A little story from my checkered past. Some have heard it, some will be shocked.
The setting: a Thursday afternoon practice in spring, 1996. Housatonic river, where Yale University practices. The first freshman 8+, your humble correspondent in 5, is racing the varsity and JV over 2000m.
We would get a head start on the other boats, but remember our purpose out there was to be the rabbit. They were supposed to catch us.
With 500m to go, the varsity has come even and we're struggling to hold them off. I've been killing myself and the rest of the guys are as well. However, my oar is cutting through water on the recovery. As the blade would swing back, it's hitting water falling from above. That water is from the 3 seat's miserable finish. He's pulling the blade out before he's gotten to the body and feathering in the water. This throws water in the air and isn't the best way to row. I don't care all that much, because I know he's doing well otherwise.
Until, that is, he starts shouting in the middle of the race: "Finishes!"
Now, I can deal with a little chatter in a boat. I would growl and mutter a few words to Hans in front of me every once in awhile when things were flying. Nothing specific, just "yeah Hans. Here we go, you and me" just before a flutter or on the settle.
But listening to another rower mention finishes when his own sucked rankled me a little. I was willing to forget the whole thing until he started repeating. Every 15 strokes or so. Just enough to get the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.
Really, where was he getting all this wind to shout? I could rarely raise my voice above a mutter. I needed all the breath I could get to feed my starving legs that were rapidly filling with lactic acid.
The varsity passed us, of course. We managed to hold contact and lose by about 8 seats. The JV was 3 lengths back. All in all, a good piece. We then turned for the dock.
At Yale, the finish line is at the dock. Turn around with port side and you're lined up. So, it's not uncommon to land less than a minute after the end of the race. So, we were still gasping and my blood was still up. As soon as we touched, I released my feet and stalked back two seats. I threw my shirt in 3s face and tried to push him into the water. "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP YOU MISERABLE &$*#@@(#!"
Insert a lot of swearing and a gang tackle by 2 and 4. By now, the coach is on the dock and drags us into the repair bay to have it out. After listening to me rant and 3 reply in a hurt tone, he laid down the law:
Neither of you know enough about rowing to fill a pimple on the ass of the body of knowledge of the sport. Don't begin to think you have any idea about your own technique, much less other's. So don't correct your teammates that way.
And don't attack your teammates around the boathouse. You're supposed to be fighting the other crews, not each other.
A good set of rules, don't you all think?
10 comments:
Good story, but you spelled "coarse" wrong, it's "course"...
Thanks. Just goes to prove spell check isn't perfect. Also proves those of us who claim to be teachers aren't perfect. Nor should we try to be.
Jay, no sweat, this whol "school" concept has gone to my head, and trust me, I'm far from perfect.
Jay, I think a reason we talk about each others technique is bcause it is the easiest way to get feedback. I may be wrong but I feel I don't get enough feedback from the launch. Now I know that I am one and the lauch could be watching 16 people and few may fall through the cracks. Whatever no biggie.
Amen! Ok now that that's out of the way I'd like to apologize to everyone who I've ever corrected. Now I am most definately not the only one who should be apologizing. But all that aside I think this is a good lesson everyone can learn from, if you dont want to get beat up, shut up. If I may, now that i have the spotlight, I'd like to take this opportunity to tell everyone that the Coxswain situation is getting a bit absurd. Myself included we need to chill out and let the coxswains do thier job and we should do ours. Before I go I'd like to bring up the point Jay made about having enough energy to yell durring the piece. Every time I hear someone yell I think to myself now wouldnt it be alot more productive to channel that energy into your stroke rather than your mouth.
Adam, Amen brother! However one thing. Right now some of our coxswains need coaching from us on how to run a race/practice. I think a bit, and i mean bit, is neccesary between cox, 7, and 8. But the telling the cox how to steer and spin is redicoulus (i know i am a culprit), we all need to learn to trust them and find the right opprotunities for constructive critisism. But the time for that is not in the middle of a piece.
P.S. If it has nothing to do with rowing, don't talk about it in the boat. I don't give a d$$$ about your chemistry test.
Anon:
I'm fine with guys talking about technique, but I'm not fine with nasty comments designed to assign blame for a lost piece. That doesn't happen. Boats lose pieces, not individuals.
I have had to deliver the same smackdown a few times myself (albeit much more civilized - I am a lady after all). Personally I am not even very tolerant of the most well-meaning reminder to watch my catch or whatever the coach has told me is my problem du jour. Especially now that I am no longer competing but rowing for fun, the general assumption is that you always do your best to listen to the coach and try to fix your problem. Now I may not do 'it' (quick catch or not feathering in the water or whatever) every single stroke, but I'm trying. If a gentle reminder comes from a fellow rower I tend to bristle because it makes me feel like that person thinks I'm not trying.
Now from the other side - if I see someone in front of me continue to miss water despite many lectures by the coach, I may be tempted to prod them into doing something about it. After all, their problem is messing with my row too, right? Well, in my opinion that problem will get fixed one way or another. The coach will see their inability to improve and their standing on the team will drop like a great big sack full of kittens, so either they'll quit or they'll get the hint and work on it. In the world of non-competitive, row-with-whoever-can-show-up masters rowing (I'm not a master YET thank you!), slowly that person just stops being invited to row.
So that's my two cents on this issue. And I think Coach Jay has many many more great stories to tell from the annals of Yale rowing.
And yes guys, I did spell that right.
Jay - will I see your crew at scholastic nationals here in May?
You'll see our crew at Midwest Scholastics in May. Hopefully, you'll also see us at Invitationals in June.
Long way to go yet.
I hope you see us at nationals, good luck varsity men.
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