Tag: defining the role of the coxswain

The “Three S’s of Coxing”

Coxing Novice

The “Three S’s of Coxing”

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I was lucky enough to hear Mike Teti speak at a coxswain clinic I attended when I was in high school and one of the things he spoke about were “the three S’s”. The three S’s are what a coxswain should consider to be their highest priorities. For novice coxswains, consider this an introduction; for experienced coxswains, consider this a reminder.

SAFETY

Safety is always and forever your absolute number one priority. Why? Because you’re in charge of a $20,000-$40,000 boat and eight other lives. If something happens on the water, it is your responsibility to do what is best for your crew. I tend to compare being a coxswain to sitting in the exit row on an airplane. You have to understand how the boat works, how to operate it, be able to follow the instructions given by your coach, and assess, select, and follow the safest travel route(s), amongst many other things. Remember, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

STEERING

Steering is an imperative skill that all coxswains must become proficient with as quickly as possible. It’s not something to joke about and spend four months trying to figure out. Yes, it’s tricky learning to navigate a 53 foot long shell along waterways with a steering system that consists of two strings and a credit-card sized rudder but again, it goes back to safety. Zigzagging across the river and not following the traffic patterns can have disastrous outcomes for both your crew and anyone else on the water. The rowers are not there to steer the boat for you – it is your responsibility to figure it out.

SPEECH

I think if most coaches (and experienced coxswains) had their way, novices would be seen and not heard. Unfortunately, coxswains must be heard if they are to do the job that is required of them and to additionally ensure the safety of their crew. HOWEVER, I do believe that novice coxswains should be silent until they’re comfortable with steering the boat and have a firm grasp on their duties. Essentially, you must prove to me that you can handle everything that is being asked of you. Instincts are key as a coxswain and once safety and steering become second-nature, then you can talk. Another important part of “speech” is learning and knowing what to say. If what you’re saying isn’t constructive to the crew, you shouldn’t be saying it.

Being a coxswain is an amazing position to hold, but it is not one without responsibilities. Although these are just three of them, like I said before, they should be considered your top priorities. Mastery of these skills through practice, listening to your coach, and learning from your fellow coxswains will put you on the path to becoming your crew’s biggest asset.

Related: What do coaches look for in a coxswain?

For more on each of the three S’s check out the “safety“, “steering“, and “communication” tags.

Image via // @merijnsoeters
Defining the role of the coxswain: What coaches look for in a coxswain

Coxing Teammates & Coaches

Defining the role of the coxswain: What coaches look for in a coxswain

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I was going through row2k’s poll archives and came across this one that asked “What do you look for most in a coxswain?” That’s such a loaded question – how do you pick just ONE thing that you look for the most when there are so many things that a coxswain has to be able to do?

This is a pretty accurate representation of where you should be focusing your energy so if you’re a novice coxswain wondering what you should be focusing on in order to become an asset to your team, here you go.

EXECUTION – 37.8%

Execution encompasses practically EVERYTHING you do, from the time you get to the boathouse until the time you leave. This includes getting everyone in the same place to start practice, getting them on the ergs to warmup, getting them to the boat, getting the boat (safely) off the racks and down to the dock, getting out on the water, going through the warmup properly, knowing what the plan is for the day, etc.

The rule of thumb is to always have a plan. Proper execution cannot happen without a solid plan that has that has been discussed and communicated amongst all involved parties. At the beginning of practice you should get together with your coach and ask what you’ll be doing today. Go over the warm up sequence, drills, pieces, etc. and determine the focus for each one. Regarding drills, if you haven’t done a particular drill before, ask for it to be explained to you before you get on the water. Make sure you have an understanding of it’s purpose and how it’s carried out. A good way to test your understanding is to repeat it back to the coach or to another coxswain, that way if something is incorrect you can be corrected on it before you tell it to the rowers. It’s important that you understand how the drills are done so that time isn’t wasted doing it multiples times because it was done incorrectly the first time. The amount of time we have on the water is limited, so coaches rely on coxswains to use that time as efficiently as possible.

The winter is a good time  for coaches to begin getting a sense of how well coxswains can execute practices or pieces without the pressure of being on the water, which is why I strongly encourage you to not waste these few months by sitting around and just “watching”. Make yourself useful by offering to call the shifts during erg pieces or leading a core circuit. If you’re a novice, don’t be intimidated and assume you can’t do it – if you’ve seen other coxswains do it, you should already have an idea of how it’s done. You’ll have to lead a group of people eventually, so your best opportunity to “practice” is in a low-stress, low-pressure environment. Conveniently, winter training provides just that.

STEERING – 28.6%

Steering is one of the hardest skills for a coxswain to learn. Like rowing, it’s something we pick up quickly but then spend years perfecting. I’ve been coxing for ten years and I still make it a point to practice my steering every time I go out on the water. The most obvious reason why coaches look for coxswains to have good steering skills is because NOT having them is a huge safety issue. If a coxswain is bouncing off either side of the river bank, they are endangering not only their crew but also any other crews that are on the water. It also wastes a significant amount of practice time if the coach constantly has to be telling the coxswain to get on the correct side of the river. Traffic patterns are there for a reason and it is your responsibility as the leader of your crew to know what they are and abide by them.

Prior to the start of the season, varsity coxswains should take it upon themselves to familiarize novice coxswains with the body of water you’re rowing on and explain what the traffic patterns are so that they are aware of them before they get on the water. Spend some time also explaining how to steer and how the boat responds to touches on the rudder. Not all boats are the same and some have different steering mechanisms than others (namely Vespoli’s handle steering in bow-loaded fours vs. the standard string steering).

Related: How to steer an eight or four

Another reason why coaches (and rowers) expect coxswains to have good steering skills is because it can win you races. It can also lose races if those skills are not up to par. During a sprint race, a straight line is CRUCIAL and truly can make the difference between first and second place in a tight race. One of the reasons why coaches often have binoculars during these races is not just so they can see the action from far away – it’s to watch their coxswain’s line coming down the course. The worst thing you can do is bounce off the buoys for 2000m. The phrase “the shortest distance between two points is a straight line” is something all coxswains should have at the forefront of their mind during the spring season. Bouncing off the buoys adds meters to your race which in turn adds seconds to your time.

With regards to head races, knowing what the best line is for a particular course and knowing how to take it can eliminate several seconds from your overall time. Since it’s hard to practice steering for head races, studying the course ahead of time will help you determine what the best line is. Rowers appreciate a coxswain who fights for the inside of the buoys because it shortens the course and eliminates any question that they’re exerting more effort than they have to, which is what happens when coxswains take a bad line.

MOTIVATION – 20.4%

I don’t particularly like the term “motivation” because I think it gives the wrong impression of what a coxswain’s duties are. I’m a firm believer that rowers need to have some kind of motivation already in them before they get in the boat, otherwise how can a coxswain be expected to push them if they can’t even push themselves? But, for the sake of “lack of a better term”, motivation is what we say.

When the rowers are in the pain cave during a race and can’t focus on anything but the burning feeling in their legs, what can you say that pulls them out of their heads and back into the boat? One of a coxswain’s most respected skills is the ability to reach in and pull something out of a rower that they didn’t know they had. It’s a coxswain’s responsibility to talk with their rowers and figure out what they want/need to hear and then use that to help them make their calls during a race. A coxswain that is fired up and pushes his/her rowers to do “the impossible” gains far more points with the coaches than one who is a simply a cheerleader.

COACHING – 11.2%

On the rowing totem pole, coxswains are second in command after the coaches. (Rowers are at the bottom — they have minimal authority. Shh, don’t tell them.) When we’re on the water, we are in charge of the crew and are expected to act as the liaison between the rowers and the coach, in addition to our other responsibilities. Think about what your coach does — they provide guidance, leadership, technical advice, and are considered highly knowledgeable with respect to the sport. Now think about yourself … aren’t your responsibilities similar, if not the same?

Ideally, a good coxswain should be able to go out and run a practice with minimal input from the coach. They understand the technical intricacies of the stroke and can make the call for the necessary corrections, they have a thorough understanding of the drills (why we do them, how they’re done, what the focus is on, etc.), and they are able to effectively communicate with and provide feedback to everyone in the boat.

A coxswain who can truly function like a mini-coach is rare, which is why “coaching” isn’t a skill that coaches particularly look for since they tend to take that entire responsibility upon themselves. If a coxswain does possess this skill though, it makes them a HUGE asset to the team.

WEIGHT – 2.0%

I was happy to see that this was last on the list of things coaches look for but I was also irritated that it was on the list at all. The weight of a coxswain is as sensitive of a topic as it is with lightweights. We’re expected to be petite twigs so as to not add any additional dead weight to the boat, which is understandable, but coaches often take it too far when discussing it with their athletes. I have another post centered on this topic that I’m working on so I’ll keep this brief. The rowers are already moving several hundred pounds down the race course and despite our importance to the crew, we are dead weight from a physics standpoint. Any additional weight we add to the boat has the potential to slow it down (although by how much is a hotly debated topic).

The best advice I have regarding this is to always be mindful of your weight. Some coxswains, like myself, are naturally under the weight minimum and don’t need to worry about it. Others are above the minimum and frequently stress about it. I think you can safely get away with being 3-5lbs over racing weight before it becomes worthy of discussion. The more important issue is that of your health. We’re expected to set an example for the boat and it’s hard to not be considered a hypocrite if we are pushing the rowers to be healthy while partaking in an unhealthy lifestyle ourselves. Bottom line is this – there is a written weight minimum and an unwritten weight maximum. They’re there for a reason and should be acknowledged.

Image via // @rowingcelebration

Coxing Q&A Training & Nutrition

Question of the Day

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What do you eat before you row? Why do you prefer coxing?

Some good stuff to eat before practice is food that has a good balance of carbs and protein – a bagel with peanut butter or a PB sandwich, yogurt, a bar of some kind, a banana, etc. If you’re eating RIGHT before practice (like 30 minutes or less), stick to fruits and vegetables, stuff that is easily digestible. 2-3 hours beforehand (i.e. around lunch time) you can eat PB+breads … that stuff takes longer to digest so you don’t want it sitting in your stomach right when you get on the water. The carbs and stuff from that will give you a good energy boost when you get out there though.

Once you’re off the water make sure you drink some water, chocolate milk (it helps with muscle recovery), etc. After you finish rowing, if it’s been a hard workout and you’re like, physically dead, you’ll need to eat something high in carbs to replenish the glycogen in your system. You’ll also need to replenish the electrolytes you lost through sweating. If eating solid food makes you sick, try Gatorade or another high-card drink. You shouldn’t wait to eat after you get off the water. A few hours after you get off, try and eat a solid meal that’s fairly high in carbs so you can continue to replenish your system. Orange juice, pasta, raisins, bananas, and bagels are all good post-workout choices. Don’t forget about the protein too…chicken is a good addition to your post-workout dinners. Peanuts are a good snack for right when you get off too.

Part 2 of your question … why do I prefer coxing. Coxing to me is just as intense as rowing is but instead of it being physical, it’s mental. I love strategizing and coming up with race plans. I love all the pressure there is on the coxswains to execute everything perfectly. Rowers only have to worry about one thing – getting from point A to B as fast as possible. Coxswains are responsible for getting out on the water on time, going through warmups, making sure the boat understands the race plan, making sure they know what this call means and what that call means, getting to the line on time, getting the best point possible so you have to do minimal adjusting when the race starts, steering a straight course, etc. There’s SO much mentally that goes into coxing and that is what I love about it.

As much of a team sport as rowing an eight is, I really think of coxing as being an individual sport in itself. When I cox, I’m hypersensitive to everything that’s going on around me but at the same time, I’m in my own little bubble, almost inside my own head. In that split second before I make a call to adjust the rate, start the sprint, take a 10, etc. I go through 10 different scenarios in my head as to how it could play out, is this the right spot to do this, what if it doesn’t work, are our catches together, is this going to mess with our timing, can they pull this sprint off and walk from 2nd to 1st, etc. There’s SO much that I love about coxing but the mental aspect of it is definitely one of the greatest parts of being a coxswain.

Coxing How To Q&A Teammates & Coaches

Question of the Day

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I am in my 3rd year coxing and I’m fighting for the JV boat with another girl who is in the same grade as me. I was really, really bad my novice year and wasn’t really good until now. I really want to beat her so I asked some rowers what I could do better and they said that people respect her more, and that she is more authoritative. But the thing is when I try to be authoritative people just think I’m a bitch because I’m normally really friendly and nice. How do I earn their respect?

Instead of focusing on “beating” the other coxswain, focus on improving your skills. OBSERVE HER. Ask her for advice. Yes, it’s a little “keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer” BUT seeing you swallow some humble pie will in fact help your rowers begin respecting you more. What about her demeanor, attitude, personality, etc. makes people respect her? When she’s coxing or leading the team, how does she do it? You don’t have to emulate everything she does, but if something is working for her and that same something is something you need to improve on, there’s nothing wrong with adopting the same techniques she uses.

As far as gaining respect in general, think about your parents. Most of the time, I think we can all agree that our parents are fairly chill – maybe a little uncool, but chill nonetheless. When we screw up and they get pissed at us, that’s where the learning opportunity arises. If your parents get mad and yell and scream at you, what are you more likely to do? Listen to them and do exactly what they say or ignore them, roll your eyes, and walk away? For most of us, we’d ignore them. When they get pissed and talk to you in a stern but eerily calm voice, that is when most of us are like “shit, ok, I’ll do what you want.” Tone of voice means everything. If you are less likely to listen to someone who is erractic while trying to be authoritative, what makes you think your rowers are going to listen to you if you exhibit the same behavior? Part of being an effective leader is self-control. You have to stay calm in the face of chaos and not fly off the handle at little things. Use the “stern parent” voice instead of the “she needs some mood stabilizers” voice.

Being friendly and nice is a great thing when you’re off the water but when you’re on the water you have to separate the friendly person from the in-control coxswain. You are in charge, so you must act like you’re in charge. Look to people you see every day that are in leadership roles – teachers, your coach, your boss, etc. – and see how they conduct themselves.

Your rowers also need to understand that when you’re on the water, your friendship is still on land. It cannot come in the boat with you. If they get pissed every time you tell them to do something just because it’s not something they’re used to hearing, life is going to be pretty hard for them. Explain to them that you aren’t trying to be a bitch and apologize if it comes off like that, but you’re trying to be more authoritative and it’s hard to do when they a) don’t take you seriously, b) don’t listen, and/or c) take it personally every time you say something to them. Tell them to respectfully and maturely tell you (after practice or in private) if/when they think you’re being a bitch so that you know exactly what situations they’re referring to and can work on improving or adjusting how you do things. Ask them why it comes off like that and what you can do to NOT come off like that in the future.

You can’t it personally either, even though that is easier said than done. Having a mature conversation with your rowers when situations like this come up will show them that you really are trying to improve your communication skills so that you can become a better leader, which will in turn continue building more respect between the two of you.

Also talk to your coach(es). Explain to them that you want to cox the JV boat too and want to know what they are specifically looking for in a JV coxswain. Having good rapport with the rowers is important but having the trust of your coach is CRITICAL. If they don’t think you can handle the boat in ANY situation, there’s no chance you’ll cox it. Ask them to spend some time critiquing you one day at practice and pointing out things you need to improve, but also some of the things you’re doing well (so you can continue doing them). Your coach’s feedback is just as important as your rowers so again, be mature and take any constructive criticism that you get as an opportunity to get better. You asked a great question which to me shows that you DO want to get better, so make that obvious to your coaches and rowers as well.

A huge part of becoming an all around better coxswain is force-feeding yourself multiple servings of humble pie. Improving not only our technical skills but our personal skills as well requires us to take a step back and reevaluate how we handle various situations. A true sign of maturing as a coxswain is when you can freely admit that you messed up or you could have handled a situation better, and then be able to figure out ON YOUR OWN how to do it right or better the next time.

For a few practices, focus on yourself more than you focus on “winning” the JV boat or “beating” this other coxswain. Make a list of things you think you can improve on and then work on them. Talk with this other coxswain and try not to make it blatantly obvious to everyone on the team that you are hell bent on getting this JV boat over her. Maturity, remember? Competitiveness between coxswains is fine but when one coxswain is super competitive and the other one is effortlessly just doing her thing and ROCKING IT, people will notice that and it tends to work out better for the calmer coxswain.