Pine-Richland Crew

The size and strength of his hands, coupled with shoulders usually reserved for linebackers, show that this 25-year-old rowing superstar has obviously spent some time on the water.

Mr. Curuea, who grew up in Romania, is a two-time world rowing champion and was Romanian national champion 19 times. Now he is head coach for the Pine-Richland rowing team.

He started his rowing career at age 14. "My mom pushed me to start the sport," he said.

At that age, he was undersized and anxious to prove to the coaches that a good rower didn't necessarily need to be tall. He learned early what was needed to succeed in the sport: "A lot of work, and quit all your small pleasures." "I was just 14. The other kids would stay outside and play with the ball. For me, I have my backpack and I go to practice. But when I look now, at what I am now, the other guys still kick the ball in front of the apartment," he said. After one year, he was on the junior national team. After two years, he competed in the junior world championship and won a bronze medal in his last year of eligibility in the same event. He thrived on the competition and enjoyed being on the water from spring until late fall. By 2001, he had become part of Romania's Olympic rowing team, which was undefeated in Europe. Three years later, the team was split up and Mr. Curuea was told he was too old to compete. That's when he decided he would pursue coaching. His athletic prowess was rewarded with opportunities for a college education. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education and sports from the University of Bacau in Bucharest, Romania. He came to Pittsburgh in 2006 at the request of Ladislau Tompa, who coaches at the Steel City Rowing Club. Mr. Tompa rowed for the same club as Mr. Curuea in Romania. Mr. Curuea took the head coaching position with Pine-Richland two months ago. After working with the rowers, he knew he could make a difference there. "They want to do it, they just don't know how to do it," he said.  The coach started teaching, emphasizing that to succeed in rowing, you need more than strong legs, arms and backs. "You need something upstairs," he said, pointing to his head.

When the body's exhausted, he explained, rowers need to maintain their concentration and form.

"I want to create a disciplined team. I want to make a healthy group of kids and give everyone a chance to learn rowing," he said. He's been gratified to see improvement in the team, but what has meant the most to him has been the respect his pupils offered their coach. One girl told him, "Florin, you don't know how much you've changed us in just two months." At the last practice of the fall, the team gathered in the boathouse in Millvale. The large warehouse-like room is filled with long, thin, fast-looking boats carefully resting on racks. The students were eager to express their feelings for the coach.  Matt Blumer, 17, of Pine, echoed the sentiments of his teammates: "I have trust in him and I go all out for him." "He keeps teaching it until we get it right," said Olivia Pajaer, 17, also of Pine. "He doesn't give up on us."