Emily Close

Emily Close rowed all 4 years of high school out of Bachelors Barge Club in Philadelphia. She went on to row at Jacksonville University from 2009-2013.

Her coaching career began at the same place she first found her passion for rowing, Bachelors Barge Club. She started coaching there over the summers throughout her undergraduate time at Jacksonville University. She also spent a summer coaching WYRA summer camps in 2013.

After graduating from Jacksonville, Emily served as the graduate assistant at La Salle University under Tom Madden from 2013 until Spring 2017. There, she worked with novices and filled in with the varsity boats as needed. Coach Emily has been with Great Valley’s program since Fall of 2017, oscillating between assistant and head coach. Emily has seen the team go on and compete at Scholastic Nationals and has had various boats medal at Head of the Schuylkill.

When not coaching, Emily is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at a private practice. Emily loves being able to be on the water and work within the sport that has been such an integral part of her life and loves offering a sport to kids who feel they might’ve “missed the boat” with other sports.