The USRowing Youth National Championships (USYNC) have been running for the past 30 years, consistently being recognized as one of the most significant youth sporting events in the US. Starting from 1715, rowing has been viewed as a modern-day competition, attracting popularity from numerous individuals. From June 12 to 15, Tenafly’s Michael Braunstein (’28) will represent the Nereid Boat Club in the second varsity quad. The competition is taking place in Sarasota, Florida, and specific scheduling for the week is displayed in US Rowing.
The USYNC is composed of three rounds, beginning with the time trials. The initial stages of the competition require boats to qualify to advance to the next round. The following stage is composed of 16 victors from the previous round. Finally, the top four victors are expected to take part in the grand finals for the prize.
Braunstein has been selected alongside Sarah Newman (’26) to represent his team in the championships; an article featuring Newman can be found in The Tenafly Echo. In order to reach his current level of skill, Braunstein worked on his perseverance and mindset. He trained approximately three hours every week from Tuesday to Sunday.
“On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, my team and I row 15,000 meters on the Passaic River and on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, practice is dedicated to race-day simulations,” Braunstein said, reflecting on the amount of time required to excel in this area of sports.
Furthermore, rowing is known to be a team sport in which all members of the team are needed to race to victory. Hence, Braunstein notes teamwork being one of his favorite parts of rowing, alongside other factors to his passion.
“My favorite part about rowing is competing. I love the intensity of race day, the focus, and the feeling of pushing past limits with my team to achieve our goal. All the tough practices build up to those moments when everything is on the line,” Braunstein said.
Braunstein’s passion for rowing is not only shown in his achievements but also in the journey he took to arrive at where he currently is. Braunstein’s continued dedication to rowing was primarily sparked by his initial interest in the Olympic Games, which had incorporated rowing into its list of approved sports since the 1900s.
“From there, the sport caught my attention, and I immediately signed up for the summer camp at Nereid Boat Club in the summer of 2023,” Braunstein said, commenting on his progression to the varsity team. “From there, I joined the novice team where I officially started to race competitively. [Now], there’s nothing more rewarding for me than going head-to-head with other crews and knowing that I gave absolutely everything I had to win.”
This year, 12 boats have qualified for Nationals from the Nereid Boat Club, with around 51 athletes in total. Even though this is just Braunstein’s first year qualifying for Nationals, he is excited to continue improving and taking every opportunity presented to him with enthusiasm.
