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Hi, i'm a coxswain for a varsity team at our rowing club and i just finished my first season (spring). rite now, i'm doing summer, so this is technically my second season, but i feel like i've been stuck at a place for a while. i want to become a better coxswain for the rowers, but i don't know how to. i've tried asking really experienced coxswains, experienced rowers, and coaches for help, but they haven't really been able to give me any advice except that i need to find my own niche and it'll come with experience. i've also tried reading coxing guides and stuff on different sites, but i don't really know what to do. i know some of the rowers get frustrated with me sometimes and would prefer the better coxswain (for summer), but they can't give me any direct advice when i ask them for suggestions. my rowers know i'm frustrated and that i truly want to get better for them. i think that i need help in all aspects of coxing, but i probably need the most help in being able to pinpoint the problems occurring in the boat. i've been thinking about rowing for a while, but our coxswains don't train with the crew in winter and no one is really willing to help me in the tanks rite now. can anyone give me advice in general or tell me some good sources for coxing tips and rowing technique?
User Comments: | Subject: Re: coxing advice | |
| Submitted by Anonymous Coward on 2004-07-27 15:16:40 | Comment:
"i know some of the rowers get frustrated with me sometimes and would prefer the better coxswain (for summer), but they can't give me any direct advice when i ask them for suggestions."
How experienced are your rowers? It is probably hard for them to pinpoint any direct problems if they are realatively inexperienced. They do recognize, though, that your coxing could be improved (as you say), and they CAN compare you to the other, "better", cox. This makes them feel frustrated and restless. A quick fix (I use this term lightly) can be for you personally to sit down and ask yourself how you are acting in the boat. For example if you are feeling inexperienced and asking for a lot of feedback constantly while on the water your rowers will probably not be impressed. While you're on the water TAKE CHARGE, tell your rowers what you're going to do before you do it; the focus should be primarily on THEM. Be firm, not indecisive. I'm not saying be a slave driver; you can lighten up and joke around, but your job is to make decisions. If you feel like you need to ask them questions, ask your stroke seat quietly, not over the mic. And when all else fails, fake it. You need to be in control at all times.
I say that this is a quick fix because even though this attitude is a major one-up in coxing, it will not gain you the ability to be had through experience. The trick to great coxing it to gain a relationship with your rowers that will have them performing their best. A really good cox will know by intuition what to say to their rowers; when to joke around, when to take it seriously, and when to really push them.
"my rowers know i'm frustrated and that i truly want to get better for them. i think that i need help in all aspects of coxing, but i probably need the most help in being able to pinpoint the problems occurring in the boat."
I don't know if this opportunity is available to you, but try to get a chance to sit in/cox a really experienced boat. This will help you infinitely, hopefully to pinpoint problems in your own boat.
I hope this post hasn't been to cryptic; there was something specific I wanted to say there.
-J
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| Subject: Re: coxing advice | |
| Submitted by Anonymous Coward on 2004-07-28 16:56:46 | Comment:
As a former rower - I rowed in a womens light weight 8 in highschool - i know that my coaxing abilities are a little bit superior than my fellow coaxwains in college. This is due to the fact that I know what a set boat feels as a rower and as a coaxwain i can see why the boat is unset etc.etc.
my advice is to try to get into sculling, if you have evening sculling sessions, or on weekends when you dont have a race.
I didnt start coaxing untill the summer of my junior year and i too did a summer rowing program, and let me tell you , my first few weeks were horrible. But then, i got the hang of it.
DONT GET NERVOUS!! the worse thing that can happen is for you to freak out because you are afraid that the rowers will be mad at you. do what you have to do and do it forcefully, they are your rowers and you have complete controll over them.
again, the type of rowers you are coaxing has an effect as well.
if they are novice or rather new rowers then no one really knows what they are doing, which leads to fustration.
also, ask your coach if you can coax one of the better boats so you can talk to the stroke as well as the boat as what you can do to improve your coaxing.
it also depends on what kind of boat you are steering. if its an 8 than its harder to pin point who is doing what because there are so many people in the boat.
although i can coax an 8, i perfer a 4 because its more personal, and im small enough anyways to coax a 4, and, you can fix and steer easier. but its all about finding your niche.
dont worry about what the rowers are thinking, not everyone started as the best coaxwain.
work your way up and earn their respect, and then they will be asking for you!!
~becky
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| Subject: Re: coxing advice | |
| Submitted by mubby29 (-) on 2004-07-30 12:10:10 | Comment:
Its been my experience that the best coxswains, are former rowers, or at least have rowed ina boat at one time so they know the stroke well. you mentioned that no one would be willing to help you learn how to row in the off season, so maybe tell your coach that the best way for yout o learn is to row. also watching and listening to other more experienced coxswains helps a lot more than the advice they can give you. coxing doesnt come easy for everyone so dont expect ot jump in boat and get it right away. learn from your mistakes as well as the other coxswains mistakes.
| | | Subject: Re: coxing advice | | Submitted by 9 (
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) on 2004-08-02 02:15:29 website:http:// | Comment:
Let's focus on your problems, not on the cliche things coxswains/rowers/coaches like to say: it will come with time and experience.
-You should be sure of yourself, you are the leader of your boat, even if you are a bad one. You have the final word, don't let frustrated rowers talk you into giving commands you don't agree with or don't understand. If you don't understand, don't mean, or can't back up what you are about to say, then don't say it.
-Your job description doesn't say that words have to come out of your mouth the entire time you are on the water, that may be one of the reasons why your rowers get frustrated. Don't overwhelm them with your words, keep commands short, don't say in twenty words what you can say in ten.
-Which means you have to edit yourself, not just for being breif, but also in your choice of words. Find out what the rowers want to hear, not all rowers appreciate slang. Besides, any idiot can get in that seat and yell obscenities, it takes knowledge of the rowing motion to be able to say constructive things, which reminds me...
-Always be positive, a crew will move faster if they are thinking positively rather than you telling them how slow they are, or how much they suck-- they get enough of that from the coach already. This will prove especially useful on raceday, when you are getting their spirits high, focus on the positive. That doesn't mean you shouldn't criticize them and correct their mistakes, but do it so in a manner that isn't derogatory, and don't compare or insult rowers, whether they are in or out of your boat.
-Be tough on your rowers, demand of them a lot, you'll be surprised how much they can actually accomplished. They might hate you every day for it during practice, but when they win, they won't forget your efforts. You don't have to get your rowers' approval of what you do as long as you are sure of what you are doing, that is your job, you make the calls, if they don't like it, then they should get another sport.
-But you aren't Napoleon, you are all still teamates, don't forget that, in a team you guys are all equal, and the boat will move fast if everyone is doing their job well. You do yours, and help them do theirs.
-A good way to steer a boat without making it go slower is to add pressure on different sides, depending where you want to turn. If you want your bow starboard, then have the ports increase pressure and viceversa. To ensure the rudder moves as little as possible, I hold the cables strong with both hands, and I simply ease of in one hand, and the rudder will move slightly. Unless you are about to crash, or you won't make a turn, DO NOT make big adjustments with the rudder, it will destroy the set, and if you choose to use it, make it on the drive when the boat is most statble, and straighten it before the finish. A more stable boat makes rowers happy.
-Have a good relationship with your stroke, he can feel a lot of things that you can't be in constant communication with him, so that you know what's happening and can give instructions to correct it. There are two main ways to find out what's happening, one is listening to your stroke.
-The other one is by watching the blades, make sure you watch a specific balde for a few stroke during every drill if possible, and focus on the main problems, key word, main not all, or you will frustrate the rowers, fix the big things first, then polish the corners. You don't always have to say things on the spot, but make a mental note, have your own ideas about what can be done to correct a problem, not just of a specific rower, but for the entire boat, do you need to bucket it? change some people around? Don't be afraid to let your coach no your ideas, but make it clear it is a suggestion, he has the final word.
-Here is the chain of command
God
Coach
Cox
Rower
-Above all, you better like it, or you'll be lousy forever, no matter how anorexic you are. Oh yeah, that's another thing, no intelligent coxswain waits for the week before the race to loose weight.
-Just like the rowers train all winter, so should the coxswain have a plan for his or her weight, so that they are were they want to be on race day, it takes months for healthy weight loss, don't become anorexic.
| | Subject: Re: coxing advice | | Submitted by 9 (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) on 2004-08-02 02:37:30 website:http:// | Comment:
I'm sorry about the comment I just sent you, it was meant to be an answer the original question, its in the open forum now.
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| Subject: coxing advice | |
| Submitted by 9 (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
) on 2004-08-02 02:36:16 website:http:// | Comment:
Let's focus on your problems, not on the cliche things coxswains/rowers/coaches like to say: it will come with time and experience.
-You should be sure of yourself, you are the leader of your boat, even if you are a bad one. You have the final word, don't let frustrated rowers talk you into giving commands you don't agree with or don't understand. If you don't understand, don't mean, or can't back up what you are about to say, then don't say it.
-Your job description doesn't say that words have to come out of your mouth the entire time you are on the water, that may be one of the reasons why your rowers get frustrated. Don't overwhelm them with your words, keep commands short, don't say in twenty words what you can say in ten.
-Which means you have to edit yourself, not just for being breif, but also in your choice of words. Find out what the rowers want to hear, not all rowers appreciate slang. Besides, any idiot can get in that seat and yell obscenities, it takes knowledge of the rowing motion to be able to say constructive things, which reminds me...
-Always be positive, a crew will move faster if they are thinking positively rather than you telling them how slow they are, or how much they suck-- they get enough of that from the coach already. This will prove especially useful on raceday, when you are getting their spirits high, focus on the positive. That doesn't mean you shouldn't criticize them and correct their mistakes, but do it so in a manner that isn't derogatory, and don't compare or insult rowers, whether they are in or out of your boat.
-Be tough on your rowers, demand of them a lot, you'll be surprised how much they can actually accomplished. They might hate you every day for it during practice, but when they win, they won't forget your efforts. You don't have to get your rowers' approval of what you do as long as you are sure of what you are doing, that is your job, you make the calls, if they don't like it, then they should get another sport.
-But you aren't Napoleon, you are all still teamates, don't forget that, in a team you guys are all equal, and the boat will move fast if everyone is doing their job well. You do yours, and help them do theirs.
-A good way to steer a boat without making it go slower is to add pressure on different sides, depending where you want to turn. If you want your bow starboard, then have the ports increase pressure and viceversa. To ensure the rudder moves as little as possible, I hold the cables strong with both hands, and I simply ease of in one hand, and the rudder will move slightly. Unless you are about to crash, or you won't make a turn, DO NOT make big adjustments with the rudder, it will destroy the set, and if you choose to use it, make it on the drive when the boat is most statble, and straighten it before the finish. A more stable boat makes rowers happy.
-Have a good relationship with your stroke, he can feel a lot of things that you can't be in constant communication with him, so that you know what's happening and can give instructions to correct it. There are two main ways to find out what's happening, one is listening to your stroke.
-The other one is by watching the blades, make sure you watch a specific balde for a few stroke during every drill if possible, and focus on the main problems, key word, main not all, or you will frustrate the rowers, fix the big things first, then polish the corners. You don't always have to say things on the spot, but make a mental note.
-As for the rowing motion: Think of the catch as the first part of the drive, not the last of the recovery, the blades should enter just before the catch, when the rower is still approaching the stern; if they wait till they hit the stern to place the blades, they'll end up rowing them in. In the drive, aim for the sternum, first legs, then back, and then the arms, and keep those arms stable. Remember, only the blade pushes the water, anything else underwater isn't helping your boat go faster, so all that has to be buried is the blade. At the finish, with the outside hand, just push the oarhandle down, as soon as it reaches its lowest point (or a little sooner) feather with the inside hand and quickly get the arms and shoulders out of bow, but once you get to the legs, very controlled. A good ratio to keep in mind is that for every time you say "drive" you should be able to say "recover" three times, during the stroke. Of course, its very hard to achieve at higher ratings, so the best way to make sure that you are getting enough run and not rushing the recovery is to look at the spacing of the puddles that are made as the boat goes, ideally, you shouldn't be able to tell which puddle was made by the stroke and which one by the bow, they should be evenly spaced across the water, the only time that spacing should change is when the rating is changed.
-Be familiar with the drills the coach uses to correct the problems in the boat. Be familiar with his phrases, so that you can say them too. Make your rowers think as little as possible, repetition will help them remember things. And have your own ideas about making a boat go faster, whether it is replacing a rower, changing the rigging, the position of a rower, and let your coach know of your ideas, as suggestions, he may listen to you. That being said here is the chain of command:
God
Coach
Coxswain
Rower
-Just like your rowers train in the winter, you should be thinking about how much you want to weigh for race day. It takes months to loose weight healthily, a responsible coxswain will have been tracking their weight for months so that they reach their goal on race day. Only morons, purge themselves the week before, they have no idea the problems they are causing for themselves.
-Above all, love what you are doing, if you don't then don't do it, you won't be any good, and you won't make boats any good either.
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