After three years of building and coaching a junior rowing program on the Olympic Peninsula, Rodrigo Rodrigues of Brazil is headed to California.

Rodrigues is leaving the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association to coach a junior rowing program in Long Beach, Calif. John Halberg, president of Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association (pictured here, at left, with Rodrigues), brought Rodrigues to the peninsula in 2012 to develop a junior program that culminated in August with one of OPRA’s rowers — Elise Beuke of Sequim — placing seventh in the World Junior Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

OPRA members plan to restructure the association with a new coaching staff and plan to continue growing the program for junior and adult rowers.