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About Us

RowLA is an investment in the future. Our student-athletes are future women leaders from Los Angeles’ diverse neighborhoods, who come together to form a collaborative built on teamwork, determination, and hard work. Through rowing, they learn how to set goals and work together to achieve them, with the ultimate goal being an affordable college career.

RowLA was established by Liz Greenberger in 2009, with the goal of making rowing more inclusive, and in doing so, to allow girls from low and middle-income households to use the sport as a stepping stone to college scholarships. Since then, approximately 98% of the girls who have graduated from RowLA’s competitive team have gone to college on academic or rowing scholarships.

RowLA’s commitment to equity and inclusion means that in any season, around 50% of our athletes receive full tuition scholarships. Moreover, regardless of financial standing, RowLA athletes do not pay to travel or compete at regattas, which we consider necessary for their growth as competitors, and as exposure for recruitment. This policy means that essentially all our athletes receive some form of financial aid.


While they come from different neighborhoods, cultures, and lived experiences, RowLA allows girls to experience the benefits of building a sisterhood focused on athletic and academic achievement, that sustains them through middle and high school, to college and beyond.

Staff

Head Coach

Henrique Vieira Motta, Coach Hicu of RowLA, Head Coach

Henrique Motta (Coach “Hicu”) came to see our RowLA program in the summer of 2016 while he was visiting family. He was immediately attracted to the kind of work we do, enabling young students to challenge themselves, and improve their fitness and health, through the sport of competitive rowing. Henrique is the Head Coach for RowLA, coaching our young athletes and offering them rowing training, and preparation for competitive rowing and college athletics. He has trained our coaching staff and oriented them to his methodologies used to develop young athletes preparing for high-level competition. The talents he brings to our coaching staff are unmatched.

Coach Hicu, a native of Brazil, graduated with a degree in nutrition from Universidade Veiga de Almeida. He began rowing in 1991 for the Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas club until 1997 when he moved on to the Clube de Regatas Vasco de Gama until 2013, and then for C.R. Loureiro for two years. His titles include two-time Rio de Janeiro under-16 state champion, two-time Rio de Janeiro under-19 state champion, and multiple times as Brazilian champion in 2x lightweight, 2- lightweight, 4x lightweight, 4 lightweight, 8+ boats, and 6 International Medals.

Henrique brings his years of competitive rowing training and coaching to our RowLA program and also, the rare added expertise in the field of high-performance athlete nutrition. He is a USRowing Level 3 certified coach, married and also coach to Antonia Emanuelle Abreu Motta (Manu). Manu is currently on the Brazilian National team, training and preparing for Brazil’s Olympic selection regattas.

Coach Hicu presents his high sense of integrity and honesty in all of his coaching relationships, a critical ingredient to our RowLA program.

RowLA Head Coach Henrique Motta with team
RowLA Head Coach Henrique Motta with team
RowLA Head Coach Henrique Motta with team

Assistant Coach

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Willian joined RowLA at the start of 2024, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. Hailing from Brazil, Willian has been rowing for over nineteen years and is deeply passionate about sports. His mission is to help athletes achieve their rowing goals and improve their quality of life. He is committed to empowering athletes by demonstrating that with hard work, a positive attitude, and effort, anything is possible.
 

In addition to his own rowing career, Willian founded a non-profit program in southern Brazil aimed at helping vulnerable youth. This program, in partnership with local schools, introduced rowing and highlighted the value of sports. He was also actively involved with the Brazilian Rowing Federation and the Brazilian Rowing Ethics Committee, advocating for the rights of athletes and everyone involved in the sport.

 

Willian has dedicated over thirteen years to being a high-performance athlete, representing Brazil at both national and international levels. His achievements include 1st place finishes at the South American Championships in 2010, 2016, and 2017, and the World Cup II in 2018. He placed 3rd at the 2017 World Championships and World Cups and represented Brazil at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
 

Willian holds a bachelor's degree in Physical Education, specializing in functional
training, and recently completed his USRowing Level 2 coaching certification.

Assistant to Head Coach

Sara Goldstein of RowLA, Assistant to Head Coach

Sara Goldstein

Founder

Liz Greenberger

Liz Greenberger 

Academic Coach
& College Counselor

Board of Directors

Liz Greenberger
Board President

& Secretary

Jean Huber
Treasurer

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