Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
Updated 1/15/2012
I. Executive Summary
II. History
III. Mission Statement
IV. Internal Audit
A. Strengths
B. Weaknesses
C. Critical Issues for the Future
D. Major Objectives
1. Short term objectives
2. Long term objectives
V. Conclusion
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
I. Executive Summary
SCRC, a 501c-3 organization, and its partners, Verona Borough, Friends of the
Riverfront, Allegheny Land Trust, Allegheny County Department of Economic
Development, State of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Foundation Community have worked diligently to turn a former industrial site on the river in Verona and
Penn Hills into a community asset for our City and County. With this asset,
SCRC preserves green space, attracts families and individuals to the area, increases the number of children and youth who have the opportunity to row and kayak on the rivers and increases environmental education.
Steel City Rowing Club was formed in 1996 to build the strength and character of individuals of all backgrounds through the discipline of rowing and through opportunities to serve others and is:

A central location for high-quality coaching and intensive training for female and male rowers from across this region’s school districts and towns.

An organization that advances the ethos of community service through its members’ volunteer work for children, youth and older adults.

A path to college and scholarships for youth. In 5 years, $1.7 million of college scholarships have been awarded to high school athletes graduating from SCRC’s rowing program. Please see attached New York Times article,
“Slicing the Pie” on NCAA sport scholarships.

A common ground for people who appreciate the rivers.
Over 400 people, ranging in age from 8 to 85 years, now yearly participate in
Steel City Rowing Club. The organization has grown dramatically due to devoted members and volunteers and because of the reputation of its coaches, board of directors and executive director, Dori Tompa, head coach Ladislau Tompa and our new “green” soon to be LEED-certified boathouse.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
II. History
The sport of rowing was first seen in the United States in 1852 and by the turn of the century there were 15 different rowing clubs along the three rivers of
Pittsburgh. During that time period rowing was a popular sport not only to do, but also to watch. As a plaque at Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) appropriately sums up rowing in Pittsburgh in the past:
One hundred years ago, there were over 20 boathouses in this area, Pittsburgh and its three rivers were witness to a sporting tradition of spectacular excitement and expressive grace as oarsmen and women glided past verdant banks in slender fragile boats. American rowing in those days claimed a large following and Pittsburgh was at its core.
Steel City Rowing Club (SCRC) began as the joint vision of Dori Tompa and
Ladislau Tompa. They saw an opportunity to meet the growing demand for high quality instruction and training in the sport of rowing. While SCRC began humbly in 1996, training first happening in the borrowed attic space of an original member, Ms. Martin and Mr. Tompa brought a wealth of rowing experience at the highest levels of competition to the organization. Ms. Tompa has been an Indoor
Rowing World Champion, a five-time United States Rowing National Champion, and was an Olympic Trial participant in 1996. Mr. Tompa, who is originally from
Romania, has been a seven-time Romanian Rowing National Champion, a threetime European Rowing Champion, and a four-time United States Rowing
National Champion. With that expertise and eight members in the inaugural year
(1996-1997) of SCRC Mr. Tompa and Ms. Tompa coached participating members to victories.
The organization achieved non-profit, 501(c)(3) status in 1997, allowing SCRC recognition in the local rowing community and beyond. Another important step in the Club’s development was finding and settling into a permanent home for
SCRC in August 1997. Taking up residence at their Verona, PA location along the Allegheny River allowed the Club to set up regular practice hours, create boat storage, and have water access and launching capabilities.
It became clear to the founders and board of directors that the sport of rowing was growing but that many high schools could not afford their own coaches and boats
(which can cost $20,000 each), so students from lower-moderate income school districts were not able to compete in the sport of rowing at all. This inequity was a missed opportunity for these young people, since the number of college scholarships for rowing was at an all-time high. At the same time, there were students whose high schools had teams, but who needed more advanced training, particularly during the summer. They needed experienced coaching to help them develop their technique and realize their potential.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
SCRC was designed to be a place for quality coaching for these youth. Soon, however, adults from the area came to SCRC to ask for rowing lessons, and parents asked if their elementary and middle school students could learn. SCRC responded by adding coaches and acquiring equipment to accommodate the increased demand. SCRC quickly grew from five members to over 400 people participating in its programs.
One thing that has remained constant over the years is the high expectation that
SCRC coaches hold for each rower. Everyone at the club takes turns cleaning the boathouse, the rest rooms, the dock, and maintaining the grounds. They share the work, just as they pull together in the boat. This ethos now extends beyond SCRC: SCRC expects rowers to give back to the community through service. Service is part of the summer camp program for youth, and involves youth and adults, year round.
SCRC is led by board chair Randy Bryant, who is the Dean of the School of
Computer Science at CMU, and by Dori Tompa, one of its founders, an Olympiclevel rower, and its executive director. This team and SCRC’s partners, Verona
Borough, Friends of the Riverfront, Allegheny Land Trust, Allegheny County
Department of Economic Development, State of Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh
Foundation Community have worked diligently to raise over $3.5 million to turn a former industrial site on the river in Verona and Penn Hills into a community asset for our City and County. With this asset, SCRC preserves green space, attracts families and individuals to the area, increases the number of children and youth who have the opportunity to row and kayak on the rivers and increases environmental education.
Current programs and activities : SCRC Rowing Club’s programs are a blend of instruction, exercise, and community service that is available to children (starting at age 8), youth, and adults (currently including individuals 80 years of age).
These rowers train at SCRC year-round, between 5:15 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day.
For six months of the year, they row on the Allegheny River, and for the balance of the year they train by lifting weights, running, and using the indoor ergometer machines that simulate rowing.
Our participants live in 42 zip codes within the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny
County, and our high school students attend 26 different schools . Other people have traveled to SCRC from surrounding counties and have relocated to
Pittsburgh from Iowa, Ohio, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina, Washington,
D.C., Virginia, Canada, and Mexico to train during the summers.
Many of the participants choose to be members of SCRC, which provides them with coaching and use of boats and other equipment for competition or recreation, and supervision during community service activities. Other individuals participate in SCRC’s learn-to-row sessions, summer camps, or spring training camp. These programs are outlined below.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
Program Description
High school rowing program
Youth
Programs
SCRC retains top-level, certified coaches to teach rowing to students from 26 schools. Some high schools have enough rowers to form their own team (e.g. Shaler High School) while others join together into “composite” teams and row under the
SCRC banner. These teams race during the fall and spring and train in SCRC’s indoor facilities during the winter. The cost for this program is borne by the school or the individual rower —many of whom receive scholarships.
Throughout the year, SCRC offers youth environmental rowing opportunity for ages 8-12. In additional to learning water safety, the youth enjoy learning to paddle canoes and kayaks.
An environmental instructor also instructs with live native wildlife the benefits of conservation with the support of the
Wildlife Center located in Verona.
Adult rowing and fitness classes
Youth and
SCRC’s coaches also teach and train adults to row at the level of intensity they choose. Some adults take lessons and then row recreationally, in a single, double, four or eight-person boat, while others practice on a regular schedule and compete in national and international races during spring, summer, and fall. Adults pay for this program through their memberships or on a walk in basis. SCRC also offers fitness opportunities such as Zumba, cardio kickboxing.
SCRC conducts a spring training camp at Camp Bob in South
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
Adult Camps Carolina for high school and adult rowers who want to learn to row or who are preparing for Spring races. During the summer it organizes camps in Verona to teach hundreds of children, youth, and adults to row and kayak/canoe and/or to prepare for national and international races. SCRC provides transportation to and coaching for these races. Individual rowers pay the cost of the camps, with many receiving scholarships.
Learn-to-Row To help get more people on the water, SCRC offers free monthly learn-to-row Saturday sessions for children, youth, and adults.
Community
Service &
Stewardship
Service is part of the ethos of SCRC, so most of SCRC’s members and parents volunteer to help with projects that improve the community of Verona, preserve the river, and/or give-back to the Pittsburgh area (e.g. riverfront clean-up, trash pick-up at the park in Verona, weed removal for the Boro of
Verona, trailclearing for the neighborhood children’s center, and raising funds for Juvenile Diabetes.) In addition, SCRC organizes educational programs for its children and youth, with speakers coming to teach them about sustainable building design, water testing, river safety, first aid, and CPR.
III. Mission Statement
A. Steel City Rowing Club’s Current Mission Statement
Steel City Rowing Club is devoted to developing the strength and character of individuals of all backgrounds through the discipline and teamwork of rowing and through opportunities to serve others.
SCRC is:

A rowing club that welcomes youth and adults who want to learn to row for their health and fitness, and for the chance to experience the beauty of our rivers

A central location for high-quality coaching and intensive training for female and male rowers from across this region’s school districts and towns.

An organization that advances the ethos of community service through its members’ volunteer work for children, youth and older adults.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005

A path to college and scholarships for youth. In 5 years, $1.7 million of college scholarships have been awarded to high school athletes graduating from SCRC’s rowing program. Please see attached New York Times article,
“Slicing the Pie” on NCAA sport scholarships.

A common ground for people who appreciate the rivers. A group of volunteers that is helping to develop the community and riverfront, in partnership with local government and other non-profit organizations.
IV. Internal Audit
Based on the internal audit of management, service and finance, the following primary strengths and weaknesses were identified.
A. Strengths :
Management:

Leadership

State of the Art Facility

Dedication of members

Member retention
Service:

Equipment

Quality Coaching style / Well trained staff

Focus on Competition

Location

Flexible scheduling for training

Race preparation

Availability of boats
Other (Planning & Technology):

Atmosphere
B. Weaknesses
Management:

Underpaid management staff

Infrastructure in need of development (including board diversity & better accounting)
Marketing:

Lack of community visibility / PR
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
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Limited advertising

Lack of strategic marketing plan

No structured external communication regarding services

Underutilized use of Internet
Finance:

Need to develop more alliances to help identify financial resources

Not yet meeting our operational needs

Weak accounting practices
Service:

Part-time coaches
Other:

Alliances with other facilities to provide year round training

Lack of information systems to support operations (i.e., database on rowers)
C. Critical Issues for the future
SCRC’s Mission
1. What should SCRC target?
2. To what should SCRC expand its activities?
Opportunities
1. Will SCRC be able to get enough funding?
2. Will SCRC be able to expand its membership?
3. How much will SCRC be able to get community support?
Threats
1. Will SCRC be able to overcome the pressure from TRRA?
2. Will SCRC be able to get enough funding to manage the new facility until membership grows enough to support itself?
3. How much will SCRC be able to get community support?
Strengths
1. Will SCRC ’s leadership be able to attract more rowers/programs?
2. Will dedication of members be maintained?
3. Will SCRC be able to utilize its facilities and equipment effectively?
4. Will SCRC ’s coaching style maintain its competitiveness?
5. Will SCRC be able to exploit the merit of present location?
Weaknesses
1. Will SCRC be able to build robust management system (board, management infrastructure, dedication of members)?
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
2. Will SCRC develop the attractive programs (e.g. new joint projects with other organizations) or strategic marketing plan?
3. Will SCRC be able to improve accounting practices?
4. Will SCRC be able to expand equipment?
5. Will the SCRC be able to get enough funding to span the growth need?
Among the critical issues, the top six issues for the future for SCRC are:
1. Grow to 500 - 600 members [ 200 competitive high school rowers]
2. Develop our financial committee and accounting
3. Improve fundraising
4. Improve marketing
5. Increase the number of events at the boathouse
6. Develop current programs, both rowing and non - rowing
D. Major Objectives
1. Short-term Objectives (12 months)

Further develop our infrastructure (i.e., better define organizational roles and continue board search, board diversity).

Strengthen organizational policies including guiding documents (i.e. review bylaws and personnel policies)

Hire staff to support coaching administration and marketing needs.

Increase the exposure of the boathouse for rental opportunities of the facility

Utilize “free” social media to increase our marketing reach.
2. Long-term Objectives

Continue to produce world-class rowers .

Continue to provide professional coaching on a personal level .
- Critiqued annually by SCRC members.
- Maintain national standards for professional coaching.
- Offer Olympic standard coaching techniques.

Create a self-sustaining organization .
 Increase the membership to make the organization self-sustaining.
- Develop a pro forma budget that demonstrates sustainability (i.e., prepared by a skilled business & possible development consultant).
 Develop renewable contracts with various organizations (i.e., high schools, the Children’s center, universities, scouting groups, etc.) that will supplement membership dues.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
- Consider developing a joint membership contract with a local health club (i.e., Alexander’s).
- Annually, solicit contracts with organizations such as the YMCA, Boys
& Girls Clubs, the Children’s Center, 4H Club, or the Scouts. These are to be fee for service contracts for services provided on an annual basis (i.e., rowing camps)

Provide state-of-the-art equipment for competitive rowing.
- Meet nationally recognized basic standards of rowing equipment.
- Provide routine maintenance for the equipment.

Build alliances with community leaders t o promote SCRC’s mission .
- Quarterly evaluation of partnership activities.
- Support the missions of the alliances (i.e., participate in key activities annually).
-
Measure the effect of SCRC’s involvement with its partners (i.e., conduct a perception survey).

Maintain an enjoyable and supportive atmosphere .
- Important to cohesion of the club (a valuable asset to SCRC).
V. Conclusion
After developing the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and objectives we have the foundation to develop several strategies for Steel City
Rowing. SCRC should begin by implementing their short term objectives which will provide the foundation necessary to pursue the long-term intensive strategies of Market Development, Market Penetration and Product Development.
SCRC must decide how large it wants to become, therefore defining their Market
Penetration goal. Keeping some of the competition’s weaknesses in mind,
SCRC should be cautious to not fall into the trap of becoming so large that they lose track of their cus tomers’ needs and can no longer provide a safe and personalized training experience. Continuing to measure customer satisfaction is one of the key’s to ensuring SCRC’s future successes.
Once the more sophisticated elements of the club’s infrastructure are in place, the long-term objectives can be realized. SCRC has already done a superb job of developing their club services. SCRC’s personalized coaching, accessibility to training equipment and dedicated leadership are primary reasons for membership satisfaction. With the new boathouse and successful recruiting,
SCRC can be self-sustaining.
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Steel City Rowing Club
Strategic Plan – 2001- 2005
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