Our Story

The sport of rowing was first seen in the United States in 1852, and by the turn of the century there were 15 different rowing clubs along the three rivers of Pittsburgh. During that time period, rowing was a popular sport not only to participate in, but also to watch. A plaque at Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) appropriately summarizes Pittsburgh’s rowing past, explaining “one hundred years ago, there were over 20 boathouses in this area, Pittsburgh and its three rivers were witness to a sporting tradition of spectacular excitement and expressive grace as oarsmen and women glided past verdant banks in slender fragile boats. American rowing in those days claimed a large following and Pittsburgh was at its core.”

Steel City Rowing Club (SCRC) began as the joint vision of Dori Tompa and Ladislau Tompa. They saw an opportunity to meet the growing demand for high quality instruction and training in the sport of rowing, and sought to coach qualified individuals to high level competition victories. The first home of SCRC was the borrowed attic space of an original member, in 1996. Despite this humble facility, Ms. Martin and Mr. Tompa brought a wealth of rowing experience at the highest levels of competition to the organization.

The designation of non-profit, 501(c)(3) status in 1997 enabled an important step in the Club’s development - finding and settling into a permanent home. Establishing a location along the Allegheny River in Verona, PA in August 1997 allowed the Club to set up regular practice hours, create boat storage, and have water access and launching capabilities. It also became clear to the founders and directors that, while the sport of rowing was growing, many high schools could not afford their own coaches and boats. The Club alleviated this barrier to opportunity by making available equipment and coaching to students from low- and moderate-income families. Eventually, the Club expanded instruction to include adults and middle school students, hired additional coaches, and acquired equipment to meet the increased demand.

In 2010, under the Tompa’s leadership, and with the support of the Board and community partners Verona Borough, Friends of the Riverfront, Allegheny Land Trust, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, State of Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Foundation Community (including, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Eden Hall Foundation, The Laurel Foundation, The Shea Foundation, Howard and Nell E. Miller Foundation) and CMU School of Architecture, SCRC raised over $3.5 million to turn a former industrial site on the river in Verona and Penn Hills into the 16,000 square foot, LEED Gold Certified building that remains SCRC’s current boathouse facility and community asset.

Over the next ten years, the club experienced numerous changes in administration, staff, and coaching that was exacerbated by the onset of the COVID-19 in 2020. The economic impact of the pandemic combined with institutional instability necessitated leadership with commitment to sustain and rebuild the organization. The Board President at the time, Will Brown, stepped into leadership on a volunteer basis with support from the Board of Directors and dedicated adult volunteers. He helmed the club through the pandemic, maintaining the building, managing finances, and increasing paid staff. Originally recruited via a nationwide search in 2022 to serve as Head Coach, Jenn Langzettel moved into the Executive Director position in 2024.

Steel City Rowing Club continues to flourish and is committed to making the river accessible to everyone with a growing array of programs reflecting this mission. In addition to rowing programs and competitions for youth ages 11+ through adults, we host private and community paddling and educational events that include school field trips, professional teams/networking group outings, community meetings, river safety training, meditations, and more. Expanding into environmental education to incorporate our unique setting and further connect children to nature and the river, ecology-focused programs have recently been added to our after-school and summer opportunities. Our stunning community room overlooking the Allegheny River is utilized for a wide range of private events.

The site is the only public river access point for miles and is one of the most ideal recreational boat launch sites in the county. Our site and organization are poised to play a crucial role in leveraging the river for recreational, educational, and fitness opportunities within the broader Pittsburgh community. The location will soon undergo more transformation, with the installation of an accessible kayak launch, establishment of the site as a trailhead for the VOPP trail, and redevelopment of space to optimize the expanded and increased usage, poising Steel City Rowing Club to continue serving the region and connecting people to the river for years to come.