I want to try coxing men. Mainly because I know I won’t “feel bad” pushing them to max … and it might be a little selfish, but I want to see what it’s like to go even faster! I’m typical women’s cox size, 5’2 and 112 lbs … will I work? Oh and what’s master’s programs? Like is it for summer/graduates/ex-rowers, etc?
That’s why I like coaching guys – I don’t feel bad at all for how hard I push them. The guys I’ve coached previously all joked with me that I was like a slave driver because I never let them quit but none of them ever complained because they knew they were going to be better for it. It’s not selfish at all to want to be in a boat that goes fast. That’s why I like coxing guys. It’s impossible to explain the feeling you get when you’re coxing a great men’s boat that really knows how to work the water. I don’t think there is a typical men’s size or typical women’s size of coxswain – it’s not like we’re pre-packaged in small, medium, and large sizes (although now that I think about it, maybe we are…) – so yea, I’d say you’d be fine. Minimums for coxswains who are in men’s boats is 125lbs so you’ll have to carry weight with you but that’s like, the most minor issue ever.
Masters rowing is for anyone 24 and older. I think it’s 24. Basically if you’re out of college and not doing high performance or elite rowing, you can be a part of a masters crew. That’s what I cox right now and I like it. The women in my boat have all been rowing for a range of 5-20+ years. Coxswains of masters crews can be any age too, so you don’t necessarily have to cox rowers the same age as you. Your age doesn’t count either when they calculate the average age of the crew (I’m 24 but my boat’s average age is 50). The only downside is that it looks like there aren’t as many regattas to go to because not many have events that are specifically for masters crews. Oh, and races for masters crews are also shorter (1000m instead of 2000m).
Wow. You become a Master’s rower in the US even younger than you’re a Veteran rower over here – you’re a vet at 27 here. Though I do prefer the term ‘Masters’ to ‘Veteran’, I think Veteran has very negative connotations. I don’t know about the US, but Vet rowing over here can be quite competitive, as a lot of the rowers are ex-internationals (GB, Commonwealth or even just Home International Regatta (Scotland, Ireland, England & Wales – the 6 Nations of rowing almost)) who’re retired from full on elite level competition but still want to keep rowing. But the rules are the same – it’s 1000m rather than 2000m, and you get a handicap based on the average age of your boat (cox not included).
I think it’s great though. I was hearing stories from World Master’s today about crews with an average age of 75! That’s just mad! So much respect. Like you say, once a rower, always a rower 🙂
There are a LOT of former national team rowers that race as masters over here, especially here in Boston. There are a ton of older men and women out in small boats in the mornings and it’s always SO much fun having someone point them out and say “See that person? They medaled at the 19xx Olympics…”. My boat is technically a “senior” masters crew since our average age is 50+ and this year at the HOCR our category, both men and women, had the largest density of former national team members because almost everyone from the 1984 Olympics finally aged into our category. It was CRAZY. I like the term “masters” better than “veteran” too. I feel like “veteran” makes you sound older vs. “masters” which makes you sound experienced. Some races here have handicaps and some don’t…a couple of the ones I did in the fall had them but HOCR didn’t.
An average age of 75 is ridiculously awesome. Wow…