Troy Howell, who has been the Director of Sculling at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center since 2014, is stepping back from his role at Craftsbury to begin a new position as an English teacher and rowing coach at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville. Troy first came to Craftsbury as a coach in 2007, then served as the Fleet Manager for several years before being named Director upon Norm Graf’s retirement. Troy and his wife, massage therapist and Feldenkrais practitioner Kimberly Howell, have been integral members of the Craftsbury community for over a decade, and while we will miss their year-round presence at the Outdoor Center, we look forward to welcoming them back when Troy returns to coach in the summers. 

Under Troy’s guidance and leadership, the various components of Craftsbury sculling - the sculling camps, the GRP and GRP U23 training groups, and Hosmer Community Rowing - have flourished; his vision and hard work have ensured that all of these programs complement one another and embody the Outdoor Center’s mission and philosophy. Nearly every athlete who has sculled at Craftsbury during his tenure has benefited from his coaching, including and especially through his Comfort in the Boat clinics, which Troy developed out of his fascination with the idea of deliberately training the nervous system for sculling, and which have become an integral element in our camp and GRP curriculum.

Associate Director Kevin MacDermott, reflecting on Troy’s departure, said, “Troy’s tenure as director of the sculling program was transformational. In combination, Troy’s passion for sculling, dedication to the mission of Craftsbury, devotion to his fellow coaches, and mastery of pedagogy, led to an extraordinary era for the program.” 

We will miss Troy for many reasons - his wit, experienced over countless dining hall meals; his wisdom, shared with scores of athletes, welcomed to Craftsbury each camp by Troy’s enlightening opening day dock talk and guided through the exploration of the Comfort in the Boat session; the depth and breadth of his sculling knowledge - but most especially for his fierce commitment to the guiding principles of Craftsbury sculling, many of which he shaped during his directorship:

That proficiency in single sculling is foundational to rowing and sculling well in all boat classes.

That all of us at Craftsbury, coaches and campers alike, are always learning and refining our understanding of how to move small boats with efficiency, grace, and power. 

That every sculler who comes to Craftsbury, of every ability and experience level, is worthy of receiving the best coaching and most comprehensive sculling education we can possibly give.

We wish Troy and Kimberly all the best in Jacksonville, and welcome Sara Gronewold as the new Director of Sculling, as she continues this guiding ethos of sculling at Craftsbury, and brings her own vision and leadership to the program.