TJ Coaches

HEAD COACH MATT SHOOP

Matt Shoop has been coaching at TJ since 1997 and has been the Varsity Girls’ coach since 2000. He is a former Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year. Shoop has sent dozens of athletes on to row at the collegiate level at more than 25 different schools at the Division I, II, and III levels. His boats have won multiple championships at the local, regional, and national levels. His coaching philosophy is to maximize each athlete’s potential, to honor the sport, and represent Jefferson with dignity and class.

COACH SHARI 

Coach Shari’s love of rowing began as a crew parent when her children rowed for West Springfield Crew. She enrolled in a Learn to Row class and Sandy Run Park became her second home.

After several years as a rower, Coach Shari decided to share her love of rowing with others through coaching. During the 2017 season she coached the Women’s Novice Eight for West Springfield Crew. She is the Training Director for Sandy Run Scullers, teaching Learn to Row classes and the Junior Scullers program.

During the 2023 and 2024 seasons she coached the Thomas Jefferson Men’s 4V, 3V, and Freshmen 8. This year she is serving as the coach of the Women’s 2V where her focus is on improving the technique of her rowers and fostering camaraderie.

COACH ANNETT

Originally from Germany, Annett grew up in a town with a strong rowing community, then moved to London and Oxford for her undergraduate and graduate studies yet somehow still managed to avoid catching the rowing bug until one of her kids started rowing in middle school.

She started out as a sculler before adding sweep rowing and now competes with DC Strokes and sculls with Sandy Run Scullers. When she still needs more water in her life, she trains with the District of Columbia Aquatics Club.

She loves the sport of rowing for the life lessons it imparts- grit, focus, and commitment to a common goal - and believes that excellent technique is key to making rowing fast and fun.

COACH TURNER

Coach Turner rowed four years with TJ Crew (Class of 2014) and for four years at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL.  With the 2020 season cut short, 2021 was his first full season coaching at TJHSST.  When he is not coaching at Sandy Run, Coach Turner's "real" job is Project Manager for a specialty Civil Engineering company located in Manassas, VA.  Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and sings in a local barbershop chorus.