EYC introduces youth to sailing and life skills

by SARA RAE LANCASTER

Photos by Brett Kosmider

Br ian Ritter remembers standing on the dock at Ephraim Yacht Club, staring at a row of sailboats bobbing up and down in the water. The then–selfdescribed “pretty quiet kid” admits that at 9 years old, he wasn’t sure he even knew sailing existed before that moment. But there he was, preparing to get into a boat for his first sailing lesson.

“I was completely fresh. No sailing background at all,” Ritter said.

But he soon learned that his background was similar to the majority of the other kids standing around him.

“I think at first you think, ‘Oh, they come from a sailing family,’” Ritter said. “But that’s usually not the case.”

If it were, it would defeat the mission of Ephraim Yacht Club’s twoweek beginner sailing course and perhaps diminish the learning and accomplishments of the hundreds of kids who have discovered the lifelong sport through the sailing school.

In addition to safety training and practical skills such as tying knots, reading the weather, trimming sails and maneuvering a boat, these classes also teach kids important life skills: leadership, teamwork, responsibility and certainly a greater sense of selfconfidence. Ritter experienced that firsthand: The more he sailed, the more comfortable he became with himself and those around him.

“I don’t know if I would have learned what I learned had I been involved in baseball or soccer or some other sport,” he said.

Ritter’s story isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s likely a story that would be repeated many times if you asked the hundreds of youth who have experienced the yacht club’s summer junior sailing classes.

Now, at 27, Ritter uses the memory of his early days on the water to fuel his work on the yacht club’s board of directors and as chair of the education committee.

“Most of my childhood memories have been involved with sailing in Ephraim. It was a big part of my growth and development that now I get to share with others,” he said.

When you live on a peninsula, water becomes a way of life.

“One of the great things about sailing is you can start at an earlier age than [with] a power boat,” Ritter said.

Robert and Sherry Moore understand that very well. Their sons, Adam and Aaron, were 5 and 3 years old, respectively, the first time the family went out in a sailboat.

Robert, who was experienced with power boats, got the itch to try his hand at sailing. He purchased a 15-foot boat and took lessons from the man who sold it to him before taking his family members out for their first sail together on Mother’s Day.

“Despite the gusty weather, I remember thinking, ‘I can handle this,’ Rob recalled. “And the first thing I did was turn the boat upside down, and everyone was in the water.”

Not to be daunted by that experience, the family took the boat out again – this time with better success, which set them on a trajectory that would make sailing an integral part of their life from that moment on.

“Aaron loved sailing,” Sherry said. “He loved sailing and loved being a sailing instructor throughout his high school and college years. He really loved working with the kids.”

After Aaron passed away in 2008, the family wanted to find a way to honor him, his love of sailing and especially his passion for teaching youth to sail.

“In those early days after we lost Aaron, you think of all sorts of things,” Sherry recalled. “Maybe I’ll write a book. Or maybe I’ll do this. Or maybe I’ll do that. Something to honor him and carry on his legacy.”

In 2012, son Adam’s wife, Barbara; and Jay Lott, the yacht club’s commodore at the time, approached the Moores with the idea of starting the Aaron R. Moore Sailing Scholarship Fund.

“We realized a scholarship fund was something that would carry forward for many years to come,” Sherry said.

Thanks to the scholarship, organized in conjunction with both Ephraim Yacht Club and the Door County Community Foundation, Aaron continues to teach children to sail – specifically, Door County kids who might not have the opportunity to learn without the scholarship. Each year, the scholarship administrators select several recipients based on the amount of money that’s been raised for that year.

“Our goal is to get as many children on the water as possible,” Sherry said.

The only application requirements are that children must be between the ages of 7 and 16, live in Door County year-round and show some financial need in order to afford the cost of the sailing lessons. To date, the scholarship – which funds 75% of the class tuition – has distributed 250 scholarships and $100,000 in scholarship funds.

It’s something the Moores said wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of residents and business owners throughout the Door County community.

“People are so pleased to be helping the children,” Sherry said, “especially because the money is staying here and helping our boys and girls locally.”

Anonymity is an important part of the scholarship. Not even the instructors know which students are recipients. What they do know, however, is that they will see a profound transformation in all the students by the end of the twoweek course.

“I know for me, sailing put me in a situation where I had to grow,” Ritter said.

That growth – seen in both the students and the scholarship program overall – is something the Moores believe Aaron would be honored to be a part of.

“He would be proud; he would be so proud,” Sherry said, describing Aaron as the instructor who was often seen sitting in a boat with a student who was having a hard time.

“Maybe they were a little more hesitant or frightened, but there would be Aaron, taking the time to move the child along in the lesson, whenever they were ready.”

And in many ways, Aaron continues to do just that.