Men's Rowing | May 13, 2021
La Salle head coaches Tom Peterson, of the track and field and cross country programs, and Jeff Garbutt, of the Explorers' men's and women's rowing teams, are driven by their pursuit of excellence—and the reclamation of their programs' historic, championship-laden pasts. La Salle Magazine featured both in an in-depth article on their past successes, and the visions of their respective La Salle programs. Below is an excerpt:
On early mornings by the Schuylkill River, the trail is most crowded along its prominent features. It doesn't matter that the sun has yet to rise over the Museum of Art. Kelly Drive is alive and bustling.
Already, Boathouse Row has been awake for hours.
The river is more visible as the houses are replaced by a line of trees, and out on the water there is someone alone. A rower stroking through the heart of Philadelphia. This, too, is routine.
For two of La Salle's historic programs, they have shared the Schuylkill for as long as they have been around. One competes on its water, the other practices along its paths. And the two coaches who lead those programs, Tom Peterson, of cross country/track and field, and Jeff Garbutt, of men's and women's rowing, have their unique perspectives on what this space evokes for them.
"The first thing is, you hope you're going with the wind," said Peterson, head coach of La Salle's cross country and track programs since 2014. "Usually, we'll start up higher on the river and come down to Center City. The grass will probably be dewed up pretty good. You'd be coming past the hill with the cemetery (Laurel Hill Cemetery)."
He pauses to add some historical context. "You know, it was where a lot of the aristocrats of early Philadelphia society were buried because you couldn't be buried in the city limits."
"You'd be coming past that and the sun might be peeking over it," Peterson added. "The sun would be shining on all the buildings—Comcast Tower and the Amtrak building, especially. The biggest thing is just dodging people. Running the river path is probably equal to driving (Interstate) 76."
Garbutt has a different perspective.
"It's peaceful, relaxing, there are various levels of sound," said Garbutt, who is in his first year at La Salle. "Early on, it's a little bit quiet. The traffic gets more intense when practice starts. Sounds were a big thing for me. I remember going by the Philadelphia Zoo and you would hear animals at times. Smell is another thing because I recall going up through Strawberry Mansion vividly because up at the top of the bridge was the Tastykake factory. So I remember in the morning smelling the Tastykakes being made."
While most of his time is on the water, Garbutt pointed out there are drills done on land like balancing the boats. That's when he pays attention to the runners and cyclists going by—particularly noting one occasion.
"One year when I was in college (at Temple University), I remember a bunch of people on the path, kind of making a fuss. Apparently, Mick Jagger was running along the Schuylkill because the Rolling Stones were in town for a concert. He ran five or seven miles a day, so he ran Kelly Drive."
