HURON ROWING ASSOCIATION
Coaching Staff
2023-2024
Head Coach:
Patrick Klaassen
[email protected]
Coach Patrick leads the team as our Head Coach. Starting with the most basic rowing stroke, he always wants to simplify the sport of rowing as much as possible. He focuses on creating a path for all athletes to develop into the most competitive rowers by teaching advanced skills, blade-work and strategies to everyone on the team. All the way back in 2004, Patrick learned how to row with the University of Colorado lightweight men. After being kicked out of his dorm room at 4am, he ended up being half-dragged down to the reservoir and thrown into the four seat in a novice eight. Finally, he found a home in the boats and sport that rewards being built like a linebacker and having huge lungs. Unlike distance running. Twenty years later and rowing keeps giving back to him. Now he gets to pay things forward for the next generation: speed on the water translated to purpose off. Never far from the river, you can find him rowing his purple single up and down the Huron, trying every tea on the wall at TeaHaus or attempting to make a mug in a pottery class.
Assistant Coach:
Srikar Chiravuri
[email protected]
Bio coming soon!
Men's Varsity Coach:
Emma Hammond
[email protected]
Emma started her rowing career right here at Huron the fall of her freshman year and continued for all 8 seasons. Though initially intending to leave rowing behind in college, she walked on to the women’s rowing team at the University of Michigan freshman year. That spring, she competed at the Big Ten Championship regatta and Michigan won the conference title back from OSU. Emma graduated from UofM with a degree in Public Health and now works in the industrial health and safety field. Emma was thrilled to be invited back to HRA to coach in winter 2023. Her goal is to help give athletes the empowering and motivating experience that she had as a student. Practice is, and always has been, the best part of the day. Row Rats!
Novice Program Coach
Isabelle Matossian:
[email protected]
Hello, I'm Coach Izzy! I started coaching for HRA in the Fall of 2023. After graduating from Huron High in 2015 and spending all 4 years of high school rowing for HRA, I went on to row on Denison University's D3 club team (Did we ever win a race? no... Was I the only one who had any rowing experience? Yup... But did we have fun? Absolutely!). At Denison I received a BA in Mathematics and English and after graduating received my Master's degree in social work from the University of Michigan. I currently work for the Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute in Toledo, Ohio as a project manager for Self-Care Society (self-care resources for Community Health Workers in Ohio). I live with my dog, Eva, and my little sister in Ann Arbor. Outside of rowing I enjoy puzzles, hiking, knitting, reading, kayaking, and any activity I can do with my dog!
Women's Varsity Coach
Makayla Plekes-Sowle:
[email protected]
Coach MaKayla is the varsity women’s coach with Huron Rowing Association. She started coaching for HRA the 2023 spring season. MaKayla rowed for four years at Rockford High School located in West Michigan. After high school she rowed for the women’s D1 team at Michigan State University (MSU). At MSU she received a Bachelor’s of Science with a double consideration in Wildlife Biology and Management and Conservation Biology. MaKayla loves being on the water and is deeply passionate about rowing and is excited to help get others involved in the sport.
Novice Assistant Coach
Nico Pontius:
[email protected]
Bio coming soon!