Erg rules
As the winter season is rapidly coming to a close, and "Testing Week" looms, I'm reminded of this.
I hate this in so many ways. My father told me to try and never use the word, "hate" because of it's context, I hate it when people scream during an erg test. I hate it so much that I came up with rules of testing for when my team/squad/what have you are on the ergs.
1. You may not be within 10 feet of the ergs. Ever. Coxswains can be there, other coaches within reason, individuals who have tested or will be testing, but beyond that, stay away. I have had too many instances where someone has screwed up a great test because they got in the way. I myself screwed up a test in college - worst sporting moment ever.
2. Music yes. I know some coaches don't like it because it's distracting. I like music because we always erg to music, and I try and make a test feel the same as any other erg session. I believe that 2ks are 90% mental, and the more it feels like "same old, same old" I believe the better the athlete will be.
3. No screaming. Let's make sure we understand the difference between loud motivation and screaming. Loud motivation is understandable. There's structure, flow, and a point to it. Screaming is just screaming. It's distracting. It's not motivating. It has also cost some of my athletes tests.
I can recall the exact moment I decided that should I coach, screaming would be outlawed. We were running 2k tests, and one of the athletes was close to making it onto the top 10 list for times. One of the athletes who had already tested was "motivating" him. As the test drew closer and closer to the end, the athlete was hovering between making it, and just falling short, and the motivating athlete began screaming. It reached a point where the screaming athlete's face was bright red, and their voice was nearly gone. Everyone else at the boathouse had stopped and was watching this scene unfold.
No screaming.
My other thing about screaming. I try and run each practice as though we are preparing for a race. I treat each piece like a race because I believe that if you don't practice like it's a race, then you'll race like you practiced. I know that races are exciting, especially when you're coming into the finish and it's a barn burner. I have my first race ever as a coxswain on video somewhere. It's the most embarrassing thing ever because I am screaming. We are up big, but you can hear each of my calls. I was excited. It was my first race as a coxswain. And I was screaming. Not motivating.
When the race is on the line, I want my coxswains calm, collected, and thinking. I want their voice to convey a sense of calm to the athletes, a sense that, "We've got this," and not one of panic. What happens when people panic? They scream. What's screaming? Usually because there's a reason to panic. The last thing I want in my boat as they are racing for first is a sense of panic. Urgency yes. Intensity yes. Panic? no.
4. Other teams far away. This goes into the first rule of being away from the ergs. I don't view this as a divider between teams. This is a piece, it's important, and I don't want someone messing it up. I'm sure you'd hate it if, in the middle of a piece, my boat drifted in along side of you. I feel the same about other squads being around my athletes.
5. My athletes, our game plan. I sit down with each athlete before their test and talk to them. What do they want? What are they aiming for? We go over how they want their test called. We cover this with the coxswains as well. Any other coach is free to swing in and motivate an athlete, but for my squad/team, it's the race plan we came up with. My reasoning behind that is based on my relationship with said athlete.
6. Motivate from the side. This is newer. I've found that some athletes get so into their test, that coming up behind them can break their concentration. I think of it as someone spooking you from behind. I would rather that the athlete see you out of the corner of their eyes first, then you move around behind them to stay out of their way.
7. Never touch the monitor. This goes without saying, but I am embarrassed to say that this is where my major bone head move came in. A friend of mine was testing, and the monitor kept falling down so no one could see the information. As I pushed it up, I hit the on/off switch. Boom, there goes the test. Needless to say, I got a well deserved ass kicking for that. I was trying to help, but in the process, made a huge mistake. Never touch the monitor.
These are just my rules. They are flexible as I move from position to position, but I've built them upon my experiences, and talking with my athletes. I'm sure, as I'm only 8 years into my coaching career, that this list will grow and morph into something bigger, but for now, here's my starting set.
I hate this in so many ways. My father told me to try and never use the word, "hate" because of it's context, I hate it when people scream during an erg test. I hate it so much that I came up with rules of testing for when my team/squad/what have you are on the ergs.
1. You may not be within 10 feet of the ergs. Ever. Coxswains can be there, other coaches within reason, individuals who have tested or will be testing, but beyond that, stay away. I have had too many instances where someone has screwed up a great test because they got in the way. I myself screwed up a test in college - worst sporting moment ever.
2. Music yes. I know some coaches don't like it because it's distracting. I like music because we always erg to music, and I try and make a test feel the same as any other erg session. I believe that 2ks are 90% mental, and the more it feels like "same old, same old" I believe the better the athlete will be.
3. No screaming. Let's make sure we understand the difference between loud motivation and screaming. Loud motivation is understandable. There's structure, flow, and a point to it. Screaming is just screaming. It's distracting. It's not motivating. It has also cost some of my athletes tests.
I can recall the exact moment I decided that should I coach, screaming would be outlawed. We were running 2k tests, and one of the athletes was close to making it onto the top 10 list for times. One of the athletes who had already tested was "motivating" him. As the test drew closer and closer to the end, the athlete was hovering between making it, and just falling short, and the motivating athlete began screaming. It reached a point where the screaming athlete's face was bright red, and their voice was nearly gone. Everyone else at the boathouse had stopped and was watching this scene unfold.
No screaming.
My other thing about screaming. I try and run each practice as though we are preparing for a race. I treat each piece like a race because I believe that if you don't practice like it's a race, then you'll race like you practiced. I know that races are exciting, especially when you're coming into the finish and it's a barn burner. I have my first race ever as a coxswain on video somewhere. It's the most embarrassing thing ever because I am screaming. We are up big, but you can hear each of my calls. I was excited. It was my first race as a coxswain. And I was screaming. Not motivating.
When the race is on the line, I want my coxswains calm, collected, and thinking. I want their voice to convey a sense of calm to the athletes, a sense that, "We've got this," and not one of panic. What happens when people panic? They scream. What's screaming? Usually because there's a reason to panic. The last thing I want in my boat as they are racing for first is a sense of panic. Urgency yes. Intensity yes. Panic? no.
4. Other teams far away. This goes into the first rule of being away from the ergs. I don't view this as a divider between teams. This is a piece, it's important, and I don't want someone messing it up. I'm sure you'd hate it if, in the middle of a piece, my boat drifted in along side of you. I feel the same about other squads being around my athletes.
5. My athletes, our game plan. I sit down with each athlete before their test and talk to them. What do they want? What are they aiming for? We go over how they want their test called. We cover this with the coxswains as well. Any other coach is free to swing in and motivate an athlete, but for my squad/team, it's the race plan we came up with. My reasoning behind that is based on my relationship with said athlete.
6. Motivate from the side. This is newer. I've found that some athletes get so into their test, that coming up behind them can break their concentration. I think of it as someone spooking you from behind. I would rather that the athlete see you out of the corner of their eyes first, then you move around behind them to stay out of their way.
7. Never touch the monitor. This goes without saying, but I am embarrassed to say that this is where my major bone head move came in. A friend of mine was testing, and the monitor kept falling down so no one could see the information. As I pushed it up, I hit the on/off switch. Boom, there goes the test. Needless to say, I got a well deserved ass kicking for that. I was trying to help, but in the process, made a huge mistake. Never touch the monitor.
These are just my rules. They are flexible as I move from position to position, but I've built them upon my experiences, and talking with my athletes. I'm sure, as I'm only 8 years into my coaching career, that this list will grow and morph into something bigger, but for now, here's my starting set.
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