See you next fall
It's hard to believe it but the calender doesn't lie. This weekend is the final race for the novices this fall before we gear up for winter training. We'll have a few more weeks on the water while the varsity get ready for Head of the Lake in Seattle but mostly it's time to take stock of what's happened, evaluate athletes and prepare for winter.
This fall has been a roller coaster ride and one that I'm really looking forward to figuring out this winter. We started with nearly two eights worth of guys and are currently looking at 12 which is a typical number. Unlike last year the majority of the guys were physically fit coming into the rowing season and almost everyone over 5'8. At least half the guys are 6'0 or taller meaning this season I've actually got length potential in the boat. Also unlike last year the guys are very adept at setting the boat which is a first for me. Typically the novice men's crews that I have seen are all power and no technique. Overall the fitness levels are good with some guys even pushing the returning varsity on their 6ks.
The trade off this year though is power. We have plenty of power during the warm up with proper leg drive and we can really send the boat flying but when we transition over to pieces it all goes out the window. The slides move twice as fast as the drives or we run with good control but zero pressure. It's very frustrating because I've never encountered this problem with a men's boat before where usually I'm fighting power for technical focus. The really frustrating part is that I've seen glimpses of what this boat is capable of. They have put together some really phenomenal pieces, and have hammered out their timing and roll up issues. And yet more often than not we under perform either killing ourselves with slides control or simply taking off strokes.
Last year I got frustrated with the guys when we didn't row to our full potential but this fall before the start of practice I made a promise to myself to approach things differently and not let the frustrations get to me. I decided to be proactive trying to find solutions rather than simply running my hands through my hair and staring at the bottom of the launch. But this years crew has so confounded me that I'm hitting up everyone for ideas. It would be much easier if they simply didn't try hard or if their technique wasn't what it should be but it's not. I liken it to having a sports car that you can't seem to shift beyond 3rd gear.
The last two weeks have slowly gotten better and I'm praying that I've managed to turn the corner and somehow connect with the athletes in a way that perhaps I wasn't able to before. The potential for this boat is unbelievable. Now it's up to me to find a way to access it.
This fall has been a roller coaster ride and one that I'm really looking forward to figuring out this winter. We started with nearly two eights worth of guys and are currently looking at 12 which is a typical number. Unlike last year the majority of the guys were physically fit coming into the rowing season and almost everyone over 5'8. At least half the guys are 6'0 or taller meaning this season I've actually got length potential in the boat. Also unlike last year the guys are very adept at setting the boat which is a first for me. Typically the novice men's crews that I have seen are all power and no technique. Overall the fitness levels are good with some guys even pushing the returning varsity on their 6ks.
The trade off this year though is power. We have plenty of power during the warm up with proper leg drive and we can really send the boat flying but when we transition over to pieces it all goes out the window. The slides move twice as fast as the drives or we run with good control but zero pressure. It's very frustrating because I've never encountered this problem with a men's boat before where usually I'm fighting power for technical focus. The really frustrating part is that I've seen glimpses of what this boat is capable of. They have put together some really phenomenal pieces, and have hammered out their timing and roll up issues. And yet more often than not we under perform either killing ourselves with slides control or simply taking off strokes.
Last year I got frustrated with the guys when we didn't row to our full potential but this fall before the start of practice I made a promise to myself to approach things differently and not let the frustrations get to me. I decided to be proactive trying to find solutions rather than simply running my hands through my hair and staring at the bottom of the launch. But this years crew has so confounded me that I'm hitting up everyone for ideas. It would be much easier if they simply didn't try hard or if their technique wasn't what it should be but it's not. I liken it to having a sports car that you can't seem to shift beyond 3rd gear.
The last two weeks have slowly gotten better and I'm praying that I've managed to turn the corner and somehow connect with the athletes in a way that perhaps I wasn't able to before. The potential for this boat is unbelievable. Now it's up to me to find a way to access it.
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