Northampton Youth & Community Rowing, Inc. (NYCRI) is located in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts.  

We are a non-profit organization that is committed to bringing the sport of rowing to everyone who wants to learn, train, and compete. We serve people ages 12+, including retirees and busy parents. Over the years, Hamp Crew has had up to 103 youth from around Western Mass on its spring and fall teams, competed at Masters Nationals, been invited to USRowing Youth Nationals, prepared student-athletes for exciting careers at elite colleges with rowing scholarships, and been able to share in the beauty of the Oxbow and Connecticut River through Learn-to-Row classes. We have expanded into the winter months at CREW "U" located at the Eastworks Building, Suite 229 in Easthampton, MA to extend the rowing season beyond November. We always welcome new members who have no rowing experience, or who are coming back to it after a hiatus. 

Northampton Youth and Community Rowing, Inc. was founded by a local high school student and her pioneering parents who had recently moved to the area. In 1997, Kelly Bidwell and her father, Dennis, began researching rowing in the Pioneer Valley. With support from the local clubs, including equipment and coaching from Stephanie Moore at Hoyoke Rows, Karen Klinger at Smith College, and Jim Dietz at UMass, the first Northampton High School learn-to-row was offered. In a combined effort with Smith College's Exercise and Sport Studies Department, the first full-time coach, Reba was hired in 2001. It was in very little time that rowing became the most popular sport at Northampton High School and parents of rowers wanted to join in on the fun they witnessed their sons and daughters enjoying. 

The first school to join Northampton High School students was the Williston Northampton School. Jonathan Wright joined the Masters team, along with other parents and Northampton High School became Northampton Youth and Community Rowing. In the next few seasons a group of women rowers called Pioneer Valley Women's Rowing was seeking out a home base. They found it with NYCRI. 

NYCRI now boasts a community program with youth rowers from Amherst Regional High School, JFK Middle School, NorthStar, Hopkins Academy, Hampshire Regional High School, Longmeadow High School, Hilltown High School, and Hartsbrook School. Masters (adult) rowers travel from around the area and join with no experience and vast competitive backgrounds alike. The masters program has doubled in size over the past year.

Hamp Crew is proud that in 2011/2012 it was able, for the first time ever, to offer programs for the entire year. This has allowed for rowers, both youth and adult, to learn and train starting at any point throughout the year and continue for all twelve months. Collaborations with the Oxbow Marina, Eastworks, AllSport Soccer Arena, Paradise Copies, Bidwell ID, Salon Herdis, The Sierra Grille, and Smith College have made this possible. The City of Northampton, along with Wright Builders, Lane Construction, and Berkshire Design group, has made a permanant home off of Damon Road a real possibility that will hopefully be seen by summer 2013. 

PO Box 1553, Northampton, MA 01061

Head Coach, Kristina: kristina@hampcrew.com, (p) 413-230-9254 or 413-695-7707