One standard, one language
Middle school, women’s, and men’s all sit under a single Director of Rowing. An athlete encounters the same expectations and the same technical vocabulary from their first day in a barge to their last race as a senior.
The people / Coaches and staff
Who you row for
Our coaching staff includes former Olympic, international, and collegiate rowers, coaches, and coxswains.
How we coach
The Whole Athlete Philosophy
A good teammate makes the people around them better
In the words of Director of Rowing Allison Ray: “We strive to build and maintain a strong team culture. We enjoy competing with ourselves and each other, we are kind, and then the speed is sustainable.”
Technique before strength
Our coaches share a technical language, watch each other’s sessions across programs, and keep learning in house rather than coaching in isolation.
Land and water are one plan
On-water and off-water training are designed together. That structure is built at the U19 level and extends down through the squads as athletes are ready for it.
Enjoyment is not the opposite of excellence
The best junior programs in the world treat fun as part of how athletes get fast. A wide front door and a clear path upward are the same system, not two competing ones.
Character is the actual goal
Yes, we make boats go fast. The larger job is building character and commitment in young people, and the combination of athletics, academics and character is what builds a fast team.
From a Strokes family
“So much of what our daughters have gained comes back to the coaches. They are two very different girls, and the coaches have taken the time to know each of them as individuals. They hold the athletes to high standards and back that up with real belief in them, and it shows.”
Staff
Leadership and directors
Executive Director
Dana Hooper
Dana started rowing for Oakland Strokes in 1990 as a student at College Prep, then rowed at Cornell. He coached the Strokes from 1999 to 2006, came back as Managing Director in 2014, and has been Executive Director since 2018. He lives in Alameda with his wife and two kids.
danahooper@oaklandstrokes.org
Director of Rowing and Women’s Head Coach
Allison Ray
Allison has coached since 1998 at every level of the sport in the US and Canada, including at the Olympic Games. At Oakland Strokes she has led the women to national championships and standout races at the Head of the Charles. What she is proudest of is the culture: a team where everyone belongs, everyone gets to compete, and alumni want to come back.
allisonray@oaklandstrokes.org
Head Coach, Men’s Rowing
Sean Gibel
Sean has coached at the Strokes since 2023, becoming Head Coach of Men’s Rowing in the summer of 2026. In the spring of 2026, he led the U17 men to regional medals and the 2026 U17 8+ national title. He rowed at Georgia Tech and won bronze stroking the USA lightweight 8+ at the 2013 World Championships. He coaches with patience, a growth mindset, and a belief in hard, smart work.
seangibel@oaklandstrokes.org
Director of Middle School Programs
Brian Marcais
Brian leads the middle school programs. He has coached juniors and masters across the country since 1999, including the varsity men at Oakland Tech, and still races as a masters coxswain with East Bay Rowing Club.
brianmarcais@oaklandstrokes.org
Head of Community Programs
Carla Jourdan
Carla leads community programs. She helped launch STEM to Stern at Oakland Strokes and rows competitively with East Bay Rowing Club.
carlajourdan@oaklandstrokes.orgStaff
Women’s team
Led by Allison Ray, Director of Rowing and Women’s Head Coach.
Program Coordinator
Emma Bernou
Emma learned to row in Oakland and rowed all four years at Oregon State, winning a silver medal in the women’s pair at Youth Nationals in 2017. She joined the Strokes in 2022 and keeps both the women’s team and the club’s day to day running.
emmabernou@oaklandstrokes.org
Assistant Coach
Isaac Bierer
Isaac learned to row on the Charles River in Cambridge and rowed at Brown. He joined Oakland Strokes in 2023.
Assistant Coach
Cole Villa
Cole began rowing as a walk-on at Orange Coast College in 2017. He then transferred to UC Irvine continuing rowing and graduating with a degree in psychology. Cole started coaching in 2021 in Newport Beach, and is now going into his third year of coaching at Oakland Strokes. Cole is also continuing his rowing career at California Rowing Club, and has been there since the fall of 2024.
Staff
Men’s team
Led by Sean Gibel, Head Coach, with Dana Hooper on the water.
Assistant Coach
Erik Spinka
Erik is from Southport, Connecticut, and attended Princeton University, where he was a member of the varsity heavyweight rowing team. He is currently one of the men’s varsity assistant rowing coaches at Strokes, with nearly 11 years of rowing experience and two years of coaching at Oakland. Erik has represented the United States on four national teams (one U19 and three U23) and currently trains with California Rowing Club while pursuing a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team. He is passionate about helping athletes develop their technical skills, confidence, and competitive mindset both on and off the water.
Assistant Coach
Conrad Palmer
Coach Conrad started coaching with Oakland Strokes in the fall of 2024. Following graduation from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2024, Conrad moved to Oakland to continue training with the California Rowing Club under coaches Mike Teti and Skip Kielt. He is excited to use his experience to help facilitate the growth of the next generation of athletes.
Staff
Middle school
Led by Brian Marcais, Director of Middle School Programs, with Carla Jourdan.
Assistant Coach, Middle School
Izzie Brown
Izzie brings more than 40 years of rowing and coaching experience, including first-year women at Temple and Mount Holyoke and two US National Team appearances. She wants every athlete to learn the lifelong value of showing up and trying their best that day.
Assistant Coach, Middle School
Addi Harper
Addi is a Level 1 US Rowing certified coach with Oakland Strokes, where she has been coaching middle school athletes in Oakland and the surrounding Bay Area since 2023. Her own rowing journey began at Oakland Technical High School in 2014, when she joined the school’s newly revived rowing team, the first rowing team there in more than 50 years. Her coaching style is a mix of tough love, encouragement, and a healthy amount of silliness. She especially enjoys coaching middle school athletes because she gets to watch them discover that they’re capable of much more than they initially think. Whether they’re learning to race in a shell, working through a mental block, managing their time, or simply figuring out how to push themselves, Addi loves helping them find that spark and grow into stronger, more confident people both on and off the water.
Assistant Coach, Middle School
Rich Lapachet
Bio coming soon.
Assistant Coach, Middle School
Mattea Fountain
Mattea began rowing for East Bay Rowing Club Juniors in 2019 as a coxswain and sculler. She competed through high school and continues to row and cox at the masters level. She started coaching out of high school at East Bay Rowing Club and Oakland Strokes. Mattea is returning to Oakland Strokes Middle School after completing university and serving as the head varsity coach for Rogue Rowing Juniors. During her time there, she coached multiple boats to Youth Nationals, securing 1st place in the Men’s Inclusive 2x in 2026 and 2nd place in 2025. She also sent boats to the Head of the Charles, placing 3rd.