To cox or not to cox
US Rowing has launched the, "Coxswain Appreciation Week," and I say, it's about darn time.
First off, let me say that I was a coxswain, and aside from the first year, I was not a fan of it. I disliked it so much that since graduating, I have steadfast refused to set foot into the coxswain seat. The last time I steered an eight was 3 years ago, and it took a month of cajoling before I finally, grudgingly, stepped in and steered.
Let me also say that I felt very appreciated by my team, and coaches. In fact when there was a problem, especially the final year, it was because of my own issues with coxing, and had nothing to do with anyone else.
I've touched on this subject before, coxswains, and my thoughts about them, and how they're selected and treated so I won't dive too deeply into this.
I believe that a good coxswain is worth at least 2, and probably closer to 3 wins a season, wins that your crew wouldn't earn otherwise. It's their calls, motivation, and race savvy that really pull some races from the fire. Conversely, I believe that a less than stellar coxswain - not novice, or inexperienced - will cost you several races due to the exact opposite.
There are certain attitudes that I've run into while coaching that I wish would disappear. The attitude toward novice and their importance, and the attitude toward selection and training of coxswains. The typical selection that I've encountered is, "smaller, lighter," with little regard to the motivation of the coxswain, or their race savvy. I've also seen excellent candidates be left behind simply because they're larger than the standard weight for coxswains (110 for females, 120 for males).
I digress.
Appreciate your coxswains coaches. Understand that there's more going on than pointing the shell down the course, and hanging on - though some times, that is what's asked of them. Put some thought into your selection process, and have a reason why you've made the choices that you do. Seat race your coxswains. My single crowing achievement in my career wasn't winning conference, but was beating the V8 with the JV8 my junior year. It happened, it happened only once before they came back and ended us the very next race, but I still remember that. Don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to your coxswains. The best coxswains I've had haven't exactly been conventional. But above all, appreciate your coxswains for what they bring to the table, and think about where you or your crew would be without them.
First off, let me say that I was a coxswain, and aside from the first year, I was not a fan of it. I disliked it so much that since graduating, I have steadfast refused to set foot into the coxswain seat. The last time I steered an eight was 3 years ago, and it took a month of cajoling before I finally, grudgingly, stepped in and steered.
Let me also say that I felt very appreciated by my team, and coaches. In fact when there was a problem, especially the final year, it was because of my own issues with coxing, and had nothing to do with anyone else.
I've touched on this subject before, coxswains, and my thoughts about them, and how they're selected and treated so I won't dive too deeply into this.
I believe that a good coxswain is worth at least 2, and probably closer to 3 wins a season, wins that your crew wouldn't earn otherwise. It's their calls, motivation, and race savvy that really pull some races from the fire. Conversely, I believe that a less than stellar coxswain - not novice, or inexperienced - will cost you several races due to the exact opposite.
There are certain attitudes that I've run into while coaching that I wish would disappear. The attitude toward novice and their importance, and the attitude toward selection and training of coxswains. The typical selection that I've encountered is, "smaller, lighter," with little regard to the motivation of the coxswain, or their race savvy. I've also seen excellent candidates be left behind simply because they're larger than the standard weight for coxswains (110 for females, 120 for males).
I digress.
Appreciate your coxswains coaches. Understand that there's more going on than pointing the shell down the course, and hanging on - though some times, that is what's asked of them. Put some thought into your selection process, and have a reason why you've made the choices that you do. Seat race your coxswains. My single crowing achievement in my career wasn't winning conference, but was beating the V8 with the JV8 my junior year. It happened, it happened only once before they came back and ended us the very next race, but I still remember that. Don't be afraid to think outside the box when it comes to your coxswains. The best coxswains I've had haven't exactly been conventional. But above all, appreciate your coxswains for what they bring to the table, and think about where you or your crew would be without them.
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