Why I Love What I Do

The other day, a rower at Western University in Ontario asked me to coach her during one of her last university training sessions because she aspires to join the Canadian national team.

The sculler, who had an outstanding college career, has rowed on the Canadian U23 team and also competed in World Cup races, so she is talented and accomplished. I love invitations like this because it’s always exciting to watch rowing at a high level and the coach boat is the best place to do that.

In addition, it’s challenging and fulfilling to provide an elite rower meaningful criticism in the short span of a single training session. Rowers of this caliber are confident of their ability and already know how to move a boat well. Nevertheless, superior rowers are interested always in practical information that will help them go faster.

After getting green-lighted by her coach, who even prepared a launch for me, and with the weather gods smiling, we were off.

The first thing I do when tutoring a rower is observe the crew as they warm up. My initial feedback usually concerns issues that can be fixed immediately, such as rig adjustments. Typically, top rowers use well-rigged boats customized for their anthropometrics. Still, it’s worth checking these features.

Next, I look for technical improvements that can be made swiftly and with relatively little effort, such as hand position on the oar. Like many rowers, the woman I was coaching had positioned her hands at slightly different distances from the end of the handle. Moving her right hand a bit closer to the inboard end was a quick and easy fix.

After recommending these small changes, I move on to more substantive, complex matters. This is when the real coaching challenge begins, especially with experienced athletes already rowing well and moving fast using their current methods. You must be cognizant of their strengths and technical proficiency while making sure also to support what their regular coach teaches.

A rower can work effectively on only one technical problem at a time, so it’s important to detect and then focus on the change that will make the biggest difference. To do this, it helps to know the model technique or ideal movement pattern based on sound biomechanical principles.

While observing the crew, I proceed step by step. Can the rower be helped by increasing propulsion or minimizing drag? If propulsion needs improvement, it may be because of the length of the effective drive or the application of force. If a rower tends to lose boat speed, the culprits are usually things that increase drag, such as incorrect vertical and horizontal motion or negative forces on the oars.

With the rower I was coaching, I pinpointed the tension in her shoulders during the second part of the drive as the movement she should work on to apply better force. Improving that part of her stroke, I explained, will not only lead to a stronger pull at the end but also ameliorate her less-than-optimal hand positioning. After making sure she understood, I gave her time to practice the change and get a feel for what it’s like.

It’s difficult for rowers to alter an ingrained stroke pattern. That’s why drills, which enable them to experience the feeling of improved performance, are so useful. Our job as coaches is to demonstrate how to execute the drill and acknowledge when it’s been performed correctly. Rowers should have ample opportunity to realize the sensation produced by correct movement and encouraged to repeat this tactile feedback until the new pattern is cemented firmly in muscle memory.

The aim is for rowers to feel that changing the way they move results in less effort, more comfort, better balance, and higher speed. Coaches should call attention to these achievements and praise rowers accordingly.

When rowers fail to progress and, worse, regress, coaches must communicate this honestly, carefully, and clearly. Perhaps the rowers misunderstood the instructions, or tried to correct their movement in the wrong way, or the drill was inappropriate and poorly designed. Whatever the case, the attempt must be halted and errors corrected, because you don’t want your rowers to learn a technical mistake.

Close analysis of movement patterns, clear identification of the main technical error, wise selection of instructions and drills, and inspiring feedback are essential elements in the process of improving technique. Constructive criticism and enthusiastic encouragement are powerful coaching tools, and both teacher and pupil need a good amount of patience.

Helping rowers overcome their flaws and achieve better performance on the water is what inspires us coaches and makes our work exciting.