Did some updating to various parts of the blog this week so have a look around and let me know what you think!

https://play.spotify.com/user/1241641027/playlist/2IpOh6SmE9v79MWgJm3ie8

The IRAs start today so if you want to see what some top-notch collegiate rowing looks like, make sure you check out the live stream over on USRowing’s YouTube channel starting at 8am EST.

https://play.spotify.com/user/1241641027/playlist/2IpOh6SmE9v79MWgJm3ie8

Good luck to everybody racing at Stotesbury tomorrow – hopefully you didn’t get too soggy out in the rain today! Good luck to everyone else racing this weekend too!

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Have a good weekend!

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Today marks the last day of USRowing’s coxswain “appreciation” week. I really want to take this opportunity to again remind you to not make this whole appreciation thing last just for this week. Similarly to how we expect coxswains to respect the rowers, we should also expect rowers to do the exact same for the coxswains.

Related: I consider my crew to be very lucky. We possibly have one of the best coxswains around. She can steer like a BOSS and has the patience and the nature of a saint. However I think we pushed her to her limits at one point and I don’t think I have ever seen her that angry. I often read this blog and I always read tips on what makes a great coxswain, how to deal with your rowers, and things not to do however I would like to hear from a coxie’s point of view is what are the things that rowers do that really sets you off edge and how we can avoid those things. I know coxies are all different (…and I have had some interesting ones at times) but it would really help if you could give some pointers from a coxswain. As rowers our biceps are sometimes bigger than our brains so it would help if you could give us some insight. Thanks…oh, and great blog!

At the most basic level this whole thing goes back to respect. Don’t take each other for granted and recognize, especially as we’re hitting the peak part of the season, that none of what you are accomplishing would be possible without one another.

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For most of us we’re starting to come into the peak part of the season, which means we’re also entering the toughest part of the season. Make sure you’re eating properly throughout the week (not just on race day), getting an adequate amount of sleep, and staying on top of your work. If you’ve gotta travel to get to your regattas, bring some of your homework with you on the bus or in the hotel. It sure beats having to do it on Sunday evening/night when you get home.

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Here’s a fun fact to throw out at the next party you’re at: Dhani Harrsion, son of George Harrison (member of the Beatles) was a coxswain at Brown University in the late 90s. He was also a member of Leander Club and coxed Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent. Cool, right?

A few months ago I found George Harrison’s song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” that was covered at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductions in 2004 by Dhani Harrison, Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, and several other artists. It’s pretty amazing (Prince’s guitar solo at the end is incredible) but I thought it’d be a good song to listen to while stretching out, cooling down, or during some light steady state. The fact that one of the guys performing just happens to have a coxing background is a neat little bonus.

https://play.spotify.com/user/1241641027/playlist/1vbNc8qKEDW7aLXfD99q39

Quick note on emails: if you have a race related question about an upcoming race (anytime during the season), try not to email me about it anytime between Thursday through Saturday because the likelihood that I’m going to see it and have time to write a reply is very, very, very slim. I know questions come up last minute and that’s totally OK but try to put “URGENT” or something somewhere in the subject line so I know it needs to be responded to ASAP.

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Since most college and high school teams start racing this weekend or are already a week into their season, below are some posts that would be good for everyone to review. I would especially recommend checking out the one about how to tie boats down.

What to pack when traveling to a regatta

What happens at a coaches and coxswains meeting

How to strap a boat down

My top 15 spring racing tips

Racing skills: Pre-race prep

Stake boat tips and tricks

Racing skills: 10 regatta tips for coxswains

https://play.spotify.com/user/1241641027/playlist/2xy17ptVyNSghHx6lo1v4c

I’ve been talking with coxswains a lot this week via email about the upcoming spring racing season and have answered several really good questions about how regattas work, things to pay attention to at the coaches and coxswains meetings (everything!), what race warmups should look like, race strategies, etc. and wanted to check with everyone else to see if there was anything I haven’t discussed on here yet that you want me to go over. If you’ve got any ideas or requests, comment down below or send me a message.

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