Amanda Ramdeholl, our Queens Program Coordinator, is always up for a challenge. As a high school sophomore, she didn’t think of herself as particularly athletic. She was also shy and terrified of the water. So, naturally, when a group of Row New York coaches invited Amanda’s gym class to try out for rowing, she did.
Although she was completely unfamiliar with the sport, that fall, Amanda became a coxswain and led her teammates through their workouts. She made decisions under pressure, kept everyone safe, and strategized. She learned to push past her self-doubts and taught her rowers to do the same.
It wasn’t until that winter, however, that Amanda began to see herself differently. That’s when she joined the rowers on more of their workouts, learned about technique, got stronger, gained more respect for her teammates, and earned more respect from them as well. Amanda showed her teammates that she wasn’t just instructing them, she was invested in their collective success and willing to put in whatever work was necessary. The team became like a family.
Amanda realized she was an athlete and a leader. With this confidence, other parts of her life became easier – like raising her hand in class.
Today, as a coach Amanda uses her years of coxswain experience to lead her squad; grow their strength and confidence; and help them become better athletes, students, and human beings. She’s built a team culture that feels like a family, much like her own squad in high school. According to Amanda, this culture is no accident–it’s intentionally built and requires a firm commitment from each coach and athlete. They commit to the hard work required to be better rowers, students, and humans. Together, they celebrate each other’s identities and struggles. They revel in each other’s successes and reflect on failures.
Amanda refers to her fellow coaches, many of whom are also RNY alumni, as “the Dream Team.” Throughout the pandemic, the Dream Team has hand-delivered ergs, laptops, internet hotspots, and care packages throughout New York City. They’ve created countless training plans, workshops, presentations. They’ve checked in with athletes individually as often as possible. During the water season, they led as many daily practices as they could so that each athlete would get time on the water.
Now with the added challenges of the pandemic, Amanda finds that flexibility is key for our athletes’ growth. While keeping expectations high, she encourages athletes to prioritize their school work and mental health and to value the work they are doing to lead healthy lifestyles. She hopes they understand that a missed workout here and there is not the end of the world!
The flexibility pays off: Amanda recalls the Queens team’s first virtual 2k as one of the most rewarding experiences she’s had as a coach. The girls said that when the piece got hard and they really wanted to stop, they continued because their teammates were there (on the screens) pushing hard. Amanda says she feels super lucky to coach such a wonderful group of girls who support and motivate each other.
We’re lucky to have coaches like Amanda!
