This Saturday marks the beginning of the spring rowing season for the Renton Rowing Center and the community is invited to come out and try their skill on Lake Washington.

Saturday is the first “Row for a Day” class at the center, 900 N. Riverside Dr., Renton. The introductory class is from 9 a.m. to noon and teaches participants the basics of the rowing stroke, a brief overview of the equipment and the programs at the center.

The “Row for a Day” event is held the first Saturday of each month in the spring and summer. It costs $20.

“If you can squat to sit, lift an object over your head, you can row,” said Courtney Moeller, center operations manager.

“If you are small in stature, want to be part of a team sport, but prefer to use your brain over your brawn, you may be a perfect coxswain,” she said, referring to the person who commands the crew during races and practice.

Moeller is also the head coach at the center and is a Renton native. She graduated from Liberty High School in 2001 and rowed for four years at Western Washington University, winning the NCAA Championship title with her team in 2005.

“The best way to find out if rowing or coxing is for you is to try it. There is a program for everyone regardless of size, age or experience,” she said.

Typically after the “Row for a Day” class, adults go on to try the “Learn to Row Class,” which is an introductory eight-session class that teaches skills to row independently or with teammates. There are a range of opportunities for adults from these introductory classes to individual membership to competitive and recreational team opportunities.

The Renton Rowing Center is a community boathouse of the George Pocock Rowing Foundation and opened its doors in the summer of 2014. They also feature recreational rentals of sit-in-top kayaks and standup paddle boards.

“The Renton Rowing Center programs offer year-round rowing opportunities for middle and high school students in Renton and the surrounding areas,” Moeller said.

The adult and junior programs have been hitting the water since February, she said. The fall typically features the longer events and the spring hosts the sprints.

For more information, visit www.rentonrowingcenter.org.