Rowing in the Quad Cities:
Moline, IL, is home to the YMCA Quad Cities Rowing Club. From its humble beginnings as a single cinder block structure along the Sylvan Slough of the Mississippi River to its current twin-bay boathouse with indoor fitness facilities at the Bass Street YMCA, a branch of the Two Rivers YMCA Association. The YMCA Quad Cities Rowing Club has established a tradition of excellence recognized nationwide.
New? Come in and try it out before officially joining!
Rowing is a sport like no other, a true challenge to the mind and body. At its best, rowing is all about individuals working in perfect rhythm to make their boat move amazingly fast.
LEARN TO ROW
Looking to boost your performance in football, basketball, soccer, swimming, or track? Rowing builds explosive power, cardiovascular endurance, and core strength; all essential for dominating your chosen sport. Join our 'Learn to Row' program and unlock your athletic potential!
Join the group for an introduction to the sport of rowing. This month-long program, designed for 8-12 graders, will give you basic skills to move to the next level of our rowing program. Check back for the latest Learn to Row opportunity or use the contact us form below to see to sit in on a team practice to see if Rowing is right for you.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The mission of the Y Quad Cities Rowing Club is to teach sportsmanship alongside the YMCA’s four core character values: Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility. Athletes are expected to demonstrate these values in every aspect of their lives, including training and competition. Y Quad Cities Rowers are also expected to be good students and maintain a balanced lifestyle between school, social life, and training.
Junior Rowers gain experience in managing their bodies with appropriate nourishment. They learn how to listen to their bodies and proactively respond to important signs of fatigue or injury.
YMCA Quad Cities participates in both regional and national events. Some rowers earn the opportunity to travel internationally for competition. During this time, our rowers are often exposed to diverse lifestyles and cultures at an early age.
This team practices up to three times a week and is intended for kids just starting to row or who simply want to row for fun and fitness. Emphasis is on rowing technique, boat handling, physical conditioning, teamwork and fun. This level also serves as preparation for the Competitive and Elite teams for those interested.
Although this level is not designed specifically for collegiate rowing preparation, YMCA Quad Cities has had graduates who row at this level and successfully walk-on for college clubs or teams after high school.
Typical Schedule:
- Spring, Summer, Fall: Three weeknights on the water
- Winter: Three weeknights indoor erg at the boathouse
Program Fees: $118/month (Financial assistance available using calculator below)
This team practices up to six times a week and is intended for kids who desire to compete for Midwest and National Championships. The Competitive level includes rigorous training with emphasis on analytics and data. Competitive rowers develop alongside other Elite athletes under experienced coaches who are directed by a U.S. Rowing Level 2 Coach and support staff. This level is necessary to master if interested in an invitation to participate on the Elite team.
Mastering this level is necessary for those interested in an invitation to participate on the Elite team. YMCA Quad Cities Competitive Junior Rowers are exposed to the national rowing scene, and many are recruited to row at the collegiate level, often with Division I scholarship offers. Regional travel is necessary on weekends for regattas in the fall and spring, with the possibility of attending the National Championships in early summer. Travel and regatta costs are not included in the base program fees.
Typical Schedule:
- Spring, Summer, Fall: Five weeknights and Saturday morning on the water
- Winter: Five weeknights and Saturday morning indoor erg at the boathouse
Program Fees: $313/month (Financial assistance available using calculator below)
This team practices up to nine times a week and is intended for kids who desire to represent YMCA Quad Cities as Elite rowers and Champions at the National and International level. Elite level training builds off of the intense work ethic developed during participation at the Competitive level. Elite rowers work to fine tune every aspect of their training and competition down to the finest detail under the direct coaching of our U.S. Rowing Level 2 Coach and support staff.
YMCA Quad Cities Elite Junior Rowers are recognized by most in the national rowing scene, often challenge course records during competition and some earn the opportunity to represent the United States U19 National Rowing Team in international competition. Elite Junior Rowers often entertain multiple Division 1 scholarship offers from prestigious colleges and universities across the country.
Regional travel is necessary on weekends for regattas in the fall and spring, with national and international opportunities available to earn over summers. Travel and regatta costs are not included in the base program fees.
Typical Schedule:
- Spring, Summer, Fall: Three mornings and five weeknights, as well as Saturday morning on the water. Lifting Saturday afternoon.
- Winter: Five weeknights and Saturday morning indoor erg at the boathouse. Lifting two weekday mornings and Saturday afternoon.
Base Price: $527/month (Financial assistance available using calculator below)
2025 Club Rowing Schedule:
- Iowa Indoor Rowing Challenge - Iowa City, IA – Feb 8
- Saratoga Invitational - Saratoga Springs, NY
- Indianapolis Junior Sprint - Indianapolis, IN
- Midwest Junior Rowing Championships – Cincinnati, OH – May 17-18
- USRowing Youth National Championships – June 12-15
- USRowing RowFest National Championships – Jul 12-20
- Head of the Des Moines – Des Moines, IA - Sept 27-28
- Head of the Rock – Rockford, IL – Oct
- Head of the Charles – Cambridge, MA – Oct 17-19
- Head of the Hooch – Nov 1-2
READY TO JOIN THE TEAM?
YMCA Quad Cities Junior Rowing is able to operate on an income based fee structure thanks to generous donations to the YMCA Annual Strong Kids Campaign. Reduced fees are available to those who qualify based upon the prior year's tax return. Use the Income Based Calcuator to get an approximation of your monthly rate.
Activation fee equal to one monthly payment amount is waived for first time registrants. It will apply each time a rower rejoins the program.
Additional scholarships may be available with extenuating circumstances, use the contact us at the bottom of this page to learn more. Those who attend a Learn to Row program will be credited the Learn to Row fee toward first monthly payment for new registrants.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
The success of the Y Quad Cities Rowing Club is evident not only in the character and maturity of our rowers but also in their ongoing rowing experience at the collegiate, World, and Olympic levels. Below is a list of colleges and universities where our high school seniors have continued their rowing careers.
California: Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine University, Stanford University, University of Southern California, University of California Berkeley
Connecticut: Yale University
Florida: Jacksonville University, Stetson University Sophie
Illinois: Augustana College, Northwestern University
Indiana: Purdue University, University of Notre Dame
Iowa: Drake, St. Ambrose University, University of Iowa
Kansas: Kansas State University, University of Kansas
Massachusetts: Boston University, Harvard University, Williams College
Michigan: University of Michigan
Minnesota: St. Thomas University
Naval Academy
Nebraska: Creighton University
New Hampshire: Dartmouth College
New Jersey: Princeton University, Rutgers College
New York: Cornell University
North Carolina: Davidson College, Duke University
Ohio: Marrietta College, Ohio State University
Oklahoma: University of Central Oklahoma, University of Tulsa
Pennsylvania: Bucknell University, Mercyhurst University, University of Pennsylvania, Villanova University
Tennessee: University of Tennessee
Texas: Rice University, South Methodist University
Virginia: University of Virginia
Washington: University of Washington
Washington D.C.: George Washington University, Georgetown University
Wisconsin: Marquette University, University of Wisconsin
United States Marine Corps
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