Category: Coxing

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 17, 2013

I’m debating with myself whether or not to quit coxing (at the end of the year of course, I would never quit midseason) and I was wondering if you could listen to my reasons and offer some advice?

1. Although I get incredible highs from coxing, I also get fucking awful lows. The lows aren’t beaten by the highs, I actually go into depression. I get really negative and self loathing.

2. It’s making me paranoid. I’m constantly paranoid about everything, other coxswains, coaches opinions, rowers opinions, and its driving me crazy.

3. Pressure. I feel this incredible pressure from everybody, everybody expects me to be this amazing cox but in reality I’m not, every time there’s a race I feel like I’m disappointing everybody, and however hard I’m trying to become better I feel like it’s not coming through.

4. Weight. I’m naturally about 92 lbs (or was last year) and everyone knows (coaches, rowers). Its become a source of teasing. Summer races are coming up, so I will need to weigh in. I’m paranoid that I’m going to be over and as a result of this I’m starting to cut down on how much I eat. My friends already say that I don’t eat enough but I’m just so worried I’ll be over.

I enjoy coxing, I enjoy winning (we rarely do though), I enjoy the training, I like the people, I like the coaches, I like the jokes. I’m just concerned about how this is affecting me psychologically, and making me this paranoid, negative person. Thank you.

When you’re involved in something, whether it be sports, a relationship, etc. and you start thinking all of that, it’s time to take a break. Not necessarily quitting but taking a pre-determined amount of time off to clear your head and look at things more rationally. Not that you’re being irrational right now, but when you’re consumed by something 24/7 you don’t look at it the same way as you do when your head is clear.

To address each of your reasons…

1. I’ve been in this position, so trust me, I get what you’re saying. I’ve definitely engaged in a little self-loathing behavior, especially if I get off the water knowing our practice didn’t got as well as it should have or that I could/should have done better. I try to never let myself get too low though because the last time I got to that point I completely walked away from rowing with no intent on ever returning. If you’re getting to the point where you’re actually experiencing depression-like symptoms, that’s not healthy and would definitely warrant taking some time away.

2. I think it’s OK to be a little paranoid but in the “aware of everything going on around you” sense, not the “conspiracy theory” sense, if that … makes sense. The opinions of the rowers and coaches are really important to me but I’ve definitely put more weight on them than they’re actually worth sometimes. The thing to keep in mind though is that you think about other people’s opinions of you way more often than they’re actually thinking about you. It’s good to care what they think but don’t dwell on it or try to find some hidden meaning in everything they say. Like you said, it starts to drive you crazy after awhile. If someone tells you good job, 99% of the time, they mean it. If someone asks you to do something differently, it doesn’t mean they hate you, think you suck, want you out of the boat, etc. They’re trying to think of ways to help the boat and obviously, as the coxswain, you are the catalyst for change, which is why they’re coming to you.

3. Most of the time, the pressure is a good thing. If you’re not feeling any pressure (the good kind) then where’s your motivation to get better? Unless people are pissed with you after a race, you made common sense mistakes that you know better than to make, etc. there’s no (or little) reason to feel like people are disappointed with you. People say “oh, don’t let the pressure get to you” but they tend to forget that the pressure we put on ourselves is way higher than most outside pressures. Sometimes though you do have to get away from everything so you can clear your head and alleviate not only the outside pressure but the pressure you’re putting on yourself too.

4. I hate when people tease you for your weight, regardless of whether you’re under, over, or at a normal weight. I weigh 95lbs and people make comments about it all. the. time. You don’t have to make negative comments about someone’s weight either for it to irritate them and most people don’t get that. You’re 18lbs under the minimum right now – being over it is not the end of the world. I’d venture a guess that about 85% of coxswains are over the minimum. For most people, it’s not realistic to weigh 110lbs – it’s definitely not realistic for me so I tend to not think about it. If you want to be the best coxswain for your boat, you have to take care of yourself. Don’t be that hypocritical coxswain who walks around preaching how the rowers need to do this and do that to be healthy yet look like a skeleton yourself.

If you have a good time and you enjoy the people you’re with, don’t let anything damper that. Based on #1 alone I’d say you definitely have cause for taking a break so if not rowing this summer is an option, I’d consider it. The summer is your time. For three months out of the year you aren’t in school, you aren’t obligated to any extracurricular activities, and you can do whatever you want. Don’t let your coaches or teammates guilt trip you into coxing this summer if you decide you want/need to take a break. If I was your coach, I’d tell you to take the time off and then come talk to me in August because – and don’t be offended by this – I don’t want someone coxing my boat who isn’t excited to be there, and right now you don’t sound excited about it.

Take the summer to clear your head completely before revisiting the idea of quitting. If you make the decision now it’ll be based more on all the feelings you’re currently experiencing instead of logical and rational thought, if that makes sense. The best comparison I can think of is when you break up with someone – the break ups that happen mid-argument always tend to be regretted in one way or another down the road vs. the ones that end after a mutual discussion and agreement. Sometime before school starts, look back on the spring and how you felt vs. how you feel now after having a break. You’ll either realize that you still feel the same way about coxing and maybe it’s best that you not do it anymore or you’ll feel rejuvenated and excited to get back on the water. Either way, the decision is completely yours and there is on right or wrong answer. Whatever you think is best for you is what you should do.

Coxing Novice Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 17, 2013

Do you think it’s wrong to sometimes correct a novice cox while being a novice rower myself? I don’t usually do it but in situations where we’re almost hitting something and she’s making the wrong call I sometimes can’t help myself. I definitely don’t want to undermine her but I also don’t want us to hit the bank for example. She doesn’t seem to get pissed off about it and sometimes even thanks me. But should I just shut up and let us hit things anyway?

Let’s say you and a friend had just gotten your driver’s licenses and you were in the car with your friend when he starts driving erratically, swerving side to side, and at one point nearly side swipes a parked car. You know he’s not being safe, but do you just carry on your normal conversation or do you, at some point, say “slow down”, “stop”, or “watch out”? Your natural reaction is to say “stop”. If something were to happen, you’d be involved too and at some point someone will ask you “well, if you saw he was about to hit something, why didn’t you tell him to watch out?”. If your safety was in question, would you just shut up and let him hit a guardrail, a tree, a person, etc. simply because you’d both only had your licenses for a short period of time?

You can probably answer your own question so I’ll just leave it at that but I get why you’re asking though. There’s definitely people out there that believe people on the same “level” as them shouldn’t be offering up suggestions or corrections, which to an extent I agree with and understand, but this is not one of those situations. There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it though, and that’s what makes the difference. If you were rude, pompous, etc. about it or tried to act as though you weren’t a novice too, that’s one thing. If you were polite, normal, and making a general suggestion for safety, like you are, or said something like “When we did the pick drill earlier, I think you forgot to do arms and bodies after arms only…”, there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem comes in when you start flat out telling them how drills should be called, how to steer, etc. That’s not OK unless you’re a coxswain too. I know this pisses rowers off because it tends to come back to “if they can tell me how to row, why can’t I tell them how to cox?” but the difference is that their job is to tell you how to row (in the general sense) whereas your job is to just row.

Your coxswain doesn’t seem to be bothered by what you’re saying, which is good. Since she’s a novice too, it’s possible that she might not see when she’s about to run into something which is probably why she’s thanking you. (Granted, the shore is kind of obvious, but regardless…) To an extent you’ve got to give her the benefit of the doubt because it is a little disorienting when you first start coxing and have to steer a 60ft. long boat when you aren’t able to ever see what’s directly in front of you. If you see you’re about to hit something or are getting close to the shore, another boat, etc., there’s nothing wrong with yelling out “Hey, there’s a log off starboard” or “Katie, we’re getting close to shore”. Don’t be annoying about it – yell it out once, make sure she heard you, and be done with it.

At some point though – and it’s questionable for everyone when the right time to do this is – you’ve got to be quiet and let them deal with shit on their own. The other issue I have with rowers telling coxswains stuff like this is that coxswains start to rely on it too much and when they hit something and no one says anything prior to it happening the coxswain will say “Why didn’t anyone say anything?? Coach, nobody told me I was about to hit anything!” to which my response will be “It’s not their responsibility to tell you how to steer, where to go, etc.”.

Going back to your friend and the car analogy, the minor swerves, too shallow/wide turns, etc. all come with the territory of being a new driver. Eventually they’ll get the hang of it and things will go a lot smoother. Until then, unless you’re that person (and seriously, don’t be that person) who freaks out and says “HOLYSHITOMGWE’REGONNADIE” every time they make a tiny move of the wheel, you can most likely be quiet for the majority of your drive. When there’s the potential for a collision to occur or the safety of the driver is in question, that is when should speak up. You’ve got to judge each situation appropriately and know when those times are.

Coxing Novice Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 17, 2013

What’s an example of novice coxes saying unnecessary things that aren’t helpful to the boat? The only thing I can think of is repeatedly “you got this, you got this come on!”

Basically anything that doesn’t tell them the strategy, their location, their position relative to other boats, what their rowing looks like, etc., it’s more than likely not helpful. If you listen to the recordings I’ve posted you’ll get an idea of what’s helpful and what isn’t. Sometimes it’s not even what they’re saying either, it’s how they’re saying it. Projecting an assertive, confident tone goes a long way in making sure your calls are effective and helpful to the crew.

Some super basic examples include stuff like “Come on guys, we’re almost there!”, “let it run” instead of “weigh enough” (they’re not interchangeable!), “I know it hurts!”, “Pull harder!”, and counting out (in a monotonous tone of voice) every stroke of a power 20 in sequence (15, 16, 17, etc.).

The easy way to avoid saying unnecessary stuff, besides becoming more knowledgable about the stroke and sport, is to just talk to your crew. What they find helpful or unhelpful may be different than what you perceive to be helpful or unhelpful so it’s good to get feedback from them when you try out new calls.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 16, 2013

At 5’5″ and 115lbs I’m a coxswain and I love it! I feel so much bigger than the other coxes and the same size as the lightweight girls. My coach wants me to row again but I really love coxing, what should I do?

If your coach is asking you to row because your team doesn’t have enough to people to fill the boat I’d probably consider it, especially if you have the experience to fill in. I wouldn’t let being the same size as the lightweights make you think that you have to switch though. It helps if you do decide to switch back to rowing but you’re definitely not too big to be a coxswain by any means.

Coxing Novice Q&A Racing

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 15, 2013

Can you explain the hand raising process at the start? Like you raise hand while getting point and keep it up till you’re done? If you’re on the line, how do you fix your point so you don’t cross the line and have to back? I heard of scull/row…(???) There’s no stake boats, just a regular start. What’s the stake’s purpose?

Raising your hand indicates that you aren’t ready to go yet and are still getting your point. If your hand is down, the officials assume you’re all set so best practice is to have your hand and your bowman’s hand up for the duration of the time that you’re getting your point (which you should do as quickly as possible).

The rules have changed slightly (at official USRowing events, maybe not at smaller regattas) where they won’t recognize hands during the starting countdown, only before. Whereas before you could still have your hand up and be getting your point when the officials were counting down or polling the crews, now you have to be done before they start that. So, back to your question, yes … hand up while getting your point, don’t put it down until you’re done but keep in mind it won’t be recognized once the countdown or polling starts.

The officials/coaches who are lining you up will start the crews maybe a boat length away from the start line to account for the current, wind, etc. as you get your points. Sometimes you’ll naturally drift across and they’ll have to bring the other boats up but they’ll rarely have you back it down during a floating start. (If they do have you do that, they’re just making it harder for everyone.) It messes up your point too much and then you’ve got to re-align yourself and it just takes too much time. Floating start races tend to end up being slightly shorter than 1500m (or 2000m) simply because there’s no way to ensure you aren’t moving with the wind and/or current.

Sculling it around is when you have 2 take bow’s oar or 3 take 2’s oar and have them take shorter strokes to straighten out the boat. It’s very simple to do but I wouldn’t break it out for the first time at the starting line if you can avoid it. That’s not the best place to try to explain how to do something new to your boat, particularly if you’re coxing novices or less experienced crews.

The reason you scull it around is because the strokes are short and choppy and the boat moves a very small amount to the side with each stroke, whereas if you used bow or 2 to get your point like you do in most regular situations, not only would it pull you forward but you run the risk of overshooting your point and then having to spend more timing correcting it.

The purpose of the stake boat is to make sure everyone is starting perfectly aligned. You don’t have to worry about the wind and/or current pulling you forward because you’re locked on to a fixed object (that being a small overhang off of a larger dock or platform that has someone laying on it to hold your stern).

Related: Racing skills: Pre-race prep

With floating starts, it’s never exact – no one is ever perfectly aligned and the race is hardly ever the distance it’s supposed to be. It’s a longer process overall because you’ve got to keep moving people forward, adjusting points, etc. whereas with stake boats, the official just has to say “Lane 3, out one foot. Lane 4, back 6 inches, Lane 5, out three inches.” and boom, it’s done and you’re aligned.

Coxing Q&A Racing Rowing Technique

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 14, 2013

When during a 2k race should you make a call for ratio? What characteristics/flaws should tip you off that ratio is the necessary adjustment?

Ratio calls aren’t necessarily something that should be part of your race plan. Like, the way you say “we’re taking a 10 at the 500m, 1000m, and 1250m”, you don’t say “we’re taking a ratio shift at 800m”, if that makes sense. The times when I’ve called a ratio shift during a race are usually somewhere between 750m and 1250m. That’s an easy spot for the rowers to get frantic, especially if they’re being passed, or let the effects of fatigue cause their technique to get sloppy. The third 500 is another spot to watch for this and make that call if necessary.

Ratio shifts are just that – they’re shifts to adjust the ratio back to what it should be (2:1) so you shouldn’t call for one unless you have to. This is why communication with your stroke is important because they can feel when the ratio is off since they’ll be getting thrown up their slide. Sometimes you can see it and/or feel it (it’ll feel very obviously like you’re spinning your wheels) but for the coxswain to feel it it’s got to be bad. My stroke and I have a one-word communication system too for when we need to get it back on track – she says “ratio” and I make the call. Simple as that.

For more on ratio, check out the “ratio” tag.

Coxing Novice Q&A Racing

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 13, 2013

So I was watching ejector crab videos for a fun and I was wondering if someone falls out of the boat during a race should I stop or just keep going and leave them behind? I’m a novice coxswain. Thanks!

When I raced we were always told to continue racing and the launches that follow the boats would pick up the unfortunate crab catcher. Technically, I think the only person who MUST be in the boat as you cross the finish line is the coxswain. The rules though will probably vary depending on the regatta so if you’re not sure, ask at the coaches and coxswain’s meeting.

I remember hearing this story – and I tried Googling it but couldn’t find anything so who knows if it’s actually true – that said the reason why coxswains are the only member of the boat required to still be in the boat as you cross the finish line is because when coxswains first started being used, the rowers (in England, I believe) were pissed that they had to row with the dead weight so when the race started, they told the coxswain to jump out of the boat. They then rowed the entire race without their coxswain.

Coxing Rowing

What to wear: High visibility gear

By readyallrow March 13, 2013

Previously: What to wear: Coxswains (women) || What to wear: Coxswains (men) || What to wear: Rowers || Sunglasses

There was a day back in late October when my eight went out at 5:15am and it took our coach 20 minutes to find us because he couldn’t see us in the dark. I had a black coat and rain pants on, our boat is a black Resolute, and the batteries on the bow/stern lights were fading so the lights were pretty dim, which made us practically invisible to him.

Although ultimately it wasn’t a huge deal it’s still a safety risk to be on the water and not visible to other people. I have a high-vis running jacket that I started wearing over pullover or normal jacket and our bow-seat had a clip-on LED light that she’d put on the back of her hat, which was also high-vis. A lot of the scullers I see will also put LED lights on the back of their hats, along with wearing a runner’s vest or putting a strip of reflective tape on the back of their jackets.

#1 rule of coxing – better safe than sorry! Take precautions when you’re out on the water, even if it’s light when you go out or when you come in. If it’s going to be dark or the weather indicates that it’ll be foggy at any point during practice, make sure you have lights on your boat and are wearing something that will increase your visibility to other rowers, coxswains, and coaches who are out at the same time as you.

Image via // @sarahendershot

Coxing Novice Q&A Racing

Question of the Day

By readyallrow March 12, 2013

Do you have any inspirational thoughts/advice for novice cox’s first spring race?

As far as inspirational thoughts go, check out the “motivation” tag, as well as the “quotes” tag. There’s bound to be something in there that strikes you.

Advice-wise…

Know the rules.

Have a plan (or two or three) and go over it with your boat.

Accept the fact that things rarely go as planned. Stay calm and be flexible.

Have a good attitude, regardless of the outcome.

Breathe at the starting line.

Don’t dwell on anything that goes wrong.

Record yourself.

Be a little nervous but never panicked.

Tell the other teams at the finish line “good race” even if you lose and especially if you win.

Steer straight.

Don’t tell your rowers to “pull harder”.

Embrace everything but when it’s time to race, put your game face and be prepared to go do work. As long as you’re doing your job, there won’t be any time to be nervous about what’s going on.

Coxing Rowing

An Introduction to Rigging: The tools

By readyallrow March 12, 2013

Previously: Intro to rigging, spread, and span || Oar length, inboard, and blade profile || Pitch || Rigger height and work through || Rigging and de-rigging a boat

The final post in this rigging series is going to go over a few of the tools you need to rig your boat. There aren’t many and in all likelihood, you’ve already got most or all of these hanging around your boathouse somewhere.

Pitch meter

Used to measure pitch, hence the name. The one I have posted here is a manual one from Empacher (Vespoli also sells them) but you can also use your phone if you don’t want to do it manually and haven’t got a digital one on hand. You can check out how to do that in this post from Row2k.

Tape measure

Used for measuring everything else; spread, span, height, etc. Easily found at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or the junk drawer in your kitchen.

7/16″ or 10mm wrench

Every coxswain should have one or more 7/16 or 10mm wrenches, depending on what brand of boat you have. You can also get a coxswain multi-tool which has a few different wrenches built into one. The one above is from JL but Vespoli also sells them. I have two of the Vespoli tools and like them but if given the option I’ll always go with the normal wrenches just because I find them easier to use, particularly when trying to loosen bolts that have been tightened too much. The smaller Vespoli wrenches don’t provide as much leverage so in those cases they can be a little difficult to handle.

The only one of these that you definitely need to own is a wrench – your coach will already have the pitch meter and tape measure in their toolboxes.

Image via // @sarahendershot

Pitch meter

Tape measure

7/16″ or 10mm wrench

Image via // @buchancameron