The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, Philadelphia’s largest and most inclusive regatta presented by NSM Insurance Group, today announced that Dr. Amy Giddings, Professor and Department Chair of Sport and Recreation Management at Temple University in the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management, and Paul Savell, Director of Rowing/Head Men’s and Women’s Coach at Drexel University, have been named to the Board of Directors for three-year terms.
“The Board is honored to welcome Amy and Paul. They are very accomplished and respected members of the greater rowing community. We look forward to working with them to further the mission of the HOSR,” said Ellen Carver, Board President.
Dr. Giddings’ work experiences range from community recreation to international sport and includes positions with the Olympic Games, collegiate recreation, and intercollegiate athletics. Known for her work encouraging women to consider careers in coaching she created the Women’s Coaching Network and founded the Philadelphia Coaches Conference.
New board member Dr. Amy Giddings; Photo courtesy Temple University, School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management.
A two-time US National Champion, Giddings’ rowing accomplishments are extensive, having won the 2001 I-lan International Invitational in Taiwan in the women’s lightweight quad and as part of the women’s senior quad that captured gold at the Royal Henley Regatta in 2002. She has coached the sport for more than 20 years at the scholastic, collegiate, and elite levels.
A graduate of University of Dayton, she received her M.Ed. in Sport and Recreation Administration and Ph.D. in Sport Psychology at Temple University.
“Many years ago, I was a regular participant in the Head of the Schuylkill, as a college rower and then as an elite athlete. After rowing, I began coaching and the regatta was more about walking my children down as infants in their strollers to watch the race as a spectator and as a coach. Now, after many, many years away, I raced at the head of the Schuylkill last Fall and it all came back to me – the excitement, the feeling in the air, the camaraderie, seeing old friends and making new ones. The rowing community in Philadelphia is incredibly special to me”, said Giddings.
“I am thrilled to join the Board of the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta. As a rower and coach in the Philadelphia region and someone who works professionally in the sport industry, I see this event as a wonderful celebration of our sport. I am thrilled to be able to provide support for the regatta’s continued growth as a member of the Board.”
Paul Savell joined Drexel University in 2007 and is in his 16th season as Director of Rowing and Head Men’s and Women’s Coach. He has led the Dragons to unprecedented national success at some of the most prestigious regattas in collegiate rowing, including the Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Royal Regatta and Dad Vail Regatta.
Paul Savell; Photo courtesy of Drexel University.
Savell has been honored on multiple occasions for his team’s successes on the water and his contributions to the rowing community.
In spring 2019, Savell was named the CAA Coach of the Year following the women’s two gold performances at the conference championships. In fall 2017, Savell was selected as the USRowing Fan’s Choice Collegiate Coach of the Year and honored at the organization’s annual Golden Oars Awards Dinner. In May 2015, Savell became Drexel’s first-ever recipient of the Dad Vail Coach of the Year Award, also known as the Matt Ledwith Award and at the 21st Annual Joy of Sculling Coaches Conference, Savell was named the 2013 Men’s Collegiate Coach of the Year. In the fall of 2012, Savell was named the Schuylkill Navy Coach of the Year selected by collegiate, high school and club coaches throughout the Philadelphia region.
Savell is also an accomplished rower. He starred at Holy Spirit in High School before attending the University of Wisconsin, where he rowed stroke in the varsity eight for two seasons. He also captured a National Championship at the IRAs in the straight four and earned a bronze medal in varsity four at the IRAs. Savell graduated from Wisconsin with a degree in engineering and earned his master’s degree in business administration from Lehigh in 2001.
“I have participated in the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta as a competitor and a coach and have watched it grow to be the second largest regatta in the country and a very competitive race. It is an honor to be a part of the board of directors and a part of the regatta’s future,” said Savell.
Giddings and Savell join HOSR Board Members Ellen Carver, Margo Angelopoulos, Mitch Budman, Amy Kurland, Bart Isdaner, Tony Schneider, Ed Grose, Ben Speciale and Alan Robinson.
About the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta
The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta began in 1970 when members of the University Barge Club,
on Boathouse Row, decided to offer rowers of all ages a congenial race on the historic
Schuylkill River. The Regatta’s spirit of inclusion grew along with the size and scope of the
event. At a time when only college crews competed in the fall “head” or distance races, the
Head of the Schuylkill opened racing to high schools, emerging masters and veteran rowers.
The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta now welcomes more than 9,000 competitors, 40,000
spectators, and 350 volunteers each year. The weekend features races for high school,
collegiate, masters, adaptive, and elite rowers, and a free two-day Fall Festival amidst the
backdrop of the beautiful and historic City of Philadelphia.
The Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, is a 501(c)3 non profit organization registered in the state of
Pennsylvania and has an 11-member board of directors.