Through the line
I spent some time this weekend watching CJs - Southwest Junior Regionals - online, and I noticed a troubling trend.
It's become commonplace in college football to see a player dropping the football before crossing into the end zone, thereby costing his team points.
Several boats quit rowing before their bow crossed the finish line this weekend. It didn't cost anyone - that I saw - but it's only a matter of time before that habit bites you in the rear. I've already experienced that one myself.
2005 Peninsula Indoor Rowing Championships. The PRC men are in a position to place four athletes in the top-5, but more than that, they are in position to place 1st-3rd. However, the 3rd place athlete, a great kid with a fantastic attitude, stopped rowing, letting the erg fan cruise the last 6 meters. He was edged out of 3rd by 0.1 seconds because of this. The 5th place athlete did the same, coming up 0.2 seconds from 3rd.
Finish the race. Unless you're racing at Redwood Shores, get the coxswain across the finish line before you call weigh enough or before you stop. Coaches, stress this with your athletes. Finish the race, and finish strong. Nothing hurts worse than snatching defeat from the jaws of victory because you quit before the opponent did.
It's become commonplace in college football to see a player dropping the football before crossing into the end zone, thereby costing his team points.
Several boats quit rowing before their bow crossed the finish line this weekend. It didn't cost anyone - that I saw - but it's only a matter of time before that habit bites you in the rear. I've already experienced that one myself.
2005 Peninsula Indoor Rowing Championships. The PRC men are in a position to place four athletes in the top-5, but more than that, they are in position to place 1st-3rd. However, the 3rd place athlete, a great kid with a fantastic attitude, stopped rowing, letting the erg fan cruise the last 6 meters. He was edged out of 3rd by 0.1 seconds because of this. The 5th place athlete did the same, coming up 0.2 seconds from 3rd.
Finish the race. Unless you're racing at Redwood Shores, get the coxswain across the finish line before you call weigh enough or before you stop. Coaches, stress this with your athletes. Finish the race, and finish strong. Nothing hurts worse than snatching defeat from the jaws of victory because you quit before the opponent did.
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