“Dare to Be,” A Review
As I booted up my computer to watch the new rowing film, “Dare to Be,” I couldn’t help thinking back to 1985, when I was invited along with a few hundred people in the Boston rowing community to see the U.S. premiere of “The Boy in Blue,” a biopic of Canadian sculler Ned Hanlan starring Nicholas Cage. We all held our breath that this would do for rowing what a good sports movie should—fire up our imaginations, show the beauty, the grace, and the toughness that the sport requires, and get people talking about rowing. But as we left the theater after the disappointment of seeing Cage scull to victory in the 19th century, a friend wondered, “Why does every filmmaker try to make “Rocky Goes Rowing?”
Adam Reist avoids that pitfall. “Dare to Be” is a documentary and Reist wisely doesn’t focus on whether the subjects he followed over the course of four years will win or not. Instead, we get a bit of rowing history, some high school rowing, and learn more about the tremendous impact of Title IX and the difficulty of getting back onto the national team as mavericks operating outside the training center model.
The 90-minute film follows the progress and setbacks of three distinct cohorts of rowers: a high school sculler who is the filmmaker’s daughter; a college rower, Abby Young of Yale; and a pair of national-teamers, Sara Hendershot and Sarah Zelenka.
The film’s celebration of women’s rowing is a good thing. But this viewer would have liked to have seen even more on what differentiates these three groups of athletes. One approach would have been to focus more on the national team women who have met with such phenomenal success on the international stage.
Eleven consecutive gold medals in the women’s eight is so stunning that it could easily serve as the centerpiece of a rowing movie. We do hear from their coach, Tom Terhaar, and what he says is appropriately sagacious—like all of the coaches who are filmed—but it made me want to hear from and see the women from that incredible team.
There was a time when any new film that featured rowing would be a cause for celebration. Rowing is incredibly photogenic. The rhythmic motion of the oars is visually exciting. Watching the strong, young bodies of the oarswomen work through their training regimes, one feels tremendous respect for their dedication and their motivation. This is a beautiful activity, but it is a hard activity. And “Dare to Be” indeed features a lot of superb camera work.
Of course, making a film where the principals are young has its challenges. You need to choose someone with the potential to be great. Because it is so hard to attain greatness in a sport like rowing, and so difficult to predict who will grow and find success in ways that are dramatic for the screen, it is a crap shoot. To Reist’s credit, he is not interested in showing just what happens to winners. The narrative works well enough even though each group falls a little short of their goal.
Who is the audience for this film? Well, rowers, one might suppose. But there are a number of moments where we hear athletes talking about rowing that will offer few new insights to current rowers. So the more likely audience is people who have not rowed, perhaps parents or relatives or the habitually curious sports fan. Ultimately, the power and beauty Reist captures so well is “Dare to Be’s” greatest strength—a sublime look at an often difficult path.
Drills for the Double
Doubles are an enigmatic boat class. Doubles are an enigmatic boat class. Some doubles fly. Others don’t go anywhere. One of the keys to moving the double is blending styles with your partner and syncing up your timing, swing, and power application. Start by focusing on your release. Line up the angles of the oars and set your foot stretchers so the blades exit together. Use a 30-degree angle as a reference or row for a while with square blades to feel the release point. Then match your follow-through and setting your body angle. This will allow you to maintain momentum from the drive through to the point the slides starts. For your initial technique sessions, warm up alternating 20 strokes stroke seat, 20 strokes bow seat, 20 strokes together. You can row one series of each starting at quarter slide building to half-, three-quarter, and full slide. Then row for 10 minutes with your feet out of the shoes to focus on releasing simultaneously and keeping the handle speed moving through the transition. Spend 40 minutes rowing four minutes at an 18 and one minute pausing arms and body away. Let your knees rise to your chest as you compress. Keep the handles moving around the swivel and time the entry together.
Corrective Action
There are several technique faults, such as lunging at the catch and lifting the shoulders, that can be bedeviling for coaches and athletes. Many rowers don’t feel the movement of their shoulders; they need to see what they are doing. Videoing them once a week will help advance their understanding of the movement they need to perform. Start by shooting the blades on one side and then the other. Position your boat just outside the line of puddles and fill the screen with the four blades. Move to record each person for at least 10 strokes. Have both the athlete and the oar in the picture so you can review how the blade is working as a result of the body’s movements. Zoom in tightly on the body to capture technical flaws such as lunging, late body angle prep, and lifting of the shoulders. Capturing footage from directly behind the boat will show you how well the bodies are over the keel and whether your athletes are rowing with excessive or inadequate reach. You can also help the coxswain see his or her steering by dropping behind the boat and showing the wake pattern and the boat’s course relative to the coxswain’s line. You may want a shot from the side of the boat showing the whole crew to show rhythm and timing. Include the coxswain in these shots to evaluate posture and how well they move with the boat itself.
Pitch Perfect
Returning to the water after a long layoff reveals a lot. This includes subtle variances of rigging that you may have grow accustomed to in the prior season. Wear and tear on the oarlock and sleeve are common culprits for pitch changes, but even the oar shaft undergoes small changes over time. All typical oar shafts are built by rolling carbon fiber strings around plugs. Although the manufacturers apply the carbon in several layers and different directions, it is conceivable that the outer layers are more affected by incident solar radiation and further curing over time, which may lead to some tensions in the materials. This is why it is important to check the pitch regularly. The most accurate way to do so is to independently measure the pitch on the oarlock and the blade. This procedure is not only more accurate than measuring the blade while it is in the oarlock, it will also identity which part of the equipment is responsible for the faulty pitch. In most cases, this is the oar. Scraping or sanding some material down on one side of the sleeve can usually fix small changes in pitch, but sometimes it is necessary to replace the sleeve entirely. Once corrected, however, you will notice immediately how much better your rowing feels.
At a Loss
Freedom from monthly menstrual periods has historically been something of a source of pride for many female athletes. That is, until they experience infertility when they do want to get pregnant. Amenorrhea—the loss of menses—is never a reason to celebrate. Unfortunately, that message does not always make it to high school girls. Despite popular belief, amenorrhea does not happen because a woman is training hard or has low body fat. Many female athletes are very lean, train hard, and do have regular periods. Athletes with amenorrhea fail to eat enough to support both exercise and menses. Add stress and perhaps other contributing factors, and one’s ability to become pregnant is halted. So what to do? Simply advising them to eat more to correct the energy imbalance is easier said than done, with amenorrhea commonly wrapped up in disordered eating patterns. As far as what to eat, it’s recommended that a healthy female athlete consume at least 13.5 calories per pound of lean body weight that is not burned off with purposeful exercise. For a woman who weighs 120 pounds and has 18 percent body fat, that’s about 1,400 calories. A sports dietitian can help correct this imbalance, as well as help female athletes find peace with food.
Drivers Wanted
Recruiting for coxswains is difficult for two simple reasons: college teams need far fewer coxswains than rowers, and coxswains don’t have erg times. One advantage, however, is that at some colleges a coxswain can be a candidate for multiple teams. These differences make the path to college unique for prospective coxswains.
If a college you are targeting has multiple teams you could cox for, reach out to each of them. Males should contact both the heavyweight and lightweight teams. Females should make contact with both the women’s and men’s coaches. Also make sure you’re the correct weight for the team. Women’s coxswains need to weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and men’s coxswains at least 125 pounds.
After figuring out if you’re the right size, the coach will typically try to determine how good you are in the boat. One clear indication is whether or not you’re the top coxswain on your current team. Another indication is a coach’s recommendation. These are vital. Winning a few races helps too. It’s that simple.
Be an athlete. Every coach would prefer a coxswain who has competed in other sports. Proven competitiveness counts for a lot.
With your correspondence, show you’re organized, responsive, and on top of your game. Your conduct must give coaches confidence that they can trust you to lead their crews. Nothing will torpedo your chances faster than being undependable or your parents doing the communicating.
Do not send a resume filled with extra-curricular activities that are non-athletic. College coaches are looking for athletes who want to row or cox; not do a million different things on campus.
Some coaches want recordings of your races. Others don’t. Steering matters much more than your calls. Don’t boast that you’re a “great motivator.” It shows a complete lack of understanding of the coxswain’s role.
Finally, if you want to get recruited, make it easier for the coaches to recruit you. Coaches want coxswains who can gain admission with little or no help. Be an above average academic candidate for their college. Rarely will coaches use their limited admissions support for a coxswain. The same is true for athletic scholarships. If you’re not looking for an athletic grant in aid you will have more opportunities, even at scholarship schools. Unfortunately, sometimes the same is true for need-based financial aid. Ask.
