Tag: coxswain

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 25, 2013

I heard that coxswains can’t sign letters of intent because they don’t get scholarships or anything so as a coxswain, how do I know if the school is serious about recruiting me and helping my admissions process? I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket and apply to like the one school I think is really recruiting me and not get in…

Wait … what? Whoever told you that is wrong. Coxswains can/do sign letters of intent – if you Google “coxswain letter of intent” you’ll see numerous newspaper articles talking about recruiting classes and coxswains who are part of them. It doesn’t have anything to do with getting or not getting scholarships.

The only way to know how serious a school is about recruiting you is to ask. Coaches expect you to be an adult and communicate with them so if you’re interested in coxing there I would indicate your interest in the school, the major you plan on choosing, and where this school ranks on your list. If you really want to be a part of the program, tell them that and then ask out of the people they’re talking with where you rank amongst them and how interested they are in you. Be straightforward and honest with them – don’t tell them they’re your number one if they’re actually your number three.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 24, 2013

I feel like this is kind of a stupid question but, have you ever coxed a stern loader 4+? My new school has them and I’ve never been in one. Is is similar to an 8+?

Definitely not a stupid question! When I was in high school (’02-’06) we had two brand new Vespoli fours and a couple older stern-loaded fours. I liked the stern loaded fours because there was no learning curve with them like there is with a bowloader. They’re the exact same as an eight except four seats shorter. Steering’s the same (strings) and you can actually see your rowers, which is the biggest “pro” for me. The only “con” is that unless you’re racing against other crews in stern loaders you can’t look over and see the other coxswains, which is half the fun of racing, unless you’re a length up on them.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 24, 2013

Hi! Quick question for a coach’s viewpoint. I just finished coxing my novice year and had to quit for the upcoming school year but if I want to cox in the future just for the summers at the local club, do you think a coach would be willing to let me cox a boat? Because I’d be like 8 months out of practice/out of the water so I’d be rusty. Is coxing one of those “muscle memory” type of things? Also, what do you think about the term, once a cox always a cox? Thanks!

I doubt you’d have a problem if you wanted to cox during the summer. Unless you’re coxing for a really competitive team that’s training for Club Nationals, Henley, etc., the summer is usually fairly laid back. With competitive teams it’s basically a continuation of the spring season except you’re typically practicing more than once a day. Masters crews are always looking for coxswains and sometimes they’ll even pay you as well, so if the junior crews aren’t looking for anyone definitely ask around and see if there are any masters eights who need help.

It is a muscle memory thing. I’ve compared it to riding a bike before. If you know the basics, you won’t forget how to do them if you’re out of a boat for awhile.

As far as “once a coxswain/rower, always a coxswain/rower” I agree with it to an extent. I kinda touched on it in this post. My opinion on it is this has always been that if you rowed for few years in high school or college and never got in a boat or stayed involved with the sport after that, then no, you’re not a rower/coxswain for life. If you rowed for four years in high school and/or four years in college, moved on to elite rowing, or stayed with it by casually rowing at your local club, then yes, you’re a rower for life. That’s just me though. Everyone has their own interpretation and opinion on it though.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 20, 2013

Hi Kayleigh! So a few days ago, we took some fours out on the water to get a good cool down after summer season, but also to get in a good warm-up for the upcoming fall season. I’ve always been used to fours with the handle on the right side, pointing the handle forward to go to starboard, and pointing the handle backward to go to port. That day, I was put into a four with a completely different steering system that I was not used to at all. There was a handle directly in front of me that jutted out from the top, and I would have to move the handle to port or starboard. I was guessing that you would point the handle in the direction that we wanted to go but we did a lot of straight-course rowing so I didn’t get to experiment as often as I would’ve liked to. My question is, what are the different types of steering in fours? And do the same principles apply (small adjustments, not going too hard on the rudder) to all types of steering? Thanks!

For the most part, yes, the same principles apply to all them. Small adjustments are key except in cases where you’re going around a big turn and need that extra “oomph” to get you around. The only real difference between steering a four vs. an eight is that the four is going to respond faster than the eight will since it’s smaller.

Basically there are three types of steering for the fours, all of which we’ve mentioned.

The strings, which work the same way they do in the eights

The lever that is directly in front of you

The handle (or “steering palm control unit”, as Vespoli calls it) that is beside you

The handle steering isn’t one I’ve used but I think it’s fairly straightforward – to steer to starboard you push it forward and to steer to port you pull it back towards you.

Something I learned after coxing a couple of bow loaders with the lever steering is that occasionally they are set up where the cables are crossed, which is frustrating if you aren’t used to it or, in my case, didn’t know that was even a thing. I coxed a Filippi when I was in Philadelphia and could not figure out why the boat kept going to port when I was clearly steering to starboard. Eventually the coach realized that I had no idea what was going on and he told me that yea, the cables in Filippis are crossed which means the steering is backwards to what I’m used to. I don’t know why some boats are like this but the best way to determine how the steering in your shell works is to play with the rudder a bit before you go out so you can see which direction it moves when you move the lever one way or the other, as well as how big your adjustments need to be.

If the steering cables are too loose you’ll find that when you’re on the water and move the rudder an inch or so you might not actually be doing anything to the rudder even though you think you’re making an adjustment. If you find that the rudder isn’t responding much to you moving the lever, let your coach know so they can tighten the cables.

Coxing Q&A

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 13, 2013

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.

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.)

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.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 13, 2013

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.

College Coxing Racing Recordings

Coxswain Recordings, pt. 11

By readyallrow August 13, 2013

George Washington University vs. Navy

At the start, make sure you remind everyone to bury their blades. 7-seat was only about 3/4 of the way in during the countdown. You can really see it at 2:17 how everyone’s blades are just under the surface but his is peeking out a bit. You can also see it on his first puddle, there’s a lot of whitewater compared to everyone else’s deep, dark ones.

Similarly to the previous GW recordings I posted, the tone, annunciation, etc. of the calls are spot on. A couple examples here include the “jump and send” at 3:13, the intensity at 5:32 when he says “I’m on bowball”, and the actual calmness in his voice when he says “first 500m move, nice and calm” at 3:42. If you’re calm when you tell them to be calm or aggressive when you want to see/feel the aggression, you’re going to see and feel that response on the next stroke.

I was paying more attention to the coxing than the actual rowing but I noticed that it looked pretty unset at times, like they were on a different side every stroke for multiple strokes at a time. You’ve gotta remind them not to settle for that. Small adjustments, get it right at the finish coming around the corner, stabilize it coming into the catch, lock on, send; stabilize, lock, send. Also, compared to the rest of the piece the slingshot 10 at 5:48 looked sluggish. For a move like that, make sure you’re preceding it with calls to stay light on the seats, stay up tall, keep the catches quick and the finishes tight, etc.

George Washington University 2013 IRA Freshman 8+ Petite Finals

One of my favorite things about Connor’s coxing is that he has managed to find that perfect balance between being calm and aggressive. Coxswains that can find and perfect that balance are the kind of coxswains I would give everything for as a rower. Another thing I like is everything that happens after the race is over. He tells them exactly where they were on the other crews when they crossed, congratulated them on a great race and season, and really just made it evident that he loved coxing this boat regardless of the outcome of the race. You don’t say “that was fun as fuck” unless you mean it, trust me. You can also hear one of the guys say “we gave ’em a run for their money” in reference to Princeton (“fucking Princeton”, to quote that person) and they did – they finished 0.8 seconds behind them.

Between 2:58 and 3:03, listen to how he calls their position on Princeton. “Holding our margin … even with Princeton … one seat up on Princeton.” In five seconds he told them their location on another crew three times with minimal effort. All it takes is one quick glance over to see where you’re at. I also like how he calls their position on Wisco a little earlier at 2:26 – he just says “up Wisco”, which is a quick and easy way to say you’re up on a crew while in the middle of making more important calls.

At 4:18 he says “we gotta move, we can’t sit” which is a good call as long as you follow it up with an actual move. Not doing that just kinda leaves the crew hanging and you can lose a bit of that motivational momentum that comes with a call like this.

Again with the tone of voice, the 20 seconds between 4:39 and 5:00 is another good example of how to build intensity with your voice and evoke a response from your crew.

Other calls I liked:

“Get ready to fuck them in two, that’s one, and two, fuck the lightweights!“

You can find and listen to more recordings by checking out the “Coxswain Recordings” page.

Coxing Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

By readyallrow August 12, 2013

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.

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

By readyallrow August 11, 2013

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

By readyallrow August 11, 2013

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…