Rowing · Juniors
A summer on the Schuylkill.
Fairmount boasts a small but excellent Juniors program. Our summer rowing program trains young athletes in both sculling and sweep on the Schuylkill River — building fitness, technique, and a love of the sport.
Meet the Coaches
Molly Konopka
Head Coach & Program Director
“Rowing teaches so much more than how to race. It teaches resilience, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence — lessons that last a lifetime.”
Molly Konopka is one of the Philadelphia region's most respected scholastic rowing coaches, with a career spanning more than three decades and a legacy of competitive excellence, athlete development, and service to the rowing community.
Career Highlights
She has served as Head Rowing Coach at The Episcopal Academy since 1996, where she leads both the men's and women's varsity programs across sweep and sculling disciplines. Under her leadership, Episcopal crews have earned 13 Philadelphia City Championships, 12 Stotesbury Cup medals, and 14 SRAA national medals, establishing the program as a perennial contender on the scholastic stage.
Leadership & Service
Before joining Episcopal, Konopka coached at several prominent institutions, including serving as the women's varsity coach at St. Joseph's University, the novice coach at Fordham University, and beginning her professional coaching career as the men's head coach at The Hun School of Princeton in 1988.
In addition to her scholastic coaching, Konopka is a central figure on Philadelphia's Boathouse Row. She is the head junior coach at Fairmount Rowing Association, where her summer programs have produced numerous Canadian Henley finalists and champions. She also serves on Fairmount's Board of Directors and plays a leadership role in the Philadelphia Scholastic Rowing Association (PSRA) as head of the racing committee.
Recognition
Konopka's contributions to the sport were formally recognized in 2017 when she received the Joseph F. Brennan Memorial Coach's Award, a lifetime achievement honor presented at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta to coaches who have made exceptional contributions to the Schuylkill Navy and scholastic rowing community. She became only the second woman ever to receive the award.
Personal Background
A lifelong rower herself, Konopka began rowing in 1980 at the West Side Rowing Club in Buffalo, NY, and continued her athletic career at the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond the boathouse, she is a full-time Latin teacher at Episcopal Academy and has co-authored three Latin textbooks. She and her husband, Bruce, have five children.