In the beginning...
In the summer of 1997, the ingredients for the creation of a crew program at Northampton High — coaching talent and rowing equipment at area schools, a beautiful body of water for rowing, a supportive school administration, a community open to new undertakings — were in place when Kelly Bidwell moved with her family to Northampton. Kelly, who loved rowing as a high school freshman in Maryland, was the spark that brought the ingredients together. During her sophomore year at Northampton High, Kelly and her family made contact with the crew coaches at Smith College, University of Massachusetts, Mount Holyoke College, and Amherst College, exploring possible sources of help in starting a crew program at Hamp High. It all took off from there.

We are now the largest rowing program in Western Massachusetts with about 120 high school members per year from over 5 different high schools in the area. Our masters rowers' program has grown exponentially in the past 5 years and medaled in the 2005 Masters National Regatta. We maintain a staff, lead by our Head Coach, which includes 6 youth coaches and 3 masters coaches. In 2001, we bought our first brand new boats and today have a boathouse filled to the max with excellent equipment.

Northampton Youth & Community Rowing, Inc. (NYCRI) is the parent organization of our adult program Northampton Community Rowing and our youth program, Hamp Crew. We are a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing the sport of rowing to everyone
who wants to learn, train, and compete.