About Us

Mission Statement

Rowing changes lives. At the Gray Knights Rowing Club, we are dedicated to fostering a community that is welcoming and supportive. We make rowing accessible without regard to individual ability, background, or experience. We seek to raise the standard of rowing programs through internal excellence and to share our knowledge and expertise with others for the advancement of the sport at all levels. We seek to develop skilled and competitive rowers at all levels through character development and physical fitness. We are an organization open to all people who want to row and who espouse our mission.

Our Core Values

      1. Practicing safe boating practices
      2. Providing workouts that are technically and physically approporiate for our members
      3. Encouraging our members to challenge themselves mentally and physically
      4. Planning non-rowing social activities to build fellowship
      5. Providing racing opportunities for all rowing levels

Our History

In the Fall of 2011, the head coach of the Bishop O’Connell high school crew team invited parents to form a masters team as a way for us to learn about the sport and understand what our kids were doing. Four fathers jumped in, and on a cold wet afternoon in October at the Head of the Schuylkill, their hard work paid off as they were able to row all 4 for the first time - heading up to the starting line!

In the Spring of 2012, 11 more parents joined. We practiced out of Thompson's Boat Center, and hot docked with our kids as they returned to dock from their afternoon practices. From that first regatta, we competed in others around the mid-Atlantic, including the Head of the Charles, Christiana, Occoquan, Potomac, and more.

The mascot of the high school was the “knight”: we named ourselves the “Gray Knights” and our team colors are orange and gray.

We became an independent club in 2015, hired our own coaches, bought our own boats, and expanded our team's roster to include our neighbors and friends.

Join the team!

Gray Knights is currently accepting membership applications.