The winter training season is a great time for coxswains to dive into educating themselves, developing their skills, and strategizing for the spring season but what typically ends up happening is one of two scenarios. Regardless of which one it is, they almost always show up to practice bitter because they know that they’re about to do either nothing or something very unpleasant for the next two hours when instead they could be studying or doing a million other productive things that don’t involve “glorified people-watching”, as one coxswain put it.
Scenario one
…involves them wandering around or sitting on an unused piece of equipment with their iPhone stopwatch open (and several other apps open in the background) and calling out switches on the machines or transitions on the erg every 30-60 seconds. After ~60-75 minutes their eyes are glazed over and their voices have reached that monotonous robotic stage that says to everyone around them “I don’t want to be here”. When the coach calls everyone into a sweaty and smelly huddle at the end of practice to congratulate them on a killer workout, you and the other coxswains hang back (arms folded or pretending to “put stuff away”) because you can’t hold your breath for that long and you value your nasal passages too much to put them through that kind of torture. Also, there’s not enough antibacterial gel in the world to convince you to come close to touching a bunch of sweaty rowers. Once you’ve been dismissed you’re the first ones out the door, complaining all the way to your cars that you can’t believe you have to show up when you’re literally not doing anything knowing full well that this is what things are going to be like for, at minimum, three more months.
Scenario two
…involves showing up and erging (“just hold whatever pace you can manage”) or lifting (“lift what you can”) with the team, which results in some coxswains feeling ridiculous, intimidated, or both. In one case, a collegiate (male) coxswain emailed me earlier this year after he injured himself (back and shoulder) trying to lift more than he was capable of (despite being fit and in good shape) because he felt pressured to match up to what his teammates were doing.
In addition to what I said in the post linked below, below are some options of things that you can do over the next few months to put you in the best possible position come springtime.
Related: How to survive winter training: Coxswains
Working out
I’ve talked about this in the past and stand by what I’ve said before: I’m not against working out as a coxswain and I do think it should be a part of your own winter training program however I don’t necessarily think coxswains should be doing the exact same workouts as the rowers. Body weight circuits? Definitely! Lifts? Nah. Ergs? For the purpose of this conversation, no. I’ve been talking about this with some of the coxswains here over the last couple weeks and they brought up some points that I hadn’t thought of before but do actually agree with. Here’s an excerpt from an email I wrote that pretty much says what I think:
“No one is against working out but they’re all pretty against working out with and lifting at the same time as the guys. I think they brought up some good points too, the gist of them being that they think it’s too much of a hassle for the guys (who need to be using the equipment) to work around people who don’t need to be using it. The squat racks would constantly need to be lowered so they could use them properly and regardless of what they’re squatting, it seems unlikely that they could adequately spot each other anyways, which is a pretty big safety issue. We all agreed that the guys probably know that they physically can’t do the same workouts they’re doing and some of the coxswains felt it would come off as mocking them or not taking things seriously if they’re lifting 10lbs while the guys are lifting 100lbs. A couple of them mentioned back and/or joint problems that they have that they also don’t want to risk exacerbating over something that ultimately isn’t going to help their coxing.
I talked to them about doing core, running, or riding the bikes while you guys lift and everyone seemed on board with that. (One of the coxswains) said that she’s already meeting with (our strength coach) a couple times a week and doesn’t want to over do it by doing more of the same so she (and three of the other coxswains) all said they’d be up for running if that was an option. (One of the other coxswains) said that when they went running on Tuesday they ran to the vet school, did some core, then ran back. (One of the freshman coxswains) can’t run because of her hip and I think her knee(s) as well but said that she’d do core while (one of the other injured coxswains) could ride the bike with us if there was one available. It seems silly to make (the injured coxswains) do something where they could injure themselves more and then potentially be out of the boat in Florida.
My point is that everyone is willing to do something while the guys are lifting but no one is comfortable doing the actual lift routines. Having a strong core is actually pretty important for coxswains for a lot of reasons so if you wanted everyone doing the same thing instead of being spread out doing multiple different things, doing core would be a valuable use of their time. It helps them feel the boat better because they’re better able to stabilize themselves in the seat and it also helps them project their voice better which ultimately decreases the likelihood of them messing up or losing their voices.”
I’ve gotten messages and emails in the past from coxswains (girls and guys) who aren’t comfortable doing the workouts the rowers do but feel like they have no choice but to do them. Are there going to be coaches who insist you do the same workouts as the rowers regardless of whether or not you like it? Yea, but that’s not always a bad thing. You’re not always going to like everything you have to do and sometimes you really are going to have to just HTFU and do it. (There are many times on here where I struggle to say something more helpful than “just suck it up” and this is partially one of those times.)
Related: My coach makes coxswains do winter workouts and 2k’s with rowers. Do you think that’s fair? We don’t get a break with the workout, at all. We have to do the same exact thing as rowers.
As someone else said, the rowers “really appreciate seeing coxswains at least participating in winter training even if it’s not at the same level. It gives a sense of solidarity in the team”. This is usually what the coaches are going for, which I’m totally on board with, but they do sometimes tend to overlook what each individual is capable of in favor of establishing a sense of unity in the team. I can understand that so I’ll cut them some slack on that one. If there’s part of the workout you’re not comfortable doing or physically cannot do for whatever reason though you have to speak up. Talk to your coach in private and present an alternative solution. Don’t just say “I can’t do bench presses because the bar alone is half my body weight” because that can come off as an excuse instead of a reason (or safety issue, which it can also be). Instead, say something like “I think I’d benefit more from doing a core workout or body circuit because (insert reasons WHY it would benefit you as a coxswain here), would it be OK if I did that while the guys did their lift, power hour on the erg, etc.?”. If you show that you’re taking this seriously and are still willing to workout during practice alongside the rowers, your coaches are more likely to accommodate your request.
I could talk about this all day but to reiterate, I’m not against coxswains working out throughout the winter. I just think that if they’re going to be working out they should be doing something that will benefit them the same way lifting benefits the rowers. Like I said before, having a strong core helps you feel the boat better (especially beneficial if you’re coxing a four) because you’re better able to stabilize and brace yourself against the hull.
It also comes in handy if you’re working with a boat that isn’t technically sound yet because you’re better able to resist the effects of the checking of the boat, whereas if you’re lacking those core muscles you’ll end up flopping all over the place and can end up hurting your back or ribs, both of which have happened to coxswains I know. The other benefit I mentioned is being able to project your voice better, which is also something I’ve talked about before.
Listening to recordings & watching video
This is the default activity for many coxswains throughout the winter. This tends to be a solitary activity but if possible, I’d ask your coach if you and the other coxswains can use the coaches office or go to another quiet place in the boathouse and listen to the recordings together. Being able to listen to it with other people lets you have a discussion about why something sounds good, why it doesn’t, etc. I listened to some recordings with the freshmen earlier in the fall and was really surprised at things they pointed out that I hadn’t even noticed before, even after listening to the recordings a few times. I think once you listen to a recording by yourself so many times you start to get tunnel vision (or hearing, in this case) which is why listening to recordings in a group setting can be beneficial. As great as it is listening to other people cox, I’d really encourage you to listen to your own recordings with each other too. Yea, it’s uncomfortable but you’re all in the same boat so it’s probably not nearly as weird as you think it is. Constructive criticism is what you’re going for.
In addition to listening to recordings, video is another great tool that you can use to educate yourself with. The winter is the best time for the coxswains to gain a better technical understanding of the stroke and being able to see rowers on film can help with this. If you don’t have video of your crew on the water, go on YouTube and find some of other crews. There’s no shortage of it on there. You can also watch the videos on the recordings page and just mute the sound so you can focus more on the blades and less on the coxswain’s voice. The goal of doing this is not to point out every single flaw you see with a rower or a crew but rather to isolate the good and bad, figure out why it’s good or bad, and then determine what needs to be done by the rower and said by the coxswain to correct (or maintain) it. Spending time doing this in the winter will help you have a faster reaction time in the spring because you’ll know exactly what to be looking for with the boat and with the individual rowers and what to say to elicit a change if necessary.
If you want to critique your own rowers, grab your phones (or video camera, if your team has one) and get 10-15 seconds of video per rower. If they’re in tanks, to to get video of them from the front and side. If they’re on the ergs, one side only is fine. Make sure it’s clear footage and not shaky and don’t distract them, get in their way, or be annoying while you do this. Once you’ve got some film, sit down and critique it.
Tanks & ergs
OK, so before I said that I didn’t think coxswains should do the erg workouts that the rowers are doing but I do think that coxswains should get on the erg or in the tanks if/when they can. If they actually take some strokes themselves, that’s just another thing that will help them get a better feel for the stroke. This would be especially helpful too for novice coxswains who haven’t coxed or rowed before. Having them actually do the drills that they’re calling for or doing a modified steady state piece will force them to think about their calls (“if I was rowing and a coxswain said this to me, would/how would I respond”), where they’re calling things, their technique, and give them an idea of how the rowers feel when they’re doing it. If they can put themselves into a similar situation as the rowers then they can get a better idea of what they should say to keep them present, motivated, etc. during a piece. Obviously their technique doesn’t need to be varsity A-boat perfect but my opinion is that if they’re going to be telling the rowers to fix their technique or do this better/sharper/cleaner or whatever, they should at least be able to adequately do it as well.
It’s not about just getting on there and doing a workout just so you have something to do, it’s about being given some instruction, gaining insight, and getting some experience doing what they’re expected to coach the rowers on. How can you be expected to tell the rowers what to do if you’ve never done it yourself? You have to get in there and go through each motion while making a concentrated effort to understand what your body is doing. If you just get on the erg and screw around because LOL MY SPLIT IS LIKE 4:27 you’re really not accomplishing anything.
This is something you can do anytime the team isn’t using the tanks or ergs but it isn’t something you should do alone. If you’re doing it alone, how do you know what you’re doing right or wrong? Ask your coach to work with you for 20-30 minutes or if they’re not available, ask a varsity rower or another coxswain if they can watch and observe you and the other coxswains the first few times you use the equipment. Captain’s practices are a good time to do this because the atmosphere is a little more relaxed. Take turns doing this so you can get used to seeing different kinds of technique and recognizing what needs to change with each one.
Practice your calls, calling transitions, getting to know the rowers, and developing your “voice”
This is something you should definitely be doing . One coxswain said…
“Our coach expects our coxswains to be at practice helping run things. We get the workout before hand and they alternate calling rating shifts in time pieces/steady states and correcting form.”
It’s unlikely that you’re going to be coxing like you would in the boat but you can still call out technical issues when you see them, general reminders, etc. Save all the motivational calls for when you’re on the water. The rowers don’t need to hear “show me how bad you want it” in November when they’re staring at an erg monitor (or ever, really). If you want to motivate them, write “NCAAs”, “IRAs”, “YALE”, or some other word on a piece of paper and post it at the front of the room. That’s all the motivation they need. Focus on technique and calls relating to the bodies and blade work. If they’re on an erg, help them visualize being on the water. Think about the words you’re saying and how they sound coming out of your mouth – do your calls sound genuine (like you’re paying attention) and assertive (like you’re confident in what you’re saying) or bored (disinterested) and tired (played out)? Get feedback from the rowers so you can gauge how you’re doing, what calls you should keep, what you should adjust, etc.
Don’t forget to also spend time talking with the rowers to find out what they need so you can give them some individual attention when necessary. If you’ve got a rower who’s trying to PR on a piece to show that he’s A-boat material, remind him of his split every few minutes. It’s as simple as saying “1:48” quietly in their ear as you walk by. Stuff like this shows you’re invested in them and that you see them as people and not just as athletes. It can be easy to lump them all together, especially during the winter, but now more than ever is when you should be putting them under a microscope, scrutinizing their technique, figuring out their tendencies, learning about what makes them tick, etc.
Have a schedule
I just gave you a ton of options of things to do over the winter, not all of which can or should be done on your own time outside of practice hours. It’s also helpful for knowing when exactly you’re needed by the coaches and when you’re free to do your own thing. Sit down with them and the other coxswains and come up with a rotating schedule similar to what the rowers have, that way only the necessary number of coxswains are with the team to record times or call stuff on the ergs while everyone else is listening to recordings, doing their own workouts, etc. It’s pointless having five coxswains standing around doing nothing while two do all the work, so why not let the three who don’t have anything to do do something that will actually benefit them? The next day, two different coxswains can record or call stuff and so on and so forth. That way if you need someone they know that this is where they need to be on this day, at this time, but that the rest of the time they’ll be doing their own thing with the other coxswains.
If your team has a MWF lift + land workout schedule, have one or two coxswains on hand if necessary to help monitor things and/or record results while the rest of you do your own workout and then get in the tanks. On TuTh when the team is doing steady state on the ergs and/or in the tanks, listen to recordings and watch film. The coxswains that are scheduled for that day can apply what they’ve learned through watching film to what they’re actually seeing and subsequently practice their calls, calling transitions, projecting their voice, etc. On Saturday when everyone is together doing a long erg, all the coxswains can be there but try to divide up the rowers beforehand so that each coxswain can focus on a small group (no more than eight per coxswain, if possible). I’d still encourage walking around and watching everyone but only talk to/make calls for the rowers in your group. This will also be especially helpful if you’re recording splits or times, that way you don’t have multiple coxswains recording the same people.
As un-fun as the winter season can be, it’s a great time for coxswains to up their game if they apply themselves correctly. I hope this gives you some ideas and helps you start off winter training on the right foot!
