| My First Two Years: The Training of a Coxswain |
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Based on my own experience and watching other people, my theory is that it takes two seasons to form a truly knowledgable coxswain. In many ways, I am one of the most blessed short, bossy people that ever learned to cox. Through pain and pleasure, I learned all I know from some very amazing people. I learned all the basics from Stephanie. Steering, learning how to pick up calls from people around me, backing into a starting dock. All of the little things that other novice coxswains had to pick up by hook or by crook I was given straight out. The only thing I never figured out to Stephanie's satisfaction was steering straight in my lane. However, I didn't find my groove quite then. Who knows if a coxswain ever really finds his or her groove entirely. In fact, I found out later I had a lot to learn. My new coach was the varsity coach, a short and intense former rower. He picked out some of my flaws, repeating "Drive it down," every other stroke or so. He always did it while telling me what I did right, that my tone of voice on some of my repeated calls made the girls go harder and faster. Matt taught me how to steer with tiny adjustments so that I would be basically straight between the bouys. Much as Matt taught me, about coxing, motivating, and attitudes towards crew - both by telling me and by example - my girls taught me more. The juniors in the boat were a minority. At first two, and then, mid-way through the season, a third joined. My second year was my hardest crew season ever. My boat of eight girls, the JV 8 at our school, was splintered into little peices. The bow continuously was sarcastic towards the three-seat. The seven terrorized my stroke by her muttered angry expletives about the set until my stroke would yell at me, and I would get so frustrated, I would yell at the boat. My two in turn would yell back at me. The seven terrorized many in the boat around her. I didn't know what to do. However, I was always getting told new ideas. "Kareen," the juniors would say, talking about our varsity coxswain who had been their coxswain for two years, "did it this way." And I would quietly acquiece to the tradition of the varsity boats. From these girls, and some from Matt, I learned all of my stock phrases in my repetiore.From Kareen, whose name I partially learned to abhorr just because I heard it so much, while I considered her a good friend and admired her a tone, I learned attitude. My coach showed me her swagger, I desperately wanted her cool, innate control. She seemed born with the gift of coxing. After two seasons, I was hardly perfect. But all of my amazing influences molded me. They gave me gifts that have stayed with me. From Matt, I recieved the fire in my soul towards coxing. I was always striving to be able to motivate my girls as much as he could, when his launch pulled up next to us and he got in their faces. I would do anything to avoid his disapointment, and so would they. From Matt I learned the knowledge of when to be silent and when not to say everything, even though I don't practice this often. I owe Matt stock phrases like "drive it down" and "bend the oar" and "slam the knees down." To Matt I owe my ability to steer a head racing turn or stay straight in my lane. I owe him confidence. I had Matt for two more years after my sophomore year, and I can't imagine a better coach. From Kareen I learned much. Most of it was vicarious. "In two," after weigh'nough, how many strokes of each to do on the pick drill for warm-up. Asking my girls how I could motivate them better before each race, the way I really gained my fire to find those magic words. From Kareen, I learned how to steer next to another coxswain, how to talk to the coxswain I was working with. From Kareen I learned attitude and gained an ideal. An ideal next to Cate, that is, her predecessor and a Scholastic Rowing Association National champion, my hero. My boat taught me so much, as well. From Beth I learned never to be quiet for more than two strokes, even if I had to unlearn that later. From Christina and Becky I learned all of the little things that "Kareen says." I learned that crew could be hard, and I learned to love my girls. Beth gave me the greatest gift of my crew career, when, junior year, she said in her senior speech that our year together was her time of greatest growth and that I was an OK coxswain after all. We learn the most, sometimes, from the hard times. So, push on. That's what crew is. That's what my JV girls taught me, my sophomore year. It's part of the training of a coxswain. Ninthgirl User Comments:
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