On Parental Leave - Ben Steele (he/him)
Ben Steele (r)
Head Coach & Rowing Director
I started coaching for VIRC in 2018 after getting hired as a part-time firefighter with Vashon Island Fire and Rescue. I rowed with Green Lake Crew in high school and rowed at the collegiate level with Grand Valley State University.
My coaching philosophy mirrors our team values: accountability; we are accountable for our blade, our effort, and how we treat people. Drive; we come to practice every day, trying to make this day better than the last. Respect; we respect ourselves, our community, and most importantly our teammates.
Outside of rowing I am a captain with Vashon Island Fire and Rescue and enjoy gardening.
On Parental Leave - Delany Steele (she/her/ella)
Youth Novice Coach & Boathouse Director
I started coxing in university after spending my middle and high school years in theatre and fencing. I went on to start my coaching journey at Commencement Bay Rowing Club in 2014 after graduating a semester early and continued to coach and cox for different clubs in Seattle while also juggling grad school and full-time jobs. I started with VIRC in 2022 when Ben took time away to go through fire academy and have continued coaching novices and coxswains since then.
As a coach I try to create opportunities for growth, challenge athletes daily, and maintain high expectations. I believe that everyone deserves a supportive learning environment when they first get into a shell and enjoy creating that novice experience at VIRC.
Outside of rowing I enjoy growing dahlias, dabbling in the theatre world, and baking.
Aidan Teachout (he/him)
Adult Team Head Coach & Assistant Youth Coach
I believe it is the coach’s job to facilitate self-discovery and growth. This is done most effectively by offering input and then allowing the athlete to apply that input. I don’t mean that coaching is hands off but I like to give athletes the opportunity to fully connect with what they have learned. I have five years of rowing experience and five years of coaching adults and youth with VIRC.
Jeny Potter
Interim Youth Head Coach
I have been rowing and coaching around Seattle for 20 years after walking on to Purdue’s club team as a freshman. I most recently coached the Ancient Mariners Rowing Club, and have worked with middle school and high school athletes from Everett, Green Lake, Eastside Prep, and Pocock. As a masters rower, I’m proud to have PR’d on my 2k at the age of 37 and to have won the women’s masters four event at Head of the Charles in 2024. This spring season I’m is excited to get back in a coaching launch and to be working with the team on Vashon Island.
Maya Krah
Youth Assistant Coach
As a Vashon native, I started rowing my sophomore year of high school and earned a seat with the Junior National High Performance Team for a Summer before getting recruited to a D1 school. I rowed all four years on scholarship at USD while working nights at an MMA gym and coaching adult novices in the summertime at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center. I returned to Vashon in 2018 to coach the masters program and bounced around masters and juniors for a couple of years before departing to pursue weightlifting and I now work as a full time weightlifting coach, but am happy to return to my roots and support VIRC.
Tori Hu
Interim Youth Novice Coach
I fell in love with rowing the summer after my 8th grade year and was a youth athlete with VIRC for all of high school. I coached with VIRC for three summers during college and am excited to return and give back to the team that has given me so much.
As a coach, I believe that the person each athlete becomes is far more impactful and important than how far they go as a rower, so my priority is to foster and encourage their personal growth, emphasizing leadership, selflessness, a strong work ethic, and open and respectful communication.
Outside of the rowing world, my favorite place to be is in the mountains. You can catch me hiking, skiing, or just staring wistfully at Mt. Rainier on a clear day.