellence in coaching, recruiting, commitment to their program, student-athletes, and head coach while upholding the values of the IRCA and men’s collegiate rowing
Any IRCA member coach could submit a nomination for Coach of the Year, whereas Staff of the Year nominations came from that program’s head coach. Comments/recommendations were submitted alongside the nomination before being voted on by the IRCA membership.
