Campers learn to row, row, row their sculls Camper Kalil Richardson with Navesink River Rowing President Kay Vilardi. Thirty campers from the Red Bank Recreation Summer Program and their counselors tried something different recently - rowing lessons with Navesink River Rowing (NRR). The youths spent an afternoon with members of the rowing club who shared some riverside lore and their love of the sport of rowing with campers and counselors. The children learned the basics of rowing, first on the shore with "ergs" or rowing machines. Jessica Santa Maria, 12, of Red Bank took to the rowing machine like an old friend, knocking off 1,800 meters in just a few minutes. Youth rower Rachel Waylett of Middletown provided encouragement to the campers as they became accustomed to the sliding back and forth motion. "It's legs-back-arms, then arms-back-legs," she instructed. As the campers moved to the riverside, gentle encouragement from their counselors and Navesink River Rowing coaches got most of the campers into quadruple sculls (four-person boats) and single sculls. Laura Grosso of Navesink River Rowing instructs counselor Rebekah Daly and campers. They learned to move their oars in unison and stroked their way out into the shallows of the Navesink. Attached by a rope tether, all rowers were safely pulled back to shore, to practice their strokes again. Camper Tashji Tomaino tried his skill in both the single and quad. A seventh-grader, he learned to use his long arms and legs for good leverage in the boat. "He looks like a natural to me," said Kay Vilardi, NRR president. "It's fun to see the kids really taking to the river - the wildlife, the water and just being in the boats is so exciting. I have as much fun as they do." Counselor Rebekah Daly enjoyed her lesson, too. "I've lived in Red Bank all my life, but this is the first time I've been in the Navesink," she said. Looking on from the shoreline, Tomora Young, assistant director of Red Bank Recreation, said, "Our kids always love the chance to try something new. The Navesink River is a great place for us, right in our own backyard. Miss Kay invites us every summer and we truly enjoy the day." After a picnic lunch, Coach Chris Meharg made sure all the campers got NRR T-shirts and commemorative photos. As the campers made their way back to the vans, they were overheard hotly debating who qualified as the best rower in the group. Before boarding the vans, they thanked their hosts: "Thanks, Miss Kay, see you next year!"