By Valerie Franchi, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Anyone who has rowed crew in the past 30 years in Shrewsbury knows Pamela and Russell Krause. The couple has been involved in coaching the high school boys’ and girls’ teams since the late 1970s.
For Pamela, crew was in her blood. Her grandfather was Kenneth F. Burns, who created the Shrewsbury High School crew program in 1937 and for whom the Burns Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond is named. Her mother was Barbara Burns Caron, the first coach of the girls’ crew team when it was created in 1975.
Also like her mother, Pam is a physical education teacher at SHS, starting full-time in 1986. She was the high school’s head coach of field hockey for eight years, assistant coach of gymnastics, and a central Mass. field hockey referee for 11 years. In 2012, she was installed in the SHS Hall of Fame, alongside her mother and grandfather.
It was only natural the Pam would carry on the tradition. For Russell, however, it was bit of a change. He was football player at Worcester Boys Trade High School and grew up on the Worcester side of Lake Quinsigamond.
“He used to throw rocks at the shells (boats used in crew racing) going by,” Pam joked.
When the two married in 1978, he was drawn into “the family business.”
“I always wanted to do it, so when I met Pam I was sucked in,” Russell said, adding that his athleticism allowed him to adjust to crew easily.
Both Russell and Pam started out coaching novice and junior varsity crew. Russell was the assistant coach to Pam’s mother for the girls’ team before taking over as head coach in 1994. Pam was the assistant coach for her grandfather, taking over the boys’ team in 1983. Both earned coaching certificates from the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association and are board members of the Quinsigamond Rowing Association.
In addition to becoming experts in coaching, they also became experts in building, repairing and maintaining shells. They apprenticed under Joseph Garofalo, racing shell boat-builder at Worcester Oar and Paddle.
“We brought Joe boats to repair and he told us we could work off the cost in his shop,” Pam recalled.
They worked part-time during the summer, learning the “ins and outs” of the boats, for 10 years – often without pay.
“He told us we were learning from the master,” Pam said.
In 2003, they decided to retire to spend more time with their grandchildren, but two years later – when their replacements left Shrewsbury – they were back. Currently, Pam coaches the varsity girls’ team and Russell the varsity boys’ team.
Since their return to coaching, they have worked tirelessly to build up the program, which includes both fall and spring competition seasons. Each year about 120 athletes try out, of which only about 80 will make the teams.
“We can only accommodate a certain number,” Pam noted, adding there is a constant need for more equipment and coaches.
“The problem is the hours are bad and for several months of the year, there are competitions every weekend,” she said. “It’s a big commitment of time and energy.”
She noted that Russell’s employer, St. Gobain Abrasives, where he has worked as a development engineer since 1973, is very accommodating to the hectic schedule.
The spring 2012 season marked the 75th crew season for SHS, a program Russell said “has come a long way” since Pam’s grandfather started the team. The formerly wooden shells are now almost all made of fiberglass and come with state of the art electronic equipment.
Even with advances in technology, Pam said she doesn’t see crew growing like other sports, such as lacrosse.
“It’s not a sport that kids can play in their backyards,” she said. “A lot of rowers have older brothers and sisters or family members that have rowed.”
Their best advice for newcomers is to have patience.
“Learning to row is like learning a whole new language,” Russell explained. “You either love it or hate it. Nobody says ‘it’s OK.’”
The Krause’s children, Brian and Megan, both rowed for their parents at SHS and were assistant crew coaches. They also have two grandchildren, Izaak, 11, and Aleksander, 8.
Pam hopes to retire from Shrewsbury High in two years – after 30 years in the school system – but not from coaching.
“We will probably coach for another few years,” she said.
Added Russell, “We’re a team.”