Category: Coxing

Coxswain recordings, pt. 16

By readyallrow January 9, 2014

Sacramento State Start Lake Natoma Invite

This is a short clip that gives a good example of how to call a start. I’m not a huge advocate of counting down the strokes unless it’s two or three strokes leading into a move or stride (i.e. “let’s shift in three … in two … in one, now…”) but that’s beside the point in this particular recording. The takeaway here is her tone and how she delivers her calls – sharp, quick, and concise.

Bucknell Men’s Novice 8+ Grand Final ECAC New England Championships

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=d14Y4JzmsRM

Overall this is a good recording for a freshman/novice race. He starts off the first 500 by spending a lot of time noting their position on the other crews, which on one hand is good that he’s giving his boat that information but there’s definitely a better way to present it. You don’t want to put all your energy into talking about the rest of the field because that takes the focus away from your boat, which is the number one priority. You want to make sure you’re throwing down a clear, established rhythm right as you settle to your base pace and then once you’ve got the boat running and swinging well, that’s when you can start shifting your focus to how the race is evolving around you.

At 1:25 when he’s building into their upcoming move, it feels super frantic when he yells “get the bow ball ahead”. I get what he’s going for but I think this could have been executed a little cleaner. The subsequent calls though are good.

As the race goes on, he’s doing a great job of telling the crew where they’re at on the rest of the field … which I know is contrary to what I said earlier but the difference is that now is actually the appropriate time to be making all those calls. You hear him talk about how close they are to Michigan and Ithaca right before and right after they cross the thousand – that would have been the opportunity to shut them down with a move. When you’ve got crews that are half a seat or one seat off of you, you’ve gotta shift your priorities from whatever you’re currently doing to putting them in your rearview mirror for good. You don’t want to be on the losing end of that seat race once the other crew finally decides they’re sick of you guys sitting on each other.

Last thing to point out – look at the courses of each of the coxswains as they’re coming down the course. Trinity was swerving a bit in the last 250m or so, which probably/definitely cost them a seat or two. You can see Bucknell and BC doing the same around 5:00 and in the last 10-15 strokes, respectively.

Other calls I liked:

“Our race to win…”

You can find and listen to more recordings by checking out the “Coxswain Recordings” page.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow January 7, 2014

Hi! I’m 5’4″ and about 120-123 pounds. I’ve coxed for eight years now and am fully aware that my talent is more than my weight, but I met with a trainer today and told him about what I do and he told me that I was “big” for a coxswain, since all the other coxswains he’d heard of apparently were like under 5 feet tall. It stung a little bit, and I’m already trying to get to like 115 for spring… is that too light?

Hi! I’m assuming your trainer isn’t a collegiate strength coach (I assume you’re in college?) or very knowledgeable about crew because that’s a pretty ignorant thing to say. If he is then shame on him. Out of all the coxswains I’ve known since I started crew, I’m the only one that was ever under 5’0″. The majority were in the 5’1″ to 5’5″ish range (although I’m betting there are coxswains who read this who fall outside that range) and about half of them were in the 100-115lbs range naturally. The other half consistently lost weight for racing season (which, for a few, caused its own set of issues) or said “screw that” and coxed for the men’s teams.

If you subscribe to the BMI theory then you’re in a healthy range regardless of whether you’re 115 or 123. I wouldn’t let one person’s comments bother or pressure you that much. Personally I don’t think 115lbs is too light. At the same time though it’s important to consider how your body might react to it. Even though that’s only a difference of 5-8lbs, if you find you’re having a hard time losing it it’s probably because your body just doesn’t want to be that weight. I’m sure you know about the weight minimums and how it’s generally suggested that you be as close to them as possible, or as I like to say “in a common sense range”, so I won’t get into that. Plus, like you said, one’s talent is more than their weight.

Coxing Q&A Racing

Question of the Day

By readyallrow January 5, 2014

I’m a sophomore in high school and this is my second year coxing. When I was a novice, my coaches would give me an outline of a race plan they wanted me to follow. Now that I’m varsity, I have a pretty good idea of how to make one on my own. But I want to make sure I have a really good race plan before the season starts. So I was wondering if you had a good race plan for a 2,000 meter race?

I wouldn’t spend too much time thinking about your race plan just yet because a) it’s only January and b) you most likely don’t know what boat you’re gonna have yet. Until you know your crew, their tendencies (what part of the race is their strong spot and where in the race they start to fall off), strengths, and weaknesses, you can’t really make one. Whatever you come up with now would more than likely change completely by the time April rolls around.

Related: Training: 2k test strategy

For me, my race plans were always skeletons until the day before the race. I always had the basic premise figured out well ahead of time but I wouldn’t fill in the details until the last minute because the specifics were usually based on whatever my boat and I had been working on during practice that week, as well as race(s) from the previous weekend. Typically it looked something like what’s below. Since I was part of a scholastic team and not a club team we primarily raced 1500m so that’s what this is based off of.

Start: High 20 @ 38-40spm, settle 10 to 34-35spm

500m: 10 for X

750m: 5 to sit up, refocus before the mid-race move

1000m (give or take 100m): High 20 to move on or away from a crew or the field

1250m: 5 to build into the sprint at 36-38spm

1400m: Take the rate up again if necessary and charge the line

Once I had an idea of who we were racing, what we needed to focus on, etc. I’d fill in the details and give myself an idea of where I wanted to call each technical 10 (if my coach and I thought it was necessary to have them – if we didn’t, I wouldn’t include one unless something I saw during the race that warranted it). Regarding bursts to take seats, I’d call them as I needed to since you can’t really plan that kind of thing. The rule of thumb that I always try to abide by is that you should stick to the plan until it has to change. The “plan” is more of a loose guideline than anything else anyways. Races are very fluid and you’ve got to be adaptable to that. There’s nothing more frustrating than a coxswain who goes into the race and is hell bent on rigidly following his/her race plan to the tee, regardless of what’s going on, and forgetting to actually observe everything that’s happening outside of the 3ft x 1.5ft seat they’re sitting in.

This is one of the reasons why I don’t think you should be formulating one 3.5 months before the season begins. It gives you tunnel vision that’s hard to break and you become less likely to absorb the things you’re hearing and seeing during practice. Wait a few months, spend some time on the water with your boat, and then put one together. Don’t forget to get input from your crew and coaches too.

College Coxing High School Novice Training & Nutrition

“The Coxswain in Winter”

By readyallrow January 2, 2014

My coaches showed us this article sometime in high school, possibly my sophomore of junior year and I remember thinking “holy shit, somebody else gets it!”. Because of that, I really took to heart what was said and learned to appreciate the winter training season a little more than I had previously.

It’s written by Charles Ehrlich, a former coxswain (Phillips Exeter, Harvard lightweights, and Leander Club) and coach (William & Mary, Oxford lightweights, etc.). I wanted to share it with you guys because I think you’ll definitely be able to relate to this and hopefully be able to take away a few things that you can apply to your own winter training experience. I’ve gone through and highlighted some of things that I’ve tried to reiterate in here and that I think are important for you guys to ponder.

“Winter is the most ill-defined time of year for coxswains. The training shifts to the land and there is not much obvious for the coxswains to do but stand around.

I remember my first Winter as a coxswain. In the Fall of ninth grade (I think that is Third Form, for you Brits out there – 14 years old), we had a physical education program designed to introduce us to all of the sports offered at the Academy, which included rowing. But we really didn’t have a clue. I knew I wanted to be a coxswain, because when I arrived at Exeter the rowers in my dorm looked at me, loud and diminutive, and trotted me down to the boathouse to meet Tom Taft, the boatman (now at Yale). Tom quickly sold me on the sport. But my intro that Fall was brief.

We were finally allowed to join the team for real in late Winter, when we were introduced to the ergs. This was in the days of the Model A, rickety contraptions made out of old bike parts. To provide air resistance, the manufacturers, the Dreissigacker brothers, had affixed plastic flaps to the spokes of the flywheel (actually a bicycle wheel). As the ergs got use, these flaps had a tendency to become dislodged, and would fly at great speed across the room. The footstraps were also primitive, and tended to wear out. So coxswains were employed to hold down the feet of rowers testing on the ergs. Because of the flying flaps, however, this job was considered fit for those coxswains at the bottom of the pecking order. So I spent my first few weeks on the team dutifully holding feet down and ducking to avoid flying flaps, not having the slightest clue what was going on. I remember these enormous looking Seniors teaching me exactly how they wanted their feet held, and when I got it just right they smiled at me and said approvingly: “Keep it up! You’ll make a great coxswain.”

When we weren’t in the erg room, we were doing land-training circuits in the wrestling room or running around the indoor track (Winters in New Hampshire preclude much outdoor training). As far as I knew, I was supposed to join in. I used to enjoy running (a good sport for someone like me with little hand-eye coordination), until I damaged my knee when I was twelve, but even so I limped along as best I could.

The point of all of this, however, was simple: Even though I wasn’t coxing and knew virtually nothing about the sport, there was something I could do to become a better coxswain that Winter.

Even though I wasn’t coxing and knew virtually nothing about the sport, there was something I could do to become a better coxswain that Winter.

I could train with the rowers and get in shape with them, while bonding. I could hold feet better than any other ninth grader. And while holding the rowers’ feet, I could look at the odometer needle (these were the days before computers on the ergs) and try to figure out how the needle’s fluctuations correlated with the strokes being taken. Whatever it was, I had a purpose.

Most coxswains going through Winter training at least come in with a little more background and do not have to feel like tools or glorified footstraps. But whatever it is a coxswain does in Winter, it must contribute in some way towards learning how to be a better coxswain in Spring.

But whatever it is a coxswain does in Winter, it must contribute in some way towards learning how to be a better coxswain in Spring.

Rowers hate Winter training. People row because they enjoy rowing, not because they enjoy sitting on ergs, lifting weights, running up and down endless stairs, or splashing around monotonously in the tanks. But they put up with all of this for one reason: it gives them skills which will make them faster in the Spring. It is frustrating waiting for the ice on the Charles River to melt (or the floods on the Isis to subside). But if approached with the right attitude, Winter training allows rowers to emerge in the Spring with an increased knowledge of their own capabilities.

Coxswains must approach the Winter with the same attitude. Too often, coxswains only make token appearances at the boathouse. The logic is, of course, that off the water the coxswain is not necessary. Certainly, it is true that it matters not in terms of boatspeed what sort of physical shape a coxswain is in. Therefore, many coxswains figure they’ll use the free time to go study or something rather than trying to figure out how to become a better coxswain.

Winter is a great time for coxswains to work out – time they usually spend sitting immobile in the stern of a boat can now become workout time. The crew really does not expect the coxes to set any sort of speed records, so if they are not the most athletic specimens in the world that is no problem. But working out with the crew accomplishes several objectives. First of all, the rowers appreciate the effort and that effort alone is all that is necessary. They will only gain respect for a coxswain willing to put in the effort. Furthermore, when the cox needs to ask the rowers for superhuman effort during a race in the Spring, the rowers will know that the cox knows what he is asking for, and that will make it easier for them to respond. And that leads to another underlying truth: that the coxswain really will understand what he is asking for, because the coxswain has been there himself.

The crew really does not expect the coxes to set any sort of speed records, so if they are not the most athletic specimens in the world that is no problem. …and that leads to another underlying truth: that the coxswain really will understand what he is asking for, because the coxswain has been there himself.

I have erged myself into oblivion: one year at CRASH-Bs I blacked out with about 800 meters to go, yet somehow finished the piece (albeit slowly). The next thing I remembered was forty-five minutes later when I awoke on a cot in the Red Cross observation area where they had administered oxygen. When I asked a crew to row until it passed out, I knew what that was like and the crew knew it.

I did the CRASH-Bs every year as an undergrad, as did most of my fellow Harvard lightweight coxswains. We also had a Christmas Challenge contest over the Christmas vacation, where exercise added up to points. Our coxswains regularly exceeded the team average in points accumulated over the break. I think this helped us to be better coxswains.

If a coxswain has a physical problem and cannot do a certain workout, the rowers will understand. No one wants to see their coxswain drop dead of an asthma attack. Since I could not run because of my knee, and rowers had priority on the ergs, I spent many practices observing the upstairs of Newell Boathouse on one of the stationary bikes in the corner. Since I was unable to do two legs of the triatholon because my knee (Harvard’s triatholon, in December, is erging, running, and a stadium – I could only erg), I have distinct nightmares of having to do three times the erg (that’s 22.5K, a long time to spend on an erg especially for a coxswain-weight person who has been coxing all Fall and has only just recently begun to train). The important thing, though, was not necessarily doing exactly what the rowers were doing but doing as much as possible.

One of my freshman coxes came to me in tears a few Decembers ago. Her asthma was acting up so badly that she could not work out with the guys as we moved onto land. She was crying because she thought that she was going to have to quit. I explained that she could still cox even if she couldn’t work out. But she feared that it would count against her if the rowers saw the other coxes working out and she just sat there. But they knew she had bad asthma and had no desire to see her suffer like that. There was always something else she could do: encourage them, help me time, get them water, or my old stalwart: hold down their feet while they erged. Whatever she did would help her become better. The rowers just needed to see her there doing whatever it was she could do.

And there are a lot of things a coxswain can do off the water.

There was always something else she could do: encourage them, help me time, get them water, or my old stalwart: hold down their feet while they erged. Whatever she did would help her become better. The rowers just needed to see her there doing whatever it was she could do.

Ergs are a tricky topic. They play mind games with rowers. A little computer readout basically says to the rower: “Ha ha! You aren’t pulling hard enough!” It is hard for rowers to overcome this mental problem, and so they react to it in different ways. Every rower has different approaches to coxswains on the erg. Some like to be yelled out like they are in a boat. Some like to be told specific things (how fast someone two ergs over is going, or technique pointers as they get tired, or reminded about some dude at Princeton). Some, who in a boat might like a lot of chatter from their coxswains, want complete silence. Most rowers get downright ugly when they erg if a coxswain crosses whatever line it is that they have drawn between their pet likes and dislikes. Coxswains must learn not to take it personally if a rower who may think highly of their coxing on the water suddenly starts shouting obscenities at them from an erg. It is better not to cross the line, and let the rowers have it entirely their way.

Coxswains must learn not to take it personally if a rower who may think highly of their coxing on the water suddenly starts shouting obscenities at them from an erg.

But being there for erg tests is nevertheless instructive. It is a chance to isolate rowers individually and break down their psyches. Since coxing on the water is 100% mental and all about maximizing speed through mental manipulation, it helps to know as much as possible about each rower. Besides seeing what sort of chatter each rower responds to, the coxswain should also ask the coach what he is looking at when he observes erg tests.

Since coxing on the water is 100% mental and all about maximizing speed through mental manipulation, it helps to know as much as possible about each rower.

I watch the rowers’ pacing and rhythm as they respond to different situations and levels of exhaustion. I watch how their tech holds up. I watch their faces and see if I can read their minds. Coxswains do not get this sort of close-up view of everyone when they are sitting in a boat – so an erg is a good place to inspect the rowers’ psyche. Rowers learn about themselves isolated as individuals when they sit on ergs. The coaches learn about them isolated as individuals. The coxswains should take advantage of the same opportunity. Watch. Observe. See what can be seen that cannot be seen from the coxswain’s seat in a boat. If there are any questions, ask the coach.

See what can be seen that cannot be seen from the coxswain’s seat in a boat.

Similarly, the coxswains should use tank sessions to get insight into each rower which cannot be gained from the boat. Part of a coxswain’s on-the-water job is to get the crew to row better. That means translating the coach’s technical objectives into more proficient actual rowing. After a certain period of time, a cox should be able to coach effectively from the coxswain’s seat. But one way to double check this skill is to pay attention in the tank. Stand at the stern of the tank and observe the blades, then watch from different angles to see what each rower does which makes the blade do what it does. Listen to the coach. If the tank session is being filmed and analyzed, make sure to attend the analysis. It is not just the rowers who learn in the tank. While a cox may feel like he is just standing there while the rowers work, the observation is critical.

If, of course, the cox gets guilty just standing around during tank sessions, then this is also the perfect opportunity to hop into an empty seat if there is one. Coxswains do not normally get enough opportunity to learn to row themselves. A tank is a good place to learn. If they are lucky, the coach will not skip the coxswains when doing filming. Going through the stroke, trying the same drills the rowers are working on, and basically coordinating the motion is a great way to understand the mechanics of rowing better. Again, it does not matter how odd the cox looks in there, every little bit helps the learning process.

Stand at the stern of the tank and observe the blades, then watch from different angles to see what each rower does which makes the blade do what it does. While a cox may feel like he is just standing there while the rowers work, the observation is critical. If, of course, the cox gets guilty just standing around during tank sessions, then this is also the perfect opportunity to hop into an empty seat if there is one. Again, it does not matter how odd the cox looks in there, every little bit helps the learning process.

On the water, the cox is going to have to coach the crew, and get the crew to perform as a unit. To do that means knowing as much as possible about each rower and about what the coach is trying to get across. Winter is a great time to step back. We may not know which crew each coxswain will sit in, nor do we know the line-ups of the rowers, but that should not prevent the coxswains from making progress.

The coxswains’ schedules do not have to match the rowers’ exactly every day – since these are not water practices which need the coxswain there in order to happen, there is more flexibility. Coxswains can look at their own schedules, and mix and match the times they come down in order to observe particular bits of practices and to join in with their own work-outs. Also, it is useful to set up a different time during the day to come in and meet with the respective coach. This time can be spent reviewing films (of recent tank sessions, of Fall water practices, or of the World Championships), or simply talking about the objectives for the upcoming season and what the rowers need to be working on now. This is useful for the coach as well, because it provides the coach valuable feedback about the squad. Also, it will be important that the coach have an excellent working relationship with the coxswains on the water during the season – communication during the Winter both improves the working relationship and makes sure that the coxswain is on the same page as the coach going into the season.

Also, it is useful to set up a different time during the day to come in and meet with the respective coach.

The critical thing for all coxswains to remember is that they are always learning. Every time they go down to the boathouse – even if it is only for a land practice – they should come away thinking, evaluating what they have learned that day. If they are not sure, they should talk about it with the coach or other coxswains. Coaches often neglect their coxswains – it is a natural tendency. Coxes should realize this and not be afraid to approach the coach directly, or to chat among themselves.

Every time they go down to the boathouse – even if it is only for a land practice – they should come away thinking, evaluating what they have learned that day.

The final piece of advice I had for the coxswains assembled at this clinic was that they get their family to buy them a whole lot of warm and waterproof clothes this holiday season. When they return to the water, they will need it. After the return to the water, the weather is still quite cold. And the coxswain is in the coldest seat in the boat. Dress warmly.”

All good points, right? I hope you guys got something out of this. My challenge to you is to pick something from here that you are capable of doing and commit to doing it for the rest of the winter season. Don’t be a wallflower at the boathouse! Also, don’t forget to check out some of the other posts I’ve written on coxswains and winter training too.

Image via // @yalecrew

Coxing Novice Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 22, 2013

Hello Kayleigh! I was wondering how you view the relationship of a coxswain to rowers. My main problem is that I’m friends with a lot of rowers I cox and I don’t want to lose them as friends, but I also want there to be mutual respect. How do you deal with this? Thanks! AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!

I was friends with a lot of the people I coxed too. In the beginning there’s always a weird period where they’re like “why are you being so bossy, calm down” and/or you tell them to do something and they just laugh it off because who are you to tell them what to do? Eventually though, provided they’re not total asshats and you’re not doing your best impersonation of your favorite dictator, they’ll recognize that you’re just trying to do your job which is lead them, give them instructions, etc. If they want to succeed it means respecting, listening to, and working with the coxswains. If you want to succeed it means respecting, listening to, and working with the rowers. Similarly to what I told the person in the post below, you’ve got to lead others as you would like to be led.

I don’t think the relationship between friends has to change just because one of you is a coxswain and the others are rowers. If you guys have issues, you can’t let it interfere with what’s going on at practice. That requires maturity on both sides, regardless of who’s “right” or “wrong”. You’ve also got to establish early on that if they’re doing something that warrants being called out (like goofing off, being a distraction, not putting in the work, doing something incorrectly, etc.) you’re going to say something, not because you’re being a bitch or a shitty friend but because the coaches expect you to keep the rowers under control and it’s part of your responsibilities as a coxswain.

If someone gets annoyed just because you asked them to do something, they need to grow up. On the flip side, you can’t get pissed at them if they tell you that you’re being overbearing, overly bossy, etc. This is part of the mutual respect thing you mentioned. In order to be able to give criticism, constructive or not, you’ve got to be able to take it in return.

College Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 19, 2013

My transition from novice to varsity has been a nightmare. I was the top novice cox, but my coaches told me the highest they’d boat me was 3V b/c I’m a senior and they want to ‘invest’ in training younger coxes. My rowers from last year are on V8/JV8 & I never get to see them. I had a panic attack 2 weeks ago from being switched into the worst boat. There are too many coxes on the team & I feel like it doesn’t matter if I’m there or not. Is it time to quit? How should I tell my coaches/team?

Aw man, that sucks, I’m sorry. To an extent I guess I can understand the coaches wanting to “invest” in training the coxswains that will be able to race at the varsity level for more than one season but I don’t think that means you should just write off another coxswain just because they’re older. You should invest equal amounts of time in training all your coxswains, regardless of what year they’re in, and then decide what boat they’ll cox the same way you would any other time – evaluations, observations, etc. It’s really frustrating when it doesn’t work out that way. It doesn’t exactly put forth the message that “you’re a valuable part of the team”…instead it says “great, now that we’ve got somebody to throw in that boat we don’t really care about we won’t have to worry about putting any of our good coxswains in there”. Everybody needs to cox the 3V at some point, regardless of how good of a coxswain they are. It teaches humility and punches down the ego a bit, which is something that coxswains tend to need every so often.

If you don’t feel like you’re going to have any opportunities to compete for the V8+ or JV8+ and that your time isn’t being well spent while you’re at practice then I would say you have a good reason to talk to your coaches. If you think those reasons are good enough reasons to walk away from the sport, then that’s your choice. I’d think about the next few months, getting ready for college, all that fun stuff, and ask yourself if crew is going to be “good stress” on top of all of that or if it’s going to be something that causes “bad stress”. You don’t have to say anything to the “team” if you don’t want to. If you just want to tell your friends that you don’t feel like crew is working out for you, then do that. I’d save all your actual reasons for your coach(es) and tell them the same thing, although maybe elaborate a little more so that they understand that you have legitimate reasons for quitting and that you’re not just throwing a temper tantrum because you’re not getting the boat you want.

College Coxing Racing Recordings

Coxswain recordings, pt. 15

By readyallrow December 17, 2013

Cal Berkeley 2001 Pac 10 Championships

I tend to think that likening coxswains to jockeys is kind of a lazy (and not totally representative) comparison but this is the first recording I’ve listened to where the visual I have in my head is of the coxswain just whipping his racehorse(s) the whole way down the course to make sure their nose is in front at the end. I know this in your face, brute-ish style of coxing isn’t for everyone but I love it. His style is very crisp, powerful, and determined – you can hear that when he’s talking to the individuals in the boat (which he does frequently) and when he’s making calls for “the Bears”.

Information-wise, you hear him give consistent updates on the time and splits, in addition to the specific time when he’s going to call their next move. I hadn’t heard that before listening to this recording and thought it was an interesting strategy – it’s basically just a different (better?) way of saying “in two”.

The other thing I liked was his tone in the lead-up to their moves. 2:20 is a good example of this. He’s very measured in his tone, the calls are simple, and then at 2:28 you can almost feel the surge in power when he says “NOW!“.

Other calls I liked:

“Quick and light…”

“Sit up tall, breathe deep…”

“Bears are gonna move…”

“5 more, break ’em…”

“Coming into the last 15, this one’s gonna hurt ’em, kill ’em now…“

Ohio State University Women’s 2V8+ and V8+ 2013 NCAA Championships

There’s not a ton of audio to listen to in this video (it contains clips from the 2V8+ and Varsity 8+ races) but one thing I wanted to point out is the clip at 2:41 when she says “Ohio State Buckeyes are out in the lead! We are out … in … the lead.”. It’s a super simple call but the way she says it is confident as fuck. I also like the call at 3:18 – “they’re making moves back, they will get nothing out of us…”.

You can find and listen to more recordings by checking out the “Coxswain Recordings” page.

Coxing High School Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 15, 2013

Our team (high school varsity men) has two captains, me (the coxswain) and “Jim”, one of the fastest heavyweights. Our coach has a full-time job in addition to coaching us so a lot of the responsibility falls on the captains. I know that I was elected mostly based on my organizational abilities and so I expected to assume a lot of the work on that end, but Jim has barely done anything all year. I have to organize every captain’s practice and outside workout, even though I’m just a coxswain and honestly don’t know too much about weightlifting or whatever (Jim told me he would once but backed out at the last minute) and I’m always the one who has to manage everything at regattas, events, etc. The only exceptions are “fun” activities – gingerbread house, laser tag, team t-shirts are the only things he’s managed himself. His attendance is pretty mediocre too, which really undercuts the message our coach and I are trying to promote about good attendance and hard work at every practice.

I’m exhausted trying to juggle it all but I worry that if I don’t do everything myself it simply won’t get done. What could I say to him so that he’ll step up a little and take some of the pressure off? As far as I can tell he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong.

Have you talked to Jim one-on-one at all? If you haven’t, I would do that as soon as you can and just tell him straight up that you guys were both elected as captains but it feels like you’ve been doing a lot of the work that should have been split between the two of you. I wouldn’t outright accuse him of not doing anything though because that’d probably end poorly. Instead just say that if he’s got a lot of stuff going on outside of crew that’s preventing him from helping you organize stuff then that’s totally understandable but he needs to tell you that so that you’re aware that he’s not just blowing you off. See if you can work something out where you equally divide up the things that need to be done so that you both have your own specific responsibilities. Write it down so that there’s no question later on in the season who’s in charge of what. That always works best for me. Also make it a rule/common courtesy that if one of you have to pull out of your commitment that you try and give at least 24-48hrs notice to the other person.

It’s possible that the reason why he’s not doing anything (and why he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong) is because no one’s given him a specific responsibility and/or it’s not something the two of you have discussed. I’ve been in that position before and gotten screwed because I ended up looking lazy or disinterested when in reality I wasn’t aware that I needed to be doing anything. I don’t think people should always be expected to come ask/beg for some responsibilities so I wouldn’t necessarily hold this against him.

Plus, everyone has different strengths. He probably knows that you’re good with the organizational stuff and might think that everything that’s needed to be done so far falls under that category so naturally, you’ll handle it. I’ve done that before too – if there’s something that needs to be done that I don’t think fits with my specific skills set but looks like it might fit someone else’s, I just assume they’ll do it. Sometimes its plays out this way and they do it but other times it doesn’t get done at all because we never communicated about it. If you’re comfortable with the organizational stuff, you can be in charge of (for example) making sure everything is loaded on the trailers, dealing with team paperwork, and basic equipment upkeep. He can be in charge of talking with your coach about the workouts, setting up captain’s practices/outside workouts, and communicating the dates/times to the team, in addition to organizing team activities (which, since he’s been doing, might be something that he enjoys … or it’s easy to do but whatever, as long as it gets done).

It can be frustrating feeling like everything is falling on your shoulders but communication with the other involved parties is usually all it takes to balance the responsibility load. If you do that and still don’t see a change, try talking to your coach while avoiding completely throwing Jim under the bus. If he’s got mediocre attendance and your coach is aware of that, I’d bring that up. That isn’t throwing him under the bus, it’s more so just restating what your coach already knows. I’d even pose the question to Jim if he even wants to be team captain. Like, yea it’s cool to tell college coaches that you were team captain but if you didn’t actually do anything to back up the title, what’s the point? If things don’t seem to change after you talk to him, talk to your coach and say that, for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem like he’s embracing the role and that the things that you should both be doing you end up doing yourself and it’s getting on your nerves. Let your coach take it from there and deal with the situation.

I’d really encourage you to try to find a way to work with Jim though before you do this. Give it a month or so then proceed as necessary. If Jim does step up and start acting like a team captain, make sure you acknowledge it and say “hey man, thanks for all your help the last few weeks”. Little things like that can really motivate someone to continue helping you out. If he feels like he’s stepping up but not getting any recognition for it (whether it’s deserved or not), he might fall back into his previous routine of doing nothing.

I’ve touched on the “team captain” topic a couple times so you might read through some of those posts and see if they might give you some ideas on how to talk/work with Jim and be the best captain you can be for your team.

College Coxing How To Novice Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 11, 2013

Hi. I am a newly converted college coxswain. I have been researching like crazy about how best to motivate my rowers and I was wondering what you thoughts on this are. I have seen several videos and articles (probably some on here even) that say its on a boat-to-boat basis, but would you possibly have any bits of generic advice on how best to motivate my boats?

Interacting with the boats you cox is very similar to how you interact with your different social circles – you follow the same basic principles but you tweak it to fit the individuals you’re with. Once you start rowing with a boat on a regular basis and get to know the rowers better, you can start asking them what they want/need to hear during a piece. My default is to get one general thing from each person, something like a boat-wide or an individual technique issue (aka something easily addressed) and one personal, specific thing. Make sure you’ve got a notebook so you can write down and look back on what they tell you otherwise you’ll never remember.

My generic advice is less about the calls you make and more about you.

Be present, physically (obviously) and mentally. If you’re invested, they will be too. Even if you’re doing drills and are bored out of your mind (which you will be at some point), stay engaged and don’t let your tone convey anything else.

Be honest. If something isn’t going the way it should be, tell them. Don’t gloss over it in lieu of not hurting their feelings. They’re big kids, they’ll survive. If you see them doing something good, point it out. If it’s something that you’ve been working on for awhile and they finally got it, get hyped. Your enthusiasm will translate to them (just like your lack of enthusiasm will too). If something isn’t going right, point it out and tell them what they need to do to fix it while also throwing in a casual compliment on something that they’ve consistently been doing well. (You know the phrase “compliment sandwich”? Similar to that but less cliche.)

Don’t assume that you have to be the sole thing motivating eight individuals. You don’t. I tell every coxswain this but you cannot motivate someone who is not inherently motivated themselves. If they’re not already motivated by something internal to show up everyday and strive to succeed at the highest level, it’s going to be extremely difficult for you to help them out. If someone seems unmotivated to you, that should be your cue to take them aside and say “dude, what’s up” instead of doing the opposite and thinking “Well, if some motivation is good, cheerleader-level of motivation must be great! I’ll do that!”. The more you try to motivate them without finding out why they’re unmotivated in the first place, the more it’s going to backfire in your face. Each crew’s motivation is different so if you’re coxing multiple boats, make sure you’re not coxing your JV8+ the same way you’re coxing your V4+. One crew can find demoralizing what another finds encouraging so it’s important to recognize that motivation in general isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing.

Tone of voice is everything. I alluded to that in the first bullet point but it really is one of the most important aspects of coxing. How you say something is just as important as what you say. Know what tone is appropriate for what you’re doing at the moment and adjust as necessary. Do not be a monotone robot.

Always tell them what’s happening around them. Ideally they’re not looking around trying to figure out where they’re at, where the other crews are, how far they are from the line, etc., so in race or practice-piece situations, they’re relying on you for that information. It might not seem like it’s that motivating to hear their location and stuff but when done properly, it is. If you say “100m down, 1900m to go” you better hope your legs move fast once you get back on land because they will eat. you. alive. Something like “We’re crossing 750m now, this is where we dig in to make our move and take back that seat from FIT. I’ve got bowball on two seat, gimme their bow man…” would be more appropriate. Never underestimate the power of these kind of calls to motivate your crew. They are an essential part of your repertoire.

Other than that, the last generic tip I can offer is to not force anything and don’t try to do everything right away. Learning how to best motivate your crews, even in the general sense, takes a bit of time. Listen to some of the recordings I’ve posted and read what I’ve said about them (click the individual “parts” at the top to see this) too. I typically try to note what I think is motivating, what doesn’t, how it could be done better/differently, etc. so that should help you come up with some calls to try the next time you go out.

Coxing Q&A Rowing Technique

Question of the Day

By readyallrow December 7, 2013

Now that we’re deep into our winter training schedule, we’ve started rowing longer sets of things. My coach doesn’t call them “pieces” or anything but we’ll be rowing and doing drills and then he sends us off and is like “take it all 8 to X-bridge”. I never know how to cox that, it’s ~3k so do I cox it as a long piece or just like technique-y practice type stuff? The other two coxswains I go out with call 10’s and I do sometimes but not as often as they do. Should I ask my coach what he wants?

I would definitely ask your coach for clarification just so you know if there’s something specific that he wants you to work on. By default though I would probably try to focus whatever technical calls I make on whatever we were just working on with the drills. If you want to just row then I’d do something in the 18-24 range, such as half a pyramid (4′ at 18, 3′ at 20, 2′ at 22, and 1′ at 24).

I’d stay away from just calling 10s and stuff because that’s not accomplishing anything. You’ve got 10-15 minutes to work with so use it to your advantage. Don’t waste it just rowing and calling power tens every few minutes to make it seem like you’re doing something.