Microphone in hand, Elizabeth Goodhue gives commands like, “Square the blade,” or “Arms in,” to the boat navigating Thorndike Pond at Camp Wanocksett.
The crew responds slowly, cautiously following orders. The boat eventually makes its way back to land after the first day of the Rowing Clinic on July 6.
“People come in and they think, ‘Oh, okay, let’s just go’ … Every time you teach a new person how to row, they come out and they’re discouraged and frustrated. It’s a good lesson. You can’t do something once and be good at it,” Goodhue said.
Autumn Moran sits head of the boat as the coxswain instructing the crew. Credit: KIERA MCLAUGHLIN / Ledger-Transcript 
Participants lift the boat over their heads to properly put away the rowing equipment. Credit: KIERA MCLAUGHLIN / Ledger-Transcript 
The crew bring the boat to the boathouse at Camp Wanocksett. Credit: KIERA MCLAUGHLIN / Ledger-Transcript
‘Passion for rowing’
Goodhue started this rowing clinic this year to expand access to the otherwise expensive sport.
“I have a passion for rowing, and I feel like everybody should know how to do it, or have the opportunity,” she said.
Her goal is to not only provide classes for community members, but also high schoolers interested in rowing.
“I always am trying to bring it out to public schools,” Goodhue said.
Goodhue has been coaching the girls’ crew team at Dublin School for about eight years now.
Originally, Goodhue started rowing in 1976 during her time at Boston University when women were just being introduced to competitive sports through Title IX enacted four years earlier.
“The great thing about BU was the women were much better than the men,” she said.
Goodhue also rowed with the first women’s lightweight crew team, which limits the maximum body weight of athletes.
After Goodhue married her husband and moved to New Hampshire, she stopped rowing. That is, until she met someone with connections to the Dublin boathouse at Camp Wanocksett.
Soon after, she met Lindsay Brown, the boys’ crew coach at Dublin School, who recruited Goodhue for the girls’ coaching position. Since then, she has never looked back.
“I loved it. I love coaching,” Goodhue said.
Autumn Moran, assistant coach for the summer rowing clinic, was coached by Goodhue at Dublin School for four years. Now, Moran is a sophomore in college and competes at Northeastern.
Both Goodhue and Moran said bonds are strong in the rowing world. Goodhue is still friends with her teammates from Boston University.
“There’s just a really special thing about rowing,” Moran said.
Learning something new
All ages and experience levels are invited to join the rowing clinic. Lessons include large boats that fit eight people to smaller boats that fit two to four. Goodhue explained everyone would learn different types of rowing, including sculling with two oars and sweeping with one oar.
Both coaches said there are many positives about learning something new like rowing.
“There’s a realization like, ‘Wow, I didn’t anticipate just how many different things that I’m processing mentally. I’m learning so many techniques I need to incorporate all at once,'” Moran said.
Currently, the clinic runs for two-week sessions through July 17 from 8 to 10 a.m. for $360 per session.
Goodhue hopes to host another two-week session from July 20 to July 31 from 8 to 10 a.m. for adults and noon to 2 p.m. for teens ages 14 to 17.
Goodhue said the goal is to provide access for public school students unable to compete in the sport and hopefully grow the program each summer to support them through their rowing journey.
“Young people would be great, and then we can just keep them going,” Goodhue said.
For more information, visit dublinschool.org/athletics/rowing-lessons-dublin-nh.