Yelling commands while her team works to glide their boat through the London waters, Kaylie Dominguez, junior, never knew that this was what crew held for her. Crew has fostered friendships, taught her lessons, and improved her work ethic. When she started attending Pine View she had never done crew before.
When she first joined crew, as a freshman, she knew immediately that she wanted to be a coxswain. Coxswains do not row, they sit facing the rowers and direct them. They act as a second coach on the water, handling steering, navigation, and motivating the rowers.
“I just showed up one day, and our coach said, ‘you should be a coxswain’. I rowed for one day and decided it was not for me.” Dominguez said.
Over the summer of 2025, Dominguez and her boats participated in two regattas in England. The first regatta was the St. Neots regatta, and the second was the Henley Town and Visitors reg
In these races, Dominguez’s boats were occasionally competing against adults. They did not win the race at St. Neots; however, they did win the race at Henley Town and Visitors, held on the Henley Royal course.
Despite not winning all their races, this was still a big accomplishment in Dominguez’s eyes. These regattas had skilled rowers from all over participating.
“It was definitely a new experience, it was a completely new place, different coaching style, and I was also rowing with people from all over the country. There was a lot of uncertainty…you did not know what to expect,” Dominguez said.
This regatta is not something everyone gets to experience, and it was unlike the ones she had been to. Another coxswain at Sarasota Crew, Cole Reuter, senior, thought the same.
“It is a little bit unique to go all the way to England…a lot of Americans usually stay in the country, so I thought it was pretty special,” Reuter said.
Along with the unique experiences, crew has provided Dominguez with several opportunities to grow as a person and develop her skills.
“As a coxswain, it gave me a lot more self-confidence. You really have to be sure of yourself with what you are saying. It also gives you a lot of maturity because you have to be mentally available enough for your athletes to trust you… it’s a lot of commitment but it’s very rewarding,” Dominguez said.
Doing crew has also fostered new bonds and friendships for Dominguez. Practices are every day and typically last around four hours. The teams frequently go out to dinner after practice a few times a week. Dominguez met the majority of her friends in crew.
“She’s easy to talk to and work with, she emphasizes communication on the water and makes it a lot more enjoyable to be side by side,” Reuter said.
With the communication and leadership skills she has learned, Dominguez plans on continuing crew in college. To do this, she is currently working on the recruiting process.
