2023 SNRC STAFF & COACHES
| Head Coach
Grant Boyd
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Grant has been coaching for well over 20 years and prior to coaching he also rowed, including some time as a member of the national team. Grant grew up in Welland/Dain City and started rowing at SNRC in Grade 9 with Welland Centennial and his love for the sport grew from there. At the same time, one of Grant’s other main passions was hockey and he was drafted into the OHL by Sault Saint Marie in 1989 but I decided not to continue with his hockey career and chose to focus on his university education at Brock where he received his Bachelor of Physical Education focusing in Physiology, Biomechanics and Kinesiology as well as a Bachelor of Sport Management, with a focus on coaching education. Grant’s coaching career actually started with SNRC while attending Brock and then in 2001-2003 he got the position of assistant coach at Mercyhurst University in Erie PA. In the summer months he was also the head coach at SNRC, specifically working with the Sr. B women and Jr. A Women. In 2002, SNRC women won 4 Cdn Henley Golds under his guidance. Then in 2003 he took the position of Head Coach for the Upper Canada College rowing team with the immediate challenge to completely rebuild the team, which he did. Under Grant’s direction and leadership, UCC quickly became one of the premier high school rowing programs in the country and continued to be very successful throughout Grant’s 19 year career at UCC. More recently, Grant was the Head Coach for Team Ontario which had one of its strongest and most dominating performances ever at the 2023 Canada Summer Games. Grant’s passion for coaching is obvious when you meet him and we are so excited that he is now in place as our Head Coach to help lead SNRC into the future.
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| General Manager – Jiranna Couroux
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Jiranna started coaching at SNRC in 2018 and has served on the Board of Directors for 3 years including 2 yeas as VP Rowing prior to becoming General Manager. Her passion for the sport and each athlete has made the club culture welcoming and positive. She also has made sure all equipment gets to and from regattas safely and on time. Jiranna works hand in hand with the coaching team and can be found at the boathouse just about all the time :-) (LOL) |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach
Brandon D’Orazio
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Brandon began rowing in grade 9 at SNRC and never looked back. He rowed throughout high school & university and then began coaching competitively. While rowing competitively for Brock’s varsity team he continued to coach the winter spring summer programs with SNRC until he left to pursue a master’s degree in Ireland. Brandon studied Fitness and Health Promotions, Kinesiology, and holds a MSc in Strength and Conditioning Coaching. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Brandon is not only a former SNRC athlete he also served the Board of Directors as the VP of Rowing in 2022 before stepping into the Head Coach role through to winter training. Brandon loves to share his knowledge and passion for rowing and coaching. His favorite workout/drill on the water is pause drills because they provide versatility for beginners through to competitive athletes.
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| Winter Training Coach: Carley Couroux
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Where do/did you go to school and what program(s) do/did you study? I just graduated from Welland Centennial High School but I’m going to Brock for Physical Education. What is your favourite workout/drill on the water, and why? My favorite drill is Cut the Cake because it teaches the rowers to slow down, and it takes a lot of focus to stay in time. What is the most important thing another athlete has taught you? How to row with a smile on my face. It’s easy to get caught up in drills, workouts, or races but ultimately rowing is something that I love to do and something that I take for granted too often. What is your coaching “catch phrase”? “Hold your position 3” Why did you get into coaching? I got into coaching because I wanted to further my knowledge in the sport. As an athlete I always wanted to go more in depth with the proper technique and as a coach I can keep learning. |
| Winter Training Coach: Jacob Gula
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| Winter Training Coach: Sophia Buzzell
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Where do/did you go to school and what program(s) do/did you study?
E.L Crossley 2017 Grad, Rutgers University 2017-2018, Brock University 2018-2022 Medical Science What is your favourite workout/drill on the water, and why? Backdown progressions. To allow maximal engagement and connection through each part of the stroke. As well as, it allows athletes to feel the active muscle groups with the additional weight on the blade. What is the most important thing another athlete has taught you? Emily Brettell taught me to always strive for more and never take anything for granted. She was the definition of resilience. What is your coaching “catch phrase”? “Take it one stroke at a time” Why did you get into coaching? As an athlete I thought I just loved the sport, but after leaving it I realized I missed the competitive atmosphere and the team spirit the most. As a coach I get the opportunity to help a new generation of rowers find just that. |
2022-2023 Coaching Staff
| Lead Coach – Learn to Row & Sculling Development: Shannon Van Baalen
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Where do/did you go to school and what program(s) do/did you study?
High school: EL Crossley
University: Brock University (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and Masters of Education)
Teacher: DSBN
What is your favourite workout/drill on the water, and why? I love leap frog or any workout where you have other boats to push off of. It’s a great way to get used to being by other crews while coming together as a crew. What is the most important thing another athlete has taught you? I have had so many great teammates and coaches over the years who have all taught me something new and amazing about the sport that I didn’t know before. I will forever be grateful for Pete Somerwil who gave me the strength to believe in myself, not just as an athlete, but as a person. His support over the years means the world to me. What is your coaching “catch phrase”? “Just have fun, because rowing is fun” Why did you get into coaching? In high school, rowing changed my life and gave me a place where I belonged for the first time. It was a community that I didn’t know I needed. I owe every success that I have ever had to what the sport has taught me and the opportunities it has provided me. I figured that if I could share my passion of the sport with others, then maybe the sport can be that place and community for someone else. |
| Lead Coach – Train to Train: Sierra Humphries
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Where do/did you go to school and what program(s) do/did you study? I am going to Brock for Primary/Junior Education. What is your favourite workout/drill on the water, and why? I love ending a workout with a 250 m sprint! It is so much fun and always ends a workout nice and strong! What is the most important thing another athlete has taught you? I think that the athletes that come to practice with the most positive attitudes help teach everyone else to do the same! What is your coaching “catch phrase”? “How are we feeling?”. I always want to make sure that my athletes are feeling ok and are able to move on to the next piece, especially during hot summer days. Why did you get into coaching? I got into coaching because I had been rowing for many years and was excited about the possibility to help teach new rowers as well as help the more experienced rowers improve even more. |
| Lead Coach – Masters Competitive: Sarah Fuller
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Where do/did you go to school and what program(s) do/did you study?
I went to Queens University and studied biology with a minor in geology. What is your favourite workout/drill on the water, and why? My favourite workout rush in catch. I like it because it is hard and challenges the athletes. It challenges both the physical and mental side for the athlete. What is the most important thing another athlete has taught you? If you give them the confidence, anything is possible. Coaching to be confident goes a long way. What is your coaching “catch phrase”? Give them hope at the beginning of the race, then tear it away at the end! Why did you get into coaching? As an athlete I loved the sport so much, that I wanted to share my love for rowing with other athletes and create an environment where they feel the same way. |
| Jr. Coach: Cole Bujan | |
| Jr. Coach: Emma VanDyk | |
| Jr. Coach: Abby Welch | |