Be better?
Hi loyal readers.
2004 - 2020. That's 16 years. Difficult to believe that I've been coaching this long. Long enough to have a kid of my own. Several I suppose.
And in those 16 years, I've learned quite a bit. I could detail much of it in a lengthy post, but that would get tedious to both write and read. So let me break down one of the most important, yet most straight forward lessons I've learned.
Keep it simple.
It sounds relatively easy. That's it? I can do that. That's a piece of cake. I know, I've been there myself, but there's a litmus test for you to check if you're capable of keeping it simple.
Describe your stroke in less than 60 seconds. And go.
A far better coach than I am broke it down for me like this.
1. If you cannot demonstrate your stroke on the erg or in the tank, then you don't know your stroke.
2. If you cannot describe your stroke in 120 or fewer seconds, then you haven't thought about your stroke.
3. If you cannot describe you stroke style and emphasis in 60 seconds, then you don't have a style.
That seemed indimiating. Demonstrate the stroke? Ok, that's relatively simple. Describe the stroke in under two minutes? More difficult. Describe what your stroke emphasizes or just a quick rundown of the stroke in 60 seconds?
Failing this test isn't a failure on your part perse, but it is a failure to think through what you're doing and what you're asking.
At the time I was coaching juniors, and the example I was given was simply this: How are you going to hold the attention of a high schooler if you cannot get what you want said in a short period of time?
Breaking away from that but keeping the simplicity in mind come the drills. My friend Sam, a better coach than I, told me that he has nine drills he likes to use. Just nine. I can think of more than nine drills to cover handle height/blade release. It took me a while to understand that the variations weren't what he was describing but the type of drills. Pause drills cover all pause drills. Square blade rowing or DMDs cover all square blade rowing or DMDs.
When I was younger, I would find myself in trouble when I tried too hard or got too caught up in the complexity of a drill. The goal at the time was to get through all the drills I'd laid out. In theory doing drills was enough to make everyone better because we were doing drills. It wasn't until later that I began to breakdown what the drills were for and what I was wanting to accomplish with the drills.
I've received good advice from many coaches. Having a reason for each workout, or drill. Having a plan, but remaining flexible with the plan. Don't rush. Make sure drills flow into each other and can build upon the previous drill.
But all the advice boils down to one simple concept: Keeping it simple.
I've rode in the launch with several well known coaches, from NCAA champions to Olympic champions, and the one thing that I've pulled from each ride is the straightforwardness of their practices. The simplicity of each practice. I rode with one coach who spent a two hour practice drilling Rusties with her boats. We'd run through the drill, then go into regular rowing, then back into Rusties, then back to regular rowing. Each time the athletes fell off of the focus we'd go back to Rusties. It was an incredible practice. Simple, effective, and they went on to win a national championship later that spring.
I often tell younger coaches my own experiences with keeping things simple and the lessons learned from it, so I'll leave you with this final story.
No one taught me how to rig boats. I bought a book, and began studying. I studied and took notes, and began to experiment. I was at a program where I knew the boat I was building was going to be up against it to qualify for the finals and because my crew was all over the shop in terms of build - I had a 6'4 kid and a 5'9 kid, and varying weights - I decided that I would go down the rabbit hole and rig the boat individually. I spent hours at the boathouse tearing down the riggers for each seat, drawing up the numbers and then rigging the boat. It was a very satisfying day at the boathouse.
That boat did not qualify for the finals. I didn't figure that it would but I thought that rigging would help it's chances. Wrong. The two boats that I set up standard rig went on to finish 1st and 3rd in their respective finals.
Keep it simple.
2004 - 2020. That's 16 years. Difficult to believe that I've been coaching this long. Long enough to have a kid of my own. Several I suppose.
And in those 16 years, I've learned quite a bit. I could detail much of it in a lengthy post, but that would get tedious to both write and read. So let me break down one of the most important, yet most straight forward lessons I've learned.
Keep it simple.
It sounds relatively easy. That's it? I can do that. That's a piece of cake. I know, I've been there myself, but there's a litmus test for you to check if you're capable of keeping it simple.
Describe your stroke in less than 60 seconds. And go.
A far better coach than I am broke it down for me like this.
1. If you cannot demonstrate your stroke on the erg or in the tank, then you don't know your stroke.
2. If you cannot describe your stroke in 120 or fewer seconds, then you haven't thought about your stroke.
3. If you cannot describe you stroke style and emphasis in 60 seconds, then you don't have a style.
That seemed indimiating. Demonstrate the stroke? Ok, that's relatively simple. Describe the stroke in under two minutes? More difficult. Describe what your stroke emphasizes or just a quick rundown of the stroke in 60 seconds?
Failing this test isn't a failure on your part perse, but it is a failure to think through what you're doing and what you're asking.
At the time I was coaching juniors, and the example I was given was simply this: How are you going to hold the attention of a high schooler if you cannot get what you want said in a short period of time?
Breaking away from that but keeping the simplicity in mind come the drills. My friend Sam, a better coach than I, told me that he has nine drills he likes to use. Just nine. I can think of more than nine drills to cover handle height/blade release. It took me a while to understand that the variations weren't what he was describing but the type of drills. Pause drills cover all pause drills. Square blade rowing or DMDs cover all square blade rowing or DMDs.
When I was younger, I would find myself in trouble when I tried too hard or got too caught up in the complexity of a drill. The goal at the time was to get through all the drills I'd laid out. In theory doing drills was enough to make everyone better because we were doing drills. It wasn't until later that I began to breakdown what the drills were for and what I was wanting to accomplish with the drills.
I've received good advice from many coaches. Having a reason for each workout, or drill. Having a plan, but remaining flexible with the plan. Don't rush. Make sure drills flow into each other and can build upon the previous drill.
But all the advice boils down to one simple concept: Keeping it simple.
I've rode in the launch with several well known coaches, from NCAA champions to Olympic champions, and the one thing that I've pulled from each ride is the straightforwardness of their practices. The simplicity of each practice. I rode with one coach who spent a two hour practice drilling Rusties with her boats. We'd run through the drill, then go into regular rowing, then back into Rusties, then back to regular rowing. Each time the athletes fell off of the focus we'd go back to Rusties. It was an incredible practice. Simple, effective, and they went on to win a national championship later that spring.
I often tell younger coaches my own experiences with keeping things simple and the lessons learned from it, so I'll leave you with this final story.
No one taught me how to rig boats. I bought a book, and began studying. I studied and took notes, and began to experiment. I was at a program where I knew the boat I was building was going to be up against it to qualify for the finals and because my crew was all over the shop in terms of build - I had a 6'4 kid and a 5'9 kid, and varying weights - I decided that I would go down the rabbit hole and rig the boat individually. I spent hours at the boathouse tearing down the riggers for each seat, drawing up the numbers and then rigging the boat. It was a very satisfying day at the boathouse.
That boat did not qualify for the finals. I didn't figure that it would but I thought that rigging would help it's chances. Wrong. The two boats that I set up standard rig went on to finish 1st and 3rd in their respective finals.
Keep it simple.
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