Coach Appreciation

By Marissa Long

Unfortunately, the Women’s Crew has canceled their remaining spring season races and will be only holding recreational practices three times a week in small boats, for the rest of the semester. However, they wanted to show their appreciation to Coach Mike McAndrews for helping them these past few months. Women’s Crew Head Coach, Katrin expressed, “We are sorry to see him leave in mid-March and will be looking for a novice coach.” Coach Mike McAndrews has helped coach both the Men’s and Women’s Crews. He began coaching the Long Beach Women’s Crew in the late 80s but had to leave coaching to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. He recently returned to coaching and has been a great help to both crews.

Coach Mike McAndrews is from Philadelphia, started rowing in 1977 in high school at the Schuykill River and won a championship there. He received a rowing scholarship from the Florida Institute of Technology, but then transferred to Long Beach and rowed for our lightweight men’s team. He returned to coach for Long Beach in 2018 and has been helping the team periodically ever since.

This past week Coach McAndrews went out with the women in a quad and said they were improving in the boat. Now that he is leaving coaching, he hopes the women’s team, “enjoy rowing, have fun and be able to row for their whole life.” He is thankful to still be able to row and goes out in a single or double at the boathouse when he can.

The Women’s Crew takes out a four.