Category: Q&A

Masters Q&A

Question of the Day

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Hi, OK so I have a strange question. So after many months of my mom always saying how much she wanted to row, she has decided to take a LTR class. She is extremely worried about her lower back hurting while getting in and out of the boat. Do you have any tips to help her maybe try to save her back?

This is actually a pretty common question among adults. They’re not nearly as nimble and spry as we are so squatting down to get in the boat can be a little tricky on the joints. For most adults the issue is their knees or hips, primarily because of arthritis or just the general effects of getting older. Low back concerns surprisingly, at least from what I’ve seen, aren’t as prevalent.

After watching a lot of the adults get in and out when I’ve coached some of the adult learn-to-rows I’ve noticed two ways of doing it. The first is the normal way, just a little bit slower. The second is to sit on the dock parallel to the boat and then just lift your butt onto the seat before swinging your legs in one by one. The adults that are more worried about the boat moving under them, tweaking a muscle, etc. tend to do the second one. The more active-looking adults are keen to do it the normal way simply because it’s part of rowing – that’s how it’s done and if you don’t have any limitations preventing you from doing it that way, that’s how you should do it.

Just like with younger rowers, low backs don’t tend to hurt unless you’re opening up too early, have weak core muscles, and/or you’re disengaging the legs and trying to move the boat with just your upper body strength. Make sure you tell her to really focus on getting the sequencing down properly to avoid any of those issues. As long as she focuses on rowing well right now instead of rowing hard she’ll be fine.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

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I heard that you should just steer whilst the blades are in the water to reduce drag and maintain the set. Does that mean I only move the strings when the blades are in, or do I return them to the straight position during the recovery? The latter doesn’t seem like it would turn the boat much.

During the recovery yes, unless you’re going around a really sharp curve, you would go back to having the rudder straight and the strings even. In my opinion the whole “steering while the blades are in the water” thing only truly applies to when you’re racing, especially during sprint races, because you don’t want to be steering much to begin with and, obviously, you don’t want to slow it down by creating drag from the rudder. During practice it’s not as big of a deal but the same idea still applies.

Related: So my coach (who rowed but was a coxswain for a short bit of time) has been telling me to only steer when the rower’s blades are in the water… I’m kind of confused by this and I’ve never heard of only steering when the blades are in. Any help please? Thank you so much. ?

Like you said, going back and forth between having the rudder turned and having it straight won’t turn the boat as much as just holding it in the direction you want to go, but the “con” of that is that it’ll affect the set of the boat (more or less depending on the skill level of the rowers you’re coxing). You should only hold it to the side like that though if you’re trying to get around a big curve or a sharp turn. In cases like this, just tell your rowers that you’re steering to port/starboard (you should do this regardless), and have them adjust their handle heights as necessary. (Don’t forget to tell the when you’re off the rudder too so they can readjust their hands.)

Related: Hi I’m a novice coxswain (like really novice, my first day of actual coxing was today) and I have a steering question. Should I steer when the rowers are on the drive or on the recovery (blades in or out of the water)? I have looked it up a couple places and found conflicting answers. Today I just steered during both because I figured for my first time it was more important not to hit anything than to have perfect “steering technique”. And I have one more question actually – I found it practically impossible to talk or run drills while steering today. That will get easier as I master steering right? For now do you have any tips for focusing on both talking and steering especially while running drills that involve calling pauses and counting strokes? Thank you so much and I LOVE your blog!

So, to answer your question, when you’re going straight or going around very slight curves, you should make small adjustments as necessary and go back to having the strings straight on the recovery. I usually steer for a stroke, take a stroke or two off, and then make another adjustment if I have to. If you’re going around a larger turn just hold the rudder to the side you’re trying to go and have the rowers adjust their handle heights until you’re finished steering.

College High School Q&A Recruiting

Question of the Day

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How much contact is too much contact for juniors? Are we allowed to pop in and visit quickly whilst touring? Or no personal contact at all?

I would at least email them first to say you’re coming to tour the campus and to see if they’re available, but meeting with them isn’t usually a big deal. It’s considered an unofficial visit but if you’re already going to be on campus it’s definitely worth seeing if you can meet up with them to save yourself an additional trip later on. Plus your parents will most likely be with you so they can ask the coach any questions they have too. I wouldn’t just go straight to their office with no prior warning though because that’s a little … weird, especially if you haven’t had much contact or interaction prior to that. I don’t think the NCAA has a definition of “too much contact”, at least from your end, but you should be able to use your common sense to determine how much is too much.

Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

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All the girls on my team are pretty good about the no crewcest thing, except this one girl, who keeps hooking up with many of the guys on the team and the team is slowly dying as a result. I’ve told her this would happen, but she doesn’t seem to care. The coach can’t really do anything, as its always after practice hours. Also, I feel for her, the team is more of a place to get guys than to actually improve her rowing and get faster. Any advice?

If the team really is being affected by her “extracurricular activities” then the coaches should say something. If she was doing this outside of practice with no effect on the atmosphere at practice then whatever but that doesn’t sound like it’s the case. Granted, if they do know what’s going on then they might not have any idea how to bring it up to her, especially if they’re men and especially if you’re in high school, so I guess I wouldn’t exactly blame them for not addressing it.

As her teammates you definitely have a right to be annoyed at her for playing a part in messing with the team culture but at the same time, you can’t put all the blame on her. Has anyone told the guys on the team to maybe, oh I donno, stop hooking up with her? It’s a two way street so if something is being said to her, something should also be being said to the guys. If they all want to hook up and cause drama and whatever else, by all means go for it but don’t bring all of that to practice. If that’s what you’re going to do then there’s no place on the team for you, plain and simple. Without getting into the dirty details, that’s really all your coaches need to say. I’d have no problem asking someone to leave the team if they disregarded that rule/request. Everyone else is there to make boats go fast and it’s hard to do that and build camaraderie with each other if everyone is constantly acting weird or giving off that awkward “morning after” attitude.

In the end, everyone is going to do what they want to do. The only thing you can ask of them is to stop bringing all the unnecessary drama to practice and be respectful of their teammates who just want to row. Point out to them how their actions are affecting the team and hope that from there they’ll recognize that they either need to stop or keep whatever’s going on amongst themselves and not the business of everyone else on the team.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

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What would you do if you were a lightweight with a coxswain that’s actually heavier than the rowers? I don’t want to be rude about weight or anything but the mentality of it is just hard because we’re not big ourselves so the stationary person shouldn’t be bigger. Or am I just being a bitch?

No, you’re not being a bitch. Other people might think it’s a petty concern but I’m with you. Weight is a touchy subject but everyone has to be realistic and accept the fact that it’s part of the sport and part of being a coxswain or lightweight rower. Coxswains need to be cognizant of their weight, especially when they’re coxing lightweight crews, because it really doesn’t make sense to have someone who isn’t contributing to the boat’s movement weigh more than the people doing the actual work. It just doesn’t. There’s always been this unspoken rule that a coxswain shouldn’t weigh more than their lightest rower and I have to say that I agree with it.

It’s an awkward situation but it’s not really your or your teammates place to say anything. I totally get that she’s part of your boat and as such you’re going to have an opinion on the issue but you guys saying something will either a) cause a huge problem, b) come off as typical bitchy girl shit with some kind of hidden agenda, or c) just not be taken seriously. If you’re a freshman or sophomore, I wouldn’t worry about it too much because you’re just getting started with rowing so stuff like this isn’t as big a deal at that level but if you’re a junior, senior, or in college, it might be worth bringing up if you truly do think it’s an issue. If you all weigh 115lbs and she weighs 117lbs, yea she weighs more than you but not by anything incredibly substantial that it’s worth potentially igniting something over. If you all weigh 127lbs and she weighs 133lbs then yea, I can see why it’s an issue because that’s 23lbs over the minimum and about 15lbs (ish) over a reasonable “max” for a women’s coxswain.

The real problem is how to bring it up and who to bring it up to. To be honest, if I was coaching a crew that had an issue like this (or felt that it was an issue) I’d rather just have you come to me and say something rather than say something directly to the other person and then leave me to piece together the details and deal with the fallout. You kind of have to judge what your coach’s reaction would be before you do it though because, depending on their coaching style, your relationship with them, your coxswain’s relationship with them, etc., it could end up making you look … not good. Unless you are really good friends with your coxswain (and even then, a little bit…), I’d caution bringing the issue up with her yourself for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

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How do you deal with a coach who is egotistical and flat out rude sometimes? And it’s not even just that, he compares me to the older coxswains and it just makes me so frustrated. Even if I do every little thing right, he’s always being a jerk and honestly I don’t even want to do the sport if I’m going to be treated this way for the next few years.

I had a coach like this in high school – my senior year, of all years – and I felt the same way. He treated me and my boat like shit and eventually we had a pretty verbally aggressive shouting match after practice one day before eventually apologizing and agreeing to a mutually beneficial truce. I screwed up in that situation by letting the problem become bigger than it needed to – I should have said something from the beginning and not waited to the point where I was thoroughly enraged to finally speak up. Have you tried bringing the issue up to your coach that you’re feeling disrespected by him? I know it’s not exactly a comfortable or easy conversation to have but if you’re really on the verge of quitting, it might be worth doing to see if he at least makes an effort to change his attitude. I wouldn’t necessarily go the route I did and call him an asshole to his face though, no matter how much he deserves it. If going straight to your coach seems a little too intimidating at first, try talking to your assistant coach. Explain the situation to them, get their insight, and see if maybe they could bring the subject up to your coach or at the very least, be there when you bring it up.

Related: In the past, I’ve had a lot of trouble with my coach thinking I’m talking back to her which ended up bumping me down a boat (I’m a coxswain). Last week she told me to have the rowers pause at arms and body and didn’t tell me how often so I just had them pause every 3 which is typically how often we pause and then she yelled at me that I wasn’t listening and that she told me to pause every 5 … what do I do? If I tell her she didn’t say it then she’ll think I’m talking back again.

Basically, there are two kinds of assholes – the first kind are the people who know they’re assholes, embrace it, and won’t change for anyone and then there’s the second kind who don’t realize they’re coming off as assholes until they’re called out on it. Let’s assume he’s the first one and brushes off everything you say, turns it around and puts the blame on you, pulls the whole “I’m the coach, I’m in charge, etc.” BS, and then treats you even worse afterwards. No matter how much you love coxing, at some point you’ve gotta decide if dealing with a coach who makes you feel like that is worth it. Are you really going to enjoy being at practice with someone who irritates you so much? Probably not, sooo … why are you there?

Now let’s assume he’s the other kind of asshole who doesn’t realize he’s coming off the way he is. Maybe he’s a young coach or new to this whole coaching thing and thinks that the “look at me, I’m such a badass” thing makes him look authoritative and in control. I would again try to bring the subject up with him and talk things out. Point out specific instances where his behavior has bothered you and why comparing you to the other coxswains the way he is might not be the most effective way to provide you with feedback (assuming that that’s what he’s trying to do). Giving him the benefit of the doubt here, hopefully he’ll listen to what you’re saying and make an effort to do things differently in the future. Don’t expect things to be drastically different immediately but at least show appreciation for the acknowledgment and the effort. As I’ve said a million times before though, he can’t do anything different if he doesn’t know there’s a problem to begin with.

Make sure to take a step back and look at things from his perspective too. Is it possible he always comes off as being pissed because he’s stressed or overwhelmed by something that’s happened/happening at practice? Trust me, I’m not making excuses for him or anything but think about your team, how you act, how your teammates act, etc. and see if you can pinpoint anything that might cause him to act like he does. Is there anything you could do differently or something you could offer to help him out with that might make the situation a little better?

It’s entirely possible that he’s just an asshole and a really shitty coach. I’m definitely not ruling that out but until you’ve made an effort to talk to him and get his side of the issue, don’t do anything drastic. If all else fails but you still want to be on the team, have your parents talk to him. (I’m assuming you’re in high school, which is why I’m suggesting this.) Get over the whole “I don’t want my parents involved, I’m not a kid, blah blah blah…” and bring the issue up with them. At the very least they’ll probably be pissed that they’re spending money on a very expensive, time consuming sport that you’re not getting much out of because your coach’s attitude is making you want to quit. That alone will probably make them want to say something. Plus, it can actually help to have them bring the subject up with your coach because most parents have a knack for tactfulness that teenagers tend to lack. They can usually get across the whole “my kid is unhappy, is considering quitting, this is something they really enjoy, what can be done” spiel in a way that the coach can actually understand (whereas with the kids it can sometimes come off as whiny). Plus, an unwritten part of the job is making sure everyone involved, including the parents, are happy. If that isn’t happening, sooner or later their job will be on the line.

In the end though, it’s your decision. If you genuinely feel like he is set in his ways, won’t make an effort to change, and that you’re not going to enjoy crew because of it, the best choice may very well be to walk away from it. It’s obviously not the optimal choice but it might be the right one.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

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Today I was coxing and I crashed a boat because we were coming in and there are rocks on the bank of the river and I thought we had gone out enough but we hadn’t and crashed into a rock and bent the fin. I feel so bad and I’ve never been responsible for gear breakage before and I apologized 20 million times and the coach said it’s ok but he still looked disappointed and I feel horrible. Sorry, I had to vent somewhere.

If it was your first time being responsible for some kind of equipment breakage, it probably wasn’t that big of a deal, especially if it was an accident (even more so if it was unavoidable). Your coach might have looked disappointed but he was probably just thinking that fixing the boat is something extra he’s got to do on top of his other responsibilities. Make it up to him by offering to help replace the fin or by asking to watch so you can see how to do it in the future.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

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Did you fall in love with coxing or the sport itself?

Good question. The sport itself was the first thing I fell in love with and the first thing I fell out of love with. I’ve always loved being a coxswain though. To me, coxing and crew are two separate things so how I feel about one tends to not affect the other.

My affection for the sport ebbs and flows depending on what’s going on but it really never noticeably changes with coxing. In college I hated crew because I just got so burned out on it. For a long time there was nothing about rowing that I missed. Not coxing though, that felt like part of me was missing or something. It’s hard to explain…

College Q&A Recruiting

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Hey there, so I know you get so many recruiting questions and you’re probably sick of them, but do you know how much college coaches look internationally to recruit? I live in New Zealand and it’s my dream to row for a US college, but how do I go about making myself known to them? Do they travel to our nationals (Maadi Cup etc) or is it my job to get my name out there? Thank you so much!!

College coaches definitely look internationally when recruiting. I’m fairly sure a large number of Ohio State’s team this year (that won the NCAA D1 championship) were international recruits, as were most of Harvard’s eights. The only person in their 1V that was from the USA was the coxswain who was from just outside Boston. So yes, if you’re a good rower with good grades, good erg scores, good race results, etc. coaches will look at you regardless of where you’re from.

I don’t know that much about international recruiting but to be honest, I don’t think you would go about the process any differently than someone from the States. You have the same amount of responsibility when it comes to getting your name out there as athletes here do. Contact the coaches of the schools you’re interested in, fill out the recruiting forms on the team’s page on the athletic department’s website, make a beRecruited page (or something similar) where you can post your stats and race results, and make sure your grades are  in order (the most important thing!).

Related: Letters of recommendation

I have to imagine that the assistant coach in charge of recruiting would travel to some of the larger regattas to see potential recruits but because of the time, cost, etc. my assumption is that they would only go if they really wanted you. If you live far away – like on the other side of the world, for example – one way you can help the coaches out is by having your coach take video of you (good video) during drills, pieces, steady state, etc. and emailing that to them after you’ve talked to them, indicated your interest, etc. Having letters of recommendation from your coach are also probably something you could/should consider doing.

College Coxing Q&A Recruiting

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I’m being heavily recruited to a few top tier men’s rowing programs (UW, Cal, Princeton) to cox. I’m obviously really incredibly thrilled but I’m also so nervous and afraid that I’m really not good enough to do well on that level. Do you have any suggestions for boosting self confidence when it comes to the whole recruiting process? I know they’re recruiting me for a reason, but I just don’t know if I’m that good.

UW? Cal? Princeton? You’re good. Those programs don’t mess around and like you said, they’re recruiting you for a reason. What I’ve learned over the years though is that there’s really just no point in thinking you aren’t good when you have people around you telling you that you are. They wouldn’t be saying it if they didn’t believe it and if you weren’t giving them some reason to think it.

I’m reading “Boys in the Boat” (highly recommend) and there was something I read the other day that describes coxswains much more eloquently and soulfully than I ever could.

“From the moment the shell is launched, the coxswain is the captain of the boat. He or she must exert control, both physical and psychological, over everything that goes on in the shell. Good coxes know their oarsmen inside and out – their individual strengths and vulnerabilities – and they know how to get the most out of each man at any given moment. They have the force of character to inspire exhausted rowers to dig deeper and try harder, even when all seems lost. They have an encyclopedic understanding of their opponents, how they like to race, when they are likely to start sprinting, when they like to lie in wait, etc.

Before a regatta, the cox receives a race plan from the coach and he or she is responsible for carrying it out faithfully. But in a situation as fluid and dynamic as a crew race, circumstances often change abruptly and race plans must be thrown overboard. The cox is the only person in the shell who is facing forward and can see how the field is shaping up throughout a race, and he or she must be prepared o react quickly to unforeseen developments. When a race plan is failing to yield results, it is up to the cox to come up with a new one, often in a split second, and to communicate it quickly and forcefully to the crew. Often this involves a lot of shouting and emotion.

In short, a good coxswain is a quarterback, a cheerleader, and a coach all in one. He or she is a deep thinker, canny like a fox, inspirational, and in many cases the toughest person in the boat.”

You would not be being recruited by some of the top programs in the country if you didn’t do and embody every single thing in that paragraph. You just wouldn’t so stop doubting yourself. You’re not jumping straight from high school into the varsity eight. You’re not expected to be that level of amazing yet. You have plenty of time to soak up as much information as you can, learn from every practice, race, and experience you have, and get to that level. Right now you’re at the level that they want for their freshmen program and given the schools you listed, you know their standards are pretty high. They wouldn’t be pursuing you if they didn’t think you met and have the potential to surpass those standards.

You have to believe that you’ve got some talent otherwise why would you have applied to those schools, academics aside? Whenever you’re starting something new there’s always going to be those seeds of doubt that pop up and make you question everything but the key is knowing how to shut them down immediately by reminding yourself of all the positive attributes you have that have gotten you this far and will continue to take you places in the future. You’ve got them, it’s just about reminding yourself of what they are. Stop questioning yourself and start believing in yourself.