Terry Davison is the head coach at South Orlando Rowing Association. He is also a Nonahood resident! Read our interview with him below!

Nonahood News: What is your job?

Terry Davison: I’m the head coach at South Orlando Rowing Association, which is based in Moss Park. We’re a high school and middle school rowing program. 

NHN: What does your day-to-day schedule look like?

TD: In the summer, summer camps every morning. During the season, we typically have practice every day, between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. We practice for about two hours. Some Saturday mornings, we start at 8 a.m. and finish at about 10:30 a.m.

NHN: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

TD: Promoting the sport and getting kids through the door. And then, getting kids to understand what’s required for rowing and what they can learn from sports, not just rowing. We want them to learn it’s not just about producing great rowers; it’s about producing fine young citizens. So, the most challenging thing is – I’m going to be frank – dealing with teenagers. It’s a challenge understanding that they’re all individuals to be treated differently, and they’ve all got different ways of doing things. It’s challenging communicating to them that the more you put into your sport, the more you’re going to get out. This is a lesson about life. The more you put into life, the more you’re going to get out of it. We’re teaching life skills, and that’s not always easy. 

NHN: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

TD: It’s rewarding when students come in as middle schoolers and you see them go through the system and eventually leave as seniors, having achieved whatever they’ve achieved in the sport. Not always championships, not always the best rowers in the world, but seeing them grow up and develop and knowing they learned something from being part of the club.

NHN: Do you have any interesting hobbies or collections?

TD: I love sports. I’ve realized my passion was not just for a sport but for sports in general. I also draw a lot which I find relaxing. I’ve also got a bulldog, and that keeps me calm.

NHN: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

TD: I want to continue to develop as a coach. I came from soccer to rowing, so I’m still learning. In the next five years, I want to continue to develop programming like no other, built up to the vision I have for it, along with other people that are passionate about the club and the sport. 

NHN: What inspired you to bring rowing to Lake Nona?

TD: I started a rowing club up in Inverness. It was a small club and not particularly well-supported as far as rowing is concerned. The opportunity came to come down here. I saw great potential in this area. At Moss Park, we have two huge lakes there, Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, which are to die for because while many people live on the lake, they don’t use the lake, so we get a lot less traffic. People are very friendly on the lake, anyway. There were things I saw potential in.

NHN: Where are you from?

TD: I was born in Belfast, Ireland, and moved to England. I did most of my schooling in England and then went to sea for seven years in the merchant navy. I left there and joined the police in the northeast of England for 25 years. Then, I brought my family over here. Initially, we came for a two-year excursion. My wife was not a willing participant at the time, but she said, “Look, we’ll go for two years to give the boys a cultural change.” Things worked out, and we stayed. I took my 25-year pension, came back, and was working as a fitness manager at a gym in Ocala. My plan was to have a soccer academy. I’m probably a better soccer coach, but my two boys ended up getting involved in rowing. The youngest one got pretty good at it, and he went to Tokyo for the Olympics to compete in the USA men’s eight. The soccer got put to one side, and I became a rowing coach. I am fortunate to have coached them. The one thing I would say to people is you never know where life’s gonna take you. I’m 62, and at the ripe old age of 50, I decided on a new career. And I see this as a new career. It’s not something I do as a hobby. I want to be better at it.