A Peek Inside (Part 13)
Hello loyal readers,
I said I was done with the Peek Inside posts, but then I came up with another idea, something a bit more fun than the last post. Unfortunately this makes post 13 of the series, and we can't end on that. I do not believe in luck, but I am superstitious - you can make of that what you'd like - and 13 simply isn't a good number to end on. So I'll have to think of something else.
You've probably noticed the tone of the blog changing a bit from a very cut and dry style to one with a little more spice and pazazz which is somewhat intentional, and somewhat the way the posts have been going.
Typically I am a bit more buttoned up with my opinion on any topic that floats across the desk, and lately I've been more laid back and open with takes on visualization and lineups. I believe part of that is being removed from being able to do some hands on coaching. I miss that.
I was able to guest coach for a masters erg session on Zoom. I ran ten athletes through a drill session focused on the second half connection - if you work with me, then you know I spend a lot of time drilling on connection, especially the second half - which was a lot of fun. I offered my services up to help out so hopefully that takes the edge off the need to coach.
For this post, I thought I'd dive into something more fun: Team gear. Nothing specific as in the breakdown of what we have, but my favorite and least favorite pieces of gear that I've received. I won't have a lot of pictures of the gear because I've given away quite a bit of it, and what I've kept is sitting in storage. Someday I'll own a house with a large office, and I can display my collection. Medals and trophies do not mean much to me these days. They were more important when I was an athlete, but as a coach, you don't get many - I'm perfectly happy about this - and they tend to collect dust and require cleaning. My favorite pieces to hang onto are either a select piece of gear that has a special meaning or a picture.
I was going to break this down by program with a favorite and least favorite, but in some cases, I never received coaching gear or I chose not to purchase any.
Standard coaching gear usually comes in the following forms: Polos, a pullover/hoody/quarter zip, a hat or visor, a jacket, any team shirts that are ordered. In some cases, you get new gear each season, and in others, you don't. It depends on the program.
Polos:
My two favorite polos: The US JNT polo from High Performance Camp, and my first coaching polo from Pacific Rowing Club.
The US Rowing polo is from Boathouse, and is my favorite polo, ever. It's comfortable, durable, and shows the quality that is Boathouse in comparison to other, lesser, companies. And the PRC polo is memorable because it's my first. It's not a great polo considering it was made back in the early 2000s when polo material was bad, but it's symbolic.
Jackets:
My three favorite jackets: Soft shell from the alma mater, giant puffy jacket from OSU, tech shell from Puget Sound.
Of the three of these, the soft shell from my alma mater is my favorite. I believe I wore that nearly every single day. The giant puffy jacket from OSU has to be the most comfortable jacket I've owned. I'm not a fan of puffy jackets, but this one is fantastic. It's long so it ends below the waist, and despite not being waterproof, it keep you warm in a downpour. The tech shell from Puget Sound is simply the coolest looking team jacket. Understated, snug, and decently water resistant, it was another every day coat while coaching.
Shirts:
My favorite shit: The tech shirt from the alma mater.
Funny, true story. My first year as a head coach for a collegiate program - co head coach - we'd saved up enough money from our yearly budget to put a sizeable down payment on a new racing eight for the men's program. However, when we went to discuss the purchase, we were informed that all purchases had to be made in full prior to the end of the fiscal year, and that budgets did not rollover to the next year. With that noted, upon returning the following year, we spent a ton of money up front to ensure that we were on budget. The result was several different shirts and hats including this tech shirt. It's nothing special, but the dark red logo with the angry bearcat on the white makes this an all time favorite.
Hats:
My favorite hat: Trucker hat and the baseball hat from OSU.
Hats are a touchy subject. For the longest time, I only wore one hat, my lucky Red Sox visor purchased just before the incredible 2004 ALCS. However, after 12 years of heavy use, it was time for a new hat, and winning WIRAs, a national championship and working with the JNT seemed like the perfect time to retire it. Normally I'm against baseball hats, but the trucker hat from OSU, and the 2019 baseball hat from OSU baseball fit the bill - no pun intended.
Team bag:
My favorite team bag: Patagonia pack from Oregon
While I wish the entire pack was waterproof, the fact that 3/4 of it is makes this a winner for the northwest. The screen printing could have been done better as it's beginning to flake off, but overall it's an excellent pack - it's Patagonia for gosh sakes. My favorite part is how it stands on its own and the simplicity of the pockets. Too often team bags are purchased for a team using cleats, and are handed out just so everyone has a bag. While this doesn't hold true for club sports, I appreciate that the team board put thought into what the pack needed to be and avoided buying a one size fits all just to try and fit in with the varsity sports.
Shoes:
Ok, this one isn't quite fair because only one team has given me shoes, and that would be OSU. I've received four pairs of shoes. One pair with the women - I still have those - and three for the men. Nike shoes are hit and miss for me. While I appreciate the quality, I haven't adjusted to the integrated tongue feature on some. I am simply not a fan. I do not think I'll ever own a pair of shoes as nice as the ones we got this year. I like them so much that they're still in the box, and have only been used once - I wore them as a splash of flair to part of the spring kick off before switching to dress shoes for the dinner. These things are lovely, and glorious.
So that is team gear in a nutshell. I've received a lot of gear, given much of it away because you don't need that much gear, but held onto a select few items as keepsakes.
And those 2019-2020 OSU shoes. Those are amazing.
I said I was done with the Peek Inside posts, but then I came up with another idea, something a bit more fun than the last post. Unfortunately this makes post 13 of the series, and we can't end on that. I do not believe in luck, but I am superstitious - you can make of that what you'd like - and 13 simply isn't a good number to end on. So I'll have to think of something else.
You've probably noticed the tone of the blog changing a bit from a very cut and dry style to one with a little more spice and pazazz which is somewhat intentional, and somewhat the way the posts have been going.
Typically I am a bit more buttoned up with my opinion on any topic that floats across the desk, and lately I've been more laid back and open with takes on visualization and lineups. I believe part of that is being removed from being able to do some hands on coaching. I miss that.
I was able to guest coach for a masters erg session on Zoom. I ran ten athletes through a drill session focused on the second half connection - if you work with me, then you know I spend a lot of time drilling on connection, especially the second half - which was a lot of fun. I offered my services up to help out so hopefully that takes the edge off the need to coach.
For this post, I thought I'd dive into something more fun: Team gear. Nothing specific as in the breakdown of what we have, but my favorite and least favorite pieces of gear that I've received. I won't have a lot of pictures of the gear because I've given away quite a bit of it, and what I've kept is sitting in storage. Someday I'll own a house with a large office, and I can display my collection. Medals and trophies do not mean much to me these days. They were more important when I was an athlete, but as a coach, you don't get many - I'm perfectly happy about this - and they tend to collect dust and require cleaning. My favorite pieces to hang onto are either a select piece of gear that has a special meaning or a picture.
I was going to break this down by program with a favorite and least favorite, but in some cases, I never received coaching gear or I chose not to purchase any.
Standard coaching gear usually comes in the following forms: Polos, a pullover/hoody/quarter zip, a hat or visor, a jacket, any team shirts that are ordered. In some cases, you get new gear each season, and in others, you don't. It depends on the program.
Polos:
My two favorite polos: The US JNT polo from High Performance Camp, and my first coaching polo from Pacific Rowing Club.
The US Rowing polo is from Boathouse, and is my favorite polo, ever. It's comfortable, durable, and shows the quality that is Boathouse in comparison to other, lesser, companies. And the PRC polo is memorable because it's my first. It's not a great polo considering it was made back in the early 2000s when polo material was bad, but it's symbolic.
Jackets:
My three favorite jackets: Soft shell from the alma mater, giant puffy jacket from OSU, tech shell from Puget Sound.
Of the three of these, the soft shell from my alma mater is my favorite. I believe I wore that nearly every single day. The giant puffy jacket from OSU has to be the most comfortable jacket I've owned. I'm not a fan of puffy jackets, but this one is fantastic. It's long so it ends below the waist, and despite not being waterproof, it keep you warm in a downpour. The tech shell from Puget Sound is simply the coolest looking team jacket. Understated, snug, and decently water resistant, it was another every day coat while coaching.
Shirts:
My favorite shit: The tech shirt from the alma mater.
Funny, true story. My first year as a head coach for a collegiate program - co head coach - we'd saved up enough money from our yearly budget to put a sizeable down payment on a new racing eight for the men's program. However, when we went to discuss the purchase, we were informed that all purchases had to be made in full prior to the end of the fiscal year, and that budgets did not rollover to the next year. With that noted, upon returning the following year, we spent a ton of money up front to ensure that we were on budget. The result was several different shirts and hats including this tech shirt. It's nothing special, but the dark red logo with the angry bearcat on the white makes this an all time favorite.
Hats:
My favorite hat: Trucker hat and the baseball hat from OSU.
Hats are a touchy subject. For the longest time, I only wore one hat, my lucky Red Sox visor purchased just before the incredible 2004 ALCS. However, after 12 years of heavy use, it was time for a new hat, and winning WIRAs, a national championship and working with the JNT seemed like the perfect time to retire it. Normally I'm against baseball hats, but the trucker hat from OSU, and the 2019 baseball hat from OSU baseball fit the bill - no pun intended.
Team bag:
My favorite team bag: Patagonia pack from Oregon
While I wish the entire pack was waterproof, the fact that 3/4 of it is makes this a winner for the northwest. The screen printing could have been done better as it's beginning to flake off, but overall it's an excellent pack - it's Patagonia for gosh sakes. My favorite part is how it stands on its own and the simplicity of the pockets. Too often team bags are purchased for a team using cleats, and are handed out just so everyone has a bag. While this doesn't hold true for club sports, I appreciate that the team board put thought into what the pack needed to be and avoided buying a one size fits all just to try and fit in with the varsity sports.
Shoes:
Ok, this one isn't quite fair because only one team has given me shoes, and that would be OSU. I've received four pairs of shoes. One pair with the women - I still have those - and three for the men. Nike shoes are hit and miss for me. While I appreciate the quality, I haven't adjusted to the integrated tongue feature on some. I am simply not a fan. I do not think I'll ever own a pair of shoes as nice as the ones we got this year. I like them so much that they're still in the box, and have only been used once - I wore them as a splash of flair to part of the spring kick off before switching to dress shoes for the dinner. These things are lovely, and glorious.
So that is team gear in a nutshell. I've received a lot of gear, given much of it away because you don't need that much gear, but held onto a select few items as keepsakes.
And those 2019-2020 OSU shoes. Those are amazing.
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