Rowing has been around for centuries, and will stay among the best of competitive sports around the world. The technique of affixing the oar to the side of the boat was discovered by the Greeks approximately two thousand years ago. They discovered that working a single oar against a fulcrum was much more useful and effective than a paddle. Rowing was primarily used to transport goods, but when there was more more than boat in the water, human nature took over and racing started.

Professional racers made a decent living in the late 1800's. Gambling on races led to the popular sports demise. But in America and England, amateur rowers developed popularity in inter-collegiate competitions. The first Oxford/Cambridge race was held in 1829. The first Harvard/Yale race was held in 1852, and is the oldest inter-collegiate event in America. Many scientific advancements were then made in the sport; a better boat was a faster boat. For example, Harvard rowers found a way to grease their pants so that they slid on their immobile seats, which allowed them to use their legs to drive the boat. This allowed them to dominate Yale because they were still using only the fixed seats. This led to the creation and popular use of the rolling seat, which is still used today. The boat building designs of today are much more advanced and complex using carbon fiber, aluminum, and fiberglass to make boats lighter, stiffer, and faster.

Boat clubs started in America in the 1800's. Philadelphia's Schuylkill Navy, began in 1858, was the first rowing association and the first amateur sports organization. Collegiate and amateur oarsmen started the National Association for Amateur Oarsmen (NAAO) in 1872. Women were left out in these clubs, even though they rowed in amateur and collegiate races. In the early 1960's, the National Women's Rowing Association was formed. Finally, in 1982, the National Association for Amateur Oarsmen and the National Women's Rowing Association joined to become the coed United States Rowing Association (USRA).