Author: readyallrow

Q&A Rowing

Question of the Day

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OK, so I was just moved from stroke to bow and I’ve only sat in the same seat twice in the past two weeks, let alone the same boat … what am I doing wrong?

I doubt you’re doing anything wrong – your coach is more than likely just trying to figure out who works best where. Are other people being moved around as well? I would talk to him/her and say that you were curious why you were being moved around so much. I’m sure they’ll tell you what their reasoning is.

I know when I’m coaching and moving people from seat to seat, I’m just trying to determine who works best as a pair and who works well in different parts of the boat. Each seat has it’s own role and some people work well in one spot but not in another.

I would ask and say just that you feel like the inconsistency in seating is affecting your ability to gel with the boat, so you’re wondering a) why you’re being moved so much and b) what is your coach looking for you to improve on. Maybe your timing is a little inconsistent, which is why he moved you from stroke to bow – he wanted you to work on following other people and controlling your slide. I think as long as you aren’t accusatory when you ask, your coach will be receptive to talking to you about why he’s making these changes.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

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Ok but seriously I probably hear 0.2% of anything my coach says ever while my crew is out on water. I believe this is a recurring issue with coxswains… I think my primary conversations with her consists of “WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT!? …oh… WAIT, WHAT!?

Ugh, I feel your pain. It’s the worst when they use those stupid cone things instead of an actual electronic megaphone … and even when they use those it can still be impossible to hear them if it’s windy or they’re just talking normally, thinking that the megaphone will do all the work (spoiler: it doesn’t work like that).

It absolutely is a recurring issue. I feel like coaches assume their coxswains are just not paying attention instead of considering the fact that they just cannot hear them. It’s a fairly serious safety issue too because if you can’t hear your coach and they’re trying to tell you there’s a log or a single or something else in front of you that you’re about to hit and you don’t hear them … that’s dangerous.

I’d talk to your coach before or after practice and say that you feel bad because it seems like you’re constantly asking her to repeat herself because you can’t hear what she’s saying. Explain that it’s frustrating for you because you can’t hear or understand the instructions but also for the rowers because you two playing a twisted game of telephone is taking away from practice.

College Coxing Q&A Rowing

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I’m 5’5″ and I know I’m not growing anymore (I’m in 10th grade and 15). I’m on varsity as a sweep rower, but I also am bow in most sculling boats so I have a lot of practice when it comes to ‘coxing’ (I know it’s not the same though). Anyways, I really want to row in college, but because of my height I’m scared I’ll be too tall to cox and way too short (and not as strong) to row. Any advice of what path to take, sweep, sculling or coxing ’cause of height?

It all depends on where you want to go to school. If you’re looking at Division 1 programs, you might be too short to row unless you looked at lightweight programs BUT you would be a good size to cox. A lot of coxswains I knew in college were between 5’3” and 5’5”. The only caveat is that they might look at your weight a little bit more than they would if you were shorter. Minimum is 110lbs and the competitive D1 schools tend to really push for that. If you were to consider coxing in college, my suggestion would be to look at men’s programs, not women’s. I feel like men’s programs, while still tough on their coxswains to maintain a competitive weight, are WAY less harsh than women’s programs are. I have my theories on why but they’re just theories.

Related: Hi! So I’m a senior in my first year of club rowing. I’m really athletic and strong from swimming and cross country but I’m 5’2 and like 115. Do you think I have a future in college rowing or should I be a coxswain? Thanks.

If you were interested in rowing, I would look more towards club teams or D2/D3 programs. While most can be just as competitive as D1 programs, they are much less stringent on typical rower/coxswain weight/height ratios. I coach a club team now and all of the usual rower’s body stereotypes are non-existent. You could easily do sweep, sculling, or coxing here.

Coxing Q&A Rowing

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Hi…I’m a rower, coming to you for a little bit of advice on something from a cox’s perspective. I’m in a squad of women and at the moment we tend to swap in and out of boats a lot. My question is, would you – as a cox – rather have a set crew you are working with from very early on in a season or do you mind the idea of continual ‘scratch’ crews? I just don’t feel it gives me as a rower a chance to develop effectively and I wanted to see what a coxswain’s feelings on it would be.

Easy – I’d much rather prefer have a set crew.

When I was in high school, we got on the water in February. We were like the freaking post office … rain, wind, sleet, or snow, we were on the water the second week of February like clockwork. From the time we got on the water until mid-March, novices learned how to row, varsity worked on technique, and lineups were tweaked. The second week of March, lineups were set for the season (which ended the last weekend in May). If changes were made, it was one person switching out on a Monday and by Wednesday it was decided whether or not that person would stay in the boat for the regatta. Friday was always our travel day and we raced on Saturday and Sunday so lineups had to be set on Thursday in order for us to be able to do get a practice piece in before we left.

From my perspective, I would hate constantly switching crews because:

I, as a coxswain, wouldn’t be able to get a good sense of the boat tendencies if different people were always switching in and out

The boat would be unable to develop any sort of chemistry

The rowers wouldn’t be able to focus on technique if they were being switched in and out of boats and/or consistently following a different stroke

I agree with you in that it doesn’t give the rower an adequate opportunity to develop their skills. It’s the same for coxswains … they can’t develop their skills either for the same reasons.

It’s frustrating, but maybe your coach has a plan – talk to them and see what it is. Ask if this is going to be a normal thing, the constant switching, or if the boats will ever be 100% set. Explain why you don’t think it’s helping you develop properly and ask if they have any advice on how you can improve while you’re in the midst of all these rower/boat transitions.

Coxing Novice Q&A Racing

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Hi, I’m a beginner coxswain for a men’s novice 8 and my first regatta is coming up in two days. I’m super super nervous and I was wondering if you could give me some really good calls I can make in the middle of the race … I usually end up not really know what to say and repeat the same things over and over! Thank you so much!

Try and find different ways to say what you’re already saying, that way you can repeat yourself without actually repeating yourself. It keeps the rowers alert and tuned into what you’re saying if you can keep a running list of different ways to say the same things.

Calls for the middle of the race … this is where you’re going to start transitioning from more technique based calls to more motivational calls. You’ll be able to come up with some great stuff if you can find out what THEY want to hear. Remember, you’re guiding them down the river so you’ve got to, in a sense, tell them what they want to hear (and in some cases, what they don’t want to hear) in order to get them to do what you want. Don’t be to stringent though with your calls and try to script it out though (that never works).

Related: HOCR: Race plans and My race plan from HOCR

During my eight’s race two weeks ago we were just sitting on a crew for probably 20 strokes before I said that I was sick of looking at this other crew and that on this next 20 we were going to walk away from them. They responded really well to that and we walked by them with no problem. Another call my crew really likes is “Do not sit, do not quit”, which I borrowed from Pete Cipollone. I used it as we were coming into the last 500m or so to remind them to not sit for a single stroke and to stay focused and in the boat. They said it was one of the best calls they’d heard because it really got them fired up for the end of the race.

A great way to develop your calls is to listen to the calls of other coxswains. Listen to them and pull out/modify anything you think would be beneficial for your crew. Remember the number one rule of borrowing coxswain calls though: don’t take, use, borrow, or modify a call if you do not know why it was being used in the first place. Remember your tone of voice too throughout the race. I know there are posts either on here or on the blog somewhere where I talk about tone, inflection, volume, etc. They’re all very important in communicating well with your crew and making sure they stay alert and focused.

Related: Coxswain recordings

I know I didn’t give you any SPECIFIC calls in here but hopefully I’ve given some tools to help you come up with your own stuff.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

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I started rowing about a year and a half ago, but I’m 4’11 so my coach had me cox 4-5 months after I had started rowing and instantly fell in love. I’m a varsity coxswain, but I always have trouble finding my voice during races. I’m not terribly confident because some of the girls in my boat criticize me, but it’s never constructive it’s really rude, but I stumble over my words and end up repeating myself. Do you have any tips on how I could improve my calls?

How many is “some”? Is it one, two, five … ? Regardless of how many people it is, you should talk to your coach and tell him/her what’s going on. Explain that constructive criticism is fine but that isn’t what you’re getting.

Something I’ve found is that when rowers start being rude like that, they don’t trust their coxswain for whatever reason, legitimate or not. If you haven’t yet, try talking to them before you talk with your coach. Tell them that their criticism isn’t helping because it comes off as being hostile and ask if you’ve done something in particular to make them not trust you as their coxswain. It might be awkward at first but as the leader of the boat it’s your responsibility to be assertive and figure out what the deal is. They also need to keep their feedback to themselves until you get OFF the water. Until then it just ends up being a distraction. You’ve got to work on not being nervous and not letting those few rowers get to you. Listen to what they say, eliminate the bitchiness, and see if you can see what they’re trying to convey. If they’re just being rude, ignore them.

As you become more confident in your abilities, your calls will come to you. When you make a call, be aggressive, assertive, concise, and direct. Don’t waver or let your voice give away that you don’t totally trust what you’re saying.

Something I always recommend to coxswains who are looking to improve their calls is to listen to the recordings of other coxswains. It can be helpful to hear what other people say so that you can then borrow, adapt, and modify their calls to fit your crew. Hearing the different tones of voice that other coxswains use can also help you find the most effective way to say things to your crew. Here is a list of coxswain recordings I’ve found online that should help with this.

Talk to your rowers, talk to your coach, work on your confidence, and you will be FINE. Don’t let your rowers walk all over you. Chances are that you haven’t done anything wrong, those few rowers have just sensed “weakness” and pounced on it. That’s just some people’s personality. When you’re in the boat though, you’re in charge and you should be the only one talking.

High School Novice Q&A Rowing

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So I know you mostly get questions from coxswains but do ya think you could riddle me this? I’m a high school rower (started last winter) so technically I’m still a novice but since the beginning of summer I’ve been rowing varsity. I absolutely love the sport but I sometimes feel a bit intimidated by the fact that I’m constantly racing girls older than me! I’m only 15 and most of the girls I race & row with are getting ready to head off to college! Any advice on how to face the competition?

That’s great that you’re rowing varsity if you’ve only been rowing for less than a year. If anything, the girls that you’re racing should be intimidated by you since you’re most likely 2-3 years younger than them. You’ve clearly done the work and proven to your coaches that you can handle the responsibility of being a varsity rower so own it.

Be a leader in your boat. Don’t assume that just because you’re younger than everyone else that that is the persona you need to take on. Speak up, offer your opinion (when the time is appropriate), get everyone started on stretches if your coaches/coxswains aren’t around, and be coachable. Always offer to take oars down, wash the boat, etc. ACT like the varsity teammate you are instead of trying to hide in the background because you’re intimidated by the other girls. Whether or not they let it on, the girls that are graduating are going to worry just a little bit about what the state of the team will be when they leave. If you start proving yourself as a strong leader and good teammate now, not only will you gain so much respect from them, the other rowers on the team, and your coaches, but you will offer them reassurance that the team will THRIVE in your hands. This will result in them embracing you as a teammate rather than just acknowledging your existence in the boat.

When you’re racing, don’t worry about those other crews. If you’ve done everything you need to do to prepare, you’re going to be looking at their backs going down the course, not the other way around. You never know, there might be novice rowers in those varsity boats too. Hold your head high, keep your chin up, and maintain that look of determination in your eyes. If you do that, they will be just as intimidated by you as you are of them right now. It’s all about attitude. What have you observed about the girls on your team and the teams you race? What does their body language convey, both on and off the water? What’s their rowing like? Emulate that!! When you’re on the water, FOCUS. Concentrate on working to perfect everything you do during practice each day. Be able to pick out two to three things that got better by the end of practice. Push yourself. Don’t settle for anything. Always strive for MORE. The only thing you should be intimidated by is the expectations you have set for yourself. If you’re not intimidated by your goals and expectations, you haven’t set the bar high enough.

Video of the Week

Video of the Week: Gold Fever

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This video is from a BBC documentary series called “Gold Fever”. It was filmed over the course of the four years leading up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, Tim Foster, and James Cracknell all had personal video cameras that they used to record video diaries during those four years. You see Steve dealing with his diabetes diagnosis, Tim dealing with all his surgeries and the possibility of not making the final lineup, and many other things.

One of the things I love most about this series is how intensely they take the sport but also how vulnerable they are to the same things that HS and collegiate athletes are vulnerable to. These guys hate getting up in the morning just as much as we do sometimes, but they still get up and do what needs to be done. The way they attack those erg pieces and just fall off the ergs in exhaustion afterwards…that’s dedication.

In the end, the four ended up winning the gold and Steve Redgrave won his FIFTH straight Olympic gold medal.

Coxing Novice Q&A

Question of the Day

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Hi, I’m a novice coxswain for a Girls Novice 8. We have competition in less than a week, and our boat is a mess. Catching and finishing in time is a major problem, as well as motivation. My priority really is motivation but we don’t have access to a Cox-Box until the day of competition, and are currently rowing on a boat with no steering; so all turns are pretty much manual. In less than two weeks we have Head of the Hooch and we can barely operate! Any feedback or advice would be helpful.

Why are you even on the water? Being in a boat with no steering not only sounds completely pointless but more importantly, incredibly unsafe. Add in the fact that you don’t have a cox box and then it becomes really unsafe.

Are you having problems motivating them because of the situation you’re in with the boat or are you having trouble because they’re just not that into rowing? If it’s because of the boat, there’s not much you can do other than remind them that (hopefully) this is only a temporary situation and that they’ve just got to make do with what they’ve got. Tell them that instead of focusing on how much the boat sucks, focus on themselves. Think about THEIR strokes, THEIR body position, THEIR timing, THEIR technique, etc. Channel the frustration into something productive. If you’re having problems motivating them because they’re not that into the sport, that’s tough. Rowing is one of those sports where the motivation has to inherent otherwise external motivation isn’t going to have an effect.

Remember, you are NOT their cheerleader. Motivating them is, in my opinion, about 2% of the role of coxswains. It’s miniscule. You’re there to give them feedback, to tell them what they’re doing right, what they’re doing wrong, how to improve, what needs to change, who needs to change it, where you’re at in the race, what the other crews are doing, what they need to do to hold off the other crews or walk on the crews ahead of them, etc. Being motivating doesn’t mean that you’re sugarcoating things or stroking their egos either – it means being brutally honest, no matter how much they might not want to hear what you’re saying, in the hopes that what you say lights a fire under their ass and gives them the push they need to do what needs to be done.

HOCR: My race plan

Coxing Racing

HOCR: My race plan

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Previously: Getting to the starting line || Steering through the bridges || Landmarks along the course || Steering around the turns || Race plans

This is the general race plan I’ll be using on Saturday for my race.

From starting line thru BU Bridge: High 20 + lengthen 10

Out of Magazine Beach to start Powerhouse: 10 to start the stretch, maybe another 10 if we’re close to another crew to try and make a move

River Street: 5 to jump on the top 1/4 of the slide

Western Ave: 5 to squeeze into the finish

Weeks Bridge: 5 out of the turn to lengthen back out, regain seconds in the flat

Anderson: 20 out of turn to lengthen back out, regain seconds in the flat

Before the start of the Eliot turn: Focus, get ready to go

Eliot: 20 under the bridge, driving for the Belmont-Winsor dock

Last turn: 10 if necessary (i.e. we’re close to another crew)

Start of the docks: 5 to build, sprint to the end

Stay up to date with future HOCR-related content by checking the “Head of the Charles” tag.

Image via // Navy Blazer Club