Coxswain Tips: Are You Intimidated by Your Crew?
Everyone has to start somewhere, and novice coxswains are often partnered with more experienced crews to avoid a blind-leading-the-blind situation. Even when the coxswain has just as much experience as his or her crew—more even—rowing can exaggerate the strong personalities in the boat. You'd think from the way some rowers speak to their coxswain that the coxswain was the most clueless, least motivated person on earth. If you are this unmotivated coxswain, stop reading and quit now.
If you are not this coxswain, if you care about making it work with your crew, this is for you. The most important thing to remember in this situation is that if someone is yelling at you, they care about what you’re doing. There is a pretty strong relationship between the amount of yelling and the amount of caring. This can be a good thing; it means you’re on the same team.
Don’t try to impress strong personalities with brilliant calls. Earn their trust slowly by nailing the basics. Be the first person at practice. Don’t make a big deal out of it, just do it. Use the extra time to make sure you have everything you need and that your equipment is working properly. It’s also not a bad idea to check out the water conditions, especially if you row on a river. Know who is in your boat for the day and what seats they’re in so you can mentally check them off as they filter into the boathouse. When your coach asks, “is everybody here?” or “who are we missing?” you will already know.
A common side effect of doing these things consistently is that your boat tends to be the first one on the water. You can get off the dock, tied in, oriented in the right direction and started with the warmup or pre-warmup drill before the other crews even get out of the boathouse. You earn a little more trust from your crew every time you get them somewhere first, even if it’s just in practice.
