Coaches & Board

Julio Sanchez | Head Coach

Meet Coach Julio Sanchez

Coach Julio Sanchez has spent more than 25 years proving that great rowing can speak any language – although it certainly helps that he speaks three. Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, Julio has coached youth, masters, and national-team athletes across Argentina, Spain, Colombia, Bolivia, and the United States.

Most recently, Julio led the youth program at Indianapolis Rowing Center, where the girls’ sculling team captured its first team trophy in club history. During the 2025–2026 season, 15 crews qualified for Nationals and 28 athletes represented the program at the event. Previously, at Vero Beach Rowing, he achieved 95% member retention, sustained program growth, and guided the U16 Women’s Coxed Quad to a 2024 US national title. He also coached Bolivia’s men’s single sculler to the 2023 Junior World Championships in Paris.

Julio knows championship rowing from both sides of the launch. As an athlete, he became a FISA World Masters Champion in the Men’s Single and Mixed Double in 2018, earned South American Masters titles, won 35 medals at the USRowing Masters National Championships, and claimed a Head of the Hooch victory in the Men’s Masters Single.

His coaching approach combines sports science with personal connection. Julio develops individualized plans for technique, conditioning, and mindset while using testing and video analysis to help athletes understand their progress. Just as importantly, he creates an environment where rowers learn discipline, resilience, teamwork, confidence, and ownership of their development. The qualities at the heart of Sarasota Scullers’ commitment to the Whole Rower.

Julio holds a master’s degree in Sports Science, a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, and credentials in sports management and strength and conditioning. He is also a USRowing Level III Coach, CPR and First Aid certified, a Hatha yoga instructor, and a certified massage therapist. In other words, his coaching toolkit extends well beyond the stopwatch.

Whether an athlete is learning the rhythm of a first stroke or preparing for a national starting line, Coach Julio brings the experience, energy, and care to help each rower move forward.

Join the Sarasota Scullers and discover how Coach Julio is building skilled competitors, confident young people, and lifelong rowers.

Ray Giannini | Head Middle School Coach

Rower | Teacher | Mentor

Over two decades ago, Ray made Sarasota his home, arriving from not just one—but two—of America’s rowing capitals: Philadelphia and Boston. Though he grew up in New England and later lived in Philadelphia, where rowing is deeply woven into the cultural fabric, Ray never dipped an oar into the water. His athletic focus was elsewhere, devoted to baseball, football, and running.

It wasn’t until age 49, after settling into life in Sarasota, that Ray experienced rowing for the first time. He describes the moment as “love at first row”—instantly captivated by the sport’s blend of fun, fitness, camaraderie, and its lifelong accessibility. For Coach Ray, rowing wasn’t just a hobby; it became a passion that promised vitality well into his senior years.

A Coach Born on Sarasota’s Waters

Ray’s journey began right here on the same waters the Sarasota Scullers row every day. He picked up the sport in 1999, largely teaching himself with occasional guidance from his longtime friend and Masters Coach.

As Ray’s love for rowing deepened, so did his desire to share it. He discovered a second calling: coaching new and novice Master rowers. Watching his students light up with joy as they begin to master the rhythm and grace of rowing has been one of the most rewarding parts of his life. He firmly believes rowing offers a pathway to the healthy, active lifestyle – something young people don’t typically think about. He believes in the life-long impacts especially knowing many rowers continue gliding across the water well into their 70s and 80s.

Join us at the Sarasota Scullers where Ray’s experience and passion guide new rowers’ journey on the water and beyond.

Join the Sarasota Scullers

Sarasota Scullers

Board of Directors

Sarasota Scullers holds monthly board meetings on the second Monday of the month at 6pm. Please contact the board Secretary to confirm the meeting time and location. If you would like to speak to the board, please email the office ahead of time at office@sarasotascullers.org.

Our Board’s passionate support for youth sports and sustainability are crucial to the success of our organization. We have a diverse team that brings the Sarasota Scullers Youth Rowing Program close to the community and ensures a bright future. Thank you, Board Members, for your commitment to the Scullers team.

Erica Gillie (President)
Liliana Alzate Baez (Vice President & Secretary)
Roger Redman (Treasurer)
Pete Petersen (Immediate Past President)
Maya Bienefeld