Coach Patrick Knipe

Biography

Coach Patrick Knipe is a 2007 graduate of Riverview Community High School, where he rowed for four years, specializing as a lightweight in the Men’s Varsity Lightweight 4+.

Under the guidance of Coaches Paul Orto and Richard Kesor, Coach Knipe competed in this event for allfour years. Additionally, he rowed for the Wyandotte Boat Club in the Men’s Jr. B (U17) 8+, securing back-to-back silver medals at the U.S. Nationals in 2004 and 2005.

In 2008, Coach Knipe joined the Riverview coaching staff as an apprentice under Coach Richard Kesor. After the departure of his mentor who went on to take over as Head Coach of Montgomery Bell Academy, Patrick went on to become the Head Coach of the Riverview Crew in 2017. In his time, Riverview has achieved unprecedented success, including record-breaking Hebda Championships, CSSRA medals, and making program history by qualifying the first

Women's Lightweight 8+ for the SRAA National Championship.

Coach Knipe has also contributed significantly to the Wyandotte Boat Club’s Junior Program. He began coaching the Men’s team from 2008 to 2011, leading several boats to qualify for the Royal Canadian Henley Finals. From 2014 to 2018, he helped rebuild the Women's Junior Program, guiding his crews to back-to-back Henley Gold in the Women’s Senior Lightweight 115lbs. 4+ in 2017 and 2018. These victories marked the WBC’s first Henley win since 2007 and its first back-to-back wins since 1998. In 2019, he served as Interim Head Coach for the WBC, and

in 2023, he took over as the Junior Men's Lead Coach.

Throughout his career, Coach Knipe has played a pivotal role in developing numerous athletes who have gone on to compete at the collegiate level. Many of these athletes return to row under his guidance during the summers or coach alongside him. “I was fortunate to learn from exceptional coaches, and I have always made it a priority to

absorb as much knowledge as possible from each one. It is my core belief to pass on this knowledge to my athletes and to young coaches who find themselves in the same position I was once in.”

~ Coach Knipe

Coaching Highlights

• 2 Royal Canadian Henley Gold Medals (RCHR)

• 9 Royal Canadian Henley Finalists (RCHR)

• 5 Canadian Schoolboy Medalists (CSSRA)

• 6 American Schoolboy Qualifiers (SRAA)

• 5 Midwest Championships Gold Medalists

• 30 Midwest Championship Medalists

• 4 State Championships Gold Medalists

• 30 State Championship Medalists

• 14 Hebda Cup Points Trophies

• Men’s: 2012, 2014, 2018

• Women’s: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015

• Combined: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2019

• Only team in the 59-year history of the regatta to sweep all three trophies (2012,2014)

Coaching Experience

• Riverview Community High School – Assistant Coach: 2008 - 2016

• Wyandotte Boat Club – Men’s Assistant Coach: 2008 - 2011

• Wyandotte Boat Club – Fall Masters Coach: 2014 - 2015

• Wyandotte Boat Club – Women's Head Coach: 2014 - 2018

• Riverview Community High School – Head Coach: 2017 - Present

• Montgomery Bell Academy – Advisor to the Director of Rowing: 2017 - Present

• Wyandotte Boat Club – Men’s and Women’s Head Coach: 2019

• Wyandotte Boat Club – Men’s Lead Coach: 2023 - Present

Coach William Doss

Biography

Wil began rowing for Riverview Community High School in 2007 until 2010 where he served as the

Freshman Team Captain and Team Captain his Junior and Senior years. He competed in innumerable regattas throughout 2007 - 2010 while also rowing for the Wyandotte Boat Club during the summer and fall seasons, winning medals at the State, Midwest, National, and International levels.

Wil rowed competitively at Mercyhurst University from 2010-2011 winning a Dad Vail Championship

(Division II National Championship) in the Men's Lightweight 8+. In 2011, he earned an invitation to the U.S. Jr. National Team training camp and to compete for Penn AC. His experience in the selection camp provided invaluable coaching as well as the opportunity to row with some of the top American rowers of the time.

During the 2012 - 2013 seasons, Wil became the Head Men’s Varsity Coach for Crestwood High School. Athletes from the program went on to compete at the SRAA National Championship, Canadian Schoolboy Championship, and were invited to row at various collegiate programs on scholarships.

In 2013, Wil took a pause from rowing and joined the U.S. Army but continued to compete in 2014 for the Concept2 Ultra-Distance Records where he earned the Male 20-29 Heavyweight record for the Longest Continual Row for 50 continuous hours while deployed overseas, but in 2018 the record was broken. From 2018-Present and while stationed in various States throughout the U.S., Wil coached and developed rowers privately near Commencement Bay Rowing Club, WA, Olympia Area Rowing, WA, Newport Rowing Club, DE and Baltimore Rowing Club, MD.

Wil was medically retired from the U.S. Army in 2022 and has since been coaching with Riverview

Community High School.

“If you don’t learn to fail, you won’t learn to succeed.”

- Coach Wil

Coaching Highlights

• 1 Canadian Schoolboy Medalists (CSSRA)

• 2 American Schoolboy Qualifiers (SRAA)

• 5 USRowing Northwest Youth Championships Finalists

• 1 USRowing Mid-Atlantic Youth Championships Finalist

• 3 Midwest Scholastic Championships Medalists

• 8 Midwest Scholastic Championships Finalists

• 1 State Scholastic Championship Medalist

• 3 State Scholastic Championship Finalists

Coaching Experience

• Crestwood High School - Men’s Lead Coach: 2011 - 2013

• Commencement Bay Rowing Club - Men’s and Women’s Coach: 2018 - 2021

• Olympia Area Rowing - Men’s and Women’s Coach: 2018 - 2021

• Newport Rowing Club - Men’s and Women’s Coach: 2021 - 2022

• Baltimore Rowing Club - Men’s and Women’s Coach: 2021 - 2022

• Wyandotte Boat Club - Development Coach: 2023

• Riverview Community High School - Assistant Coach: 2022 - Present

Coach Alex Pappas‬

‭ Biography‬

‭ Alex‬‭ began‬‭ rowing‬‭ at‬‭ the‬‭ age‬‭ of‬‭ 10‬‭ with‬‭ his‬‭ father‬‭ when‬‭ he‬‭ became‬‭ hooked‬‭ to‬‭ the‬‭ sport‬‭ of‬‭ rowing‬‭ and‬ subsequently‬‭ rowed‬‭ for‬‭ Roosevelt‬‭ High‬‭ School‬‭ in‬‭ 2009‬‭ until‬‭ 2012,‬‭ and‬‭ has‬‭ raced‬‭ competitively‬‭ for‬‭ the‬ Wyandotte Boat Club since 2008 during the summer and fall seasons, winning medals at all levels.‬

He‬‭ has‬‭ continually‬‭ worked‬‭ on‬‭ his‬‭ personal‬‭ training‬‭ plan‬‭ for‬‭ over‬‭ a‬‭ decade,‬‭ while‬‭ experimenting‬‭ with‬ different‬‭ training‬‭ modalities‬‭ in‬‭ his‬‭ triathlon‬‭ training,‬‭ to‬‭ understand‬‭ the‬‭ importance‬‭ of‬‭ scientific‬‭ training‬‭ methodologies.‬‭ His‬‭ extensive‬‭ knowledge‬‭ of‬‭ endurance‬‭ training‬‭ has‬‭ allowed‬‭ him‬‭ to‬‭ personally‬‭ set‬‭ his‬‭ own‬‭ records‬‭ in‬‭ various‬‭ distances‬‭ through‬‭ rowing,‬‭ swimming,‬‭ and‬‭ triathlons‬‭ he‬‭ competes‬‭ in‬‭ while‬‭ applying‬‭ his‬‭ knowledge to the programs he coaches and competes.‬

‭

From‬‭ 2012-‭ 2015,‬‭ Alex‬‭ began‬‭ his‬‭ coaching‬‭ career‬‭ with‬‭ the‬‭ Wyandotte‬‭ Middle‬‭ School‬‭ program,‬‭ leading‬‭ to‬

‭ the‬‭ Wyandotte‬‭ Boat‬‭ Club‬‭ Development‬‭ program‬‭ in‬‭ 2016.‬‭ The‬‭ 2014‬‭ 2018‬‭ seasons‬‭ took‬‭ him‬‭ to‬‭ Roosevelt‬‭ High‬‭ School‬‭ where‬‭ he‬‭ created‬‭ the‬‭ winter‬‭ training‬‭ plan‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ team,‬‭ leading‬‭ to‬‭ multiple‬‭ Hebda‬‭ Cup‬‭ and‬‭ States‬‭ victories.‬‭ From‬‭ 2018‬‭-2024,‬‭ Alex‬‭ coached‬‭ at‬‭ Trenton‬‭ High‬‭ School‬‭ where‬‭ he‬‭ continued‬‭ to‬ contribute‬‭ to‬‭ team‬‭ training,‬‭ medal‬‭ accumulation,‬‭ and‬‭ a‬‭ three‬‭ year‬‭ streak‬‭ of‬‭ finalists‬‭ at‬‭ the‬‭ CSSRA‬‭ in‬‭ the‬‭ Women’s‬‭ Lightweight‬‭ 4+‬‭ and‬‭ 8+.‬‭ Alex‬‭ continued‬‭ to‬‭ share‬‭ his‬‭ knowledge‬‭ of‬‭ rowing‬‭ while‬‭ coaching‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ Wyandotte Boat Club’s Junior Men in 2023.‬

Alex‬‭ currently‬‭ competes‬‭ for‬‭ the‬‭ Wyandotte‬‭ Boat‬‭ Club‬‭ Masters/Open‬‭ program‬‭ and‬‭ began‬‭ his‬‭ first‬‭ year‬‭ with‬

Riverview Community High School in the fall of 2024.‬

‭

“One of my favorite quotes comes to use from our Navy SEALS,

“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” You can’t build fitness at a rapid rate, you can’t learn all of the intricacies of our sport at a rapid rate, and‬ you can’t expect to take short cuts and reach the same level of success that you would if you would’ve‬‭ taken your time. Fitness, techniques, and knowledge are all a journey and if you take the time to slow it‬‭ down you'll absorb more of it along the way and you won’t need to spend as much time doubling back‬‭ later on.‭

- Coach Alex‬

‭ Coaching Highlights‬

• ‬‭ 2 Canadian Schoolboy Finalists (CSSRA)‬

• ‬‭ 7 State Scholastic Championship Medalist‬

• ‬‭ 23 State Scholastic Championship Finalists

‭

‭ Coaching Experience‬

• ‬‭ Wyandotte Middle School - Assistant Coach: 2012 - 2015‬

• ‬‭ Wyandotte Boat Club - Development Coach: 2016‬

• ‬‭ Roosevelt High School - Assistant Coach: 2014 - 2018‬

• ‬‭ Trenton High School - Assistant Coach: 2018 - 2024‬

• ‬‭ Wyandotte Boat Club - Men’s Assistant Coach: 2023‬

• ‬‭ Riverview Community High School - Assistant Coach: 2024 - Present‬