USRowing Names Coach Eubanks as a 2007 Award Winner

The USRowing Board of Directors presented Oak Ridge Rowing Association’s (ORRA) Head Coach Allen Eubanks the Clayton W. Chapman Sportsmanship Award during the USRowing Annual Awards Reception held on Saturday, December 8th, 2007 in Miami, Florida.

This annual award is given to an individual who best emulates Mr. Chapman’s 30-year stewardship of the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championship regattas. The recipient shall be an individual that epitomizes the spirit of sport of rowing by consistently serving in a behind the scene administrative role that has previously gone unrecognized. The recipient may be a coach, athlete, referee, administrator, volunteer, regatta organizer, sponsor, or vendor.

ORRA’s Head Coach Allen Eubanks is a native of Bossier City, Louisiana. A 1997 graduate of Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Eubanks started rowing in 1992. Eubanks is a level 3 USRowing Coach in his 7th year as Head Coach and Club Manager of ORRA. Prior to working in Oak Ridge, Eubanks started two programs and coached in Louisiana at Centenary College and the Louisiana School of Math Science and the Arts. Eubanks has the creation of two regattas to his credit as well the "Head of the Red" regatta and the "Secret City Head Race" regatta. USRowing named ORRA as the 2005 Club of the Year under Eubanks’ leadership. Eubanks serves on as chairman of USRowing’s Youth Committee where he was instrumental in the regional realignment of the qualifying regatta structure for the USRowing Youth Nationals. Eubanks serves as the Director of the Southeast Junior Development Camp, a camp that he organize in 2005 with past USRowing Women’s Olympic Head Coach Hartmut Bushbacher and Greg Maynard of Baylor School. The camp is conducted during July in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2007 the Southeast Juniors Youth Women's eight placed 2nd behind Thompson Boat Center and in front of the two US Development Camp crews with a time of 6:48.17. In 2006 Eubanks’ Senior and Intermediate Lightweight fours succeed in capturing a national title in their events. As ORRA’s Junior Program head coach, Eubanks has lead the Oak Ridge Junior women’s program to one Women’s Youth 8+ Southeast Regional Championship in 2002 and recieve bids to five of the last seven years to the USRowing Youth National Championships.

" This is a huge honor for me. I feel that I am receiving this award for doing what I truly enjoy. Rowing is my hobby and my job not many people can say that." Eubanks said, " I want to express my thanks to my family for giving me the time and leeway to put in the time needed and Oak Ridge Rowing for taking a chance on a no name coach seven years ago. For allowing me to develop not only ORRA's programs but rowing on the regional and national level as well."

ORRA supports a youth program for ages 13-18, adult programs for both beginners and experienced rowers and adaptive rowing opportunities. Its membership consists of approximately 40 masters rowers and 60 junior rowers. The organization also has more than 100 volunteers that help run the six to eight rowing events held each year at the Melton Lake Venue. If you would like to get involved this spring contact Head Coach Allen Eubanks on the Association’s website www.orra.org.