Preparing for invasion

We're having the guys over to the house for a barbeque tomorrow. Given the success last year's event was, I knew this year would have to be a little better.

Therefore, we're serving ribs as well as burgers and dogs. However, as many have pointed out, the guys would eat fried dogfood if I put some spices in it and they were hungry enough.

I'm thinking 20 lbs of ribs, 25 lbs of burger meat and a few dozen hotdogs. We looked into a whole smoked pig, but that was too expensive.

Yes, the boats finally got here. They need a little work before everything is rigged perfect, but it shouldn't be that much. They're really different from our Vespolis and come "factory rigged" different than the rest of our boats. That causes a few different-looking rigs on the oars that go with these boats. The coxed four especially has some interesting oars. Any coach looking at those oars is going to think I'm an idiot, trying to kill my crew. What he doesn't know is that I really MIGHT be trying to kill my crew. (Insert evil laugh here.)

College is easier...

...on the coach. Selection is easier when your crew only rows 8s. It's either light or open weight, first, second or third boat.

Nobody races two events.

Nobody sculls.

Occasionally, there are 4 events. That's about it.

I'm getting a headache with schedules, selection and lineups. I sent out lineups for Scholastic sprints today, so the guys have an idea of what we're doing. I'm still up in the air about a few things at Midwest. The days are slipping away, and I'm still vacillating.

Great way to engender trust in one's crew, isn't it? I suppose it's better than blindly following one course, no matter the signs along the way. I'm giving myself until Friday's practice, when I will announce to the guys the lineups for Midwest. I'm putting that up here so they hold me to it.

College is easier.

A few other random, non-rowing thoughts

Remember that "Christmas Story" movie that plays non-stop every holiday season? The one set in the late 40s with the kid in northern Ohio? He says "My father was the most feared furnace fighter in northern Ohio..." That's becoming me.

Third time since we moved into the house, the furnace has decided it's on strike. It's not so bad this time, as temps are above freezing. Last time saw lows at night of 20 or so. However, I'm getting tired of this.

I've got a warranty that covers the repairs, so it's not like a huge expense. It's more the hassle. The stinking thing always knows to crap out on the weekend, usually after 5pm. Just to make the evening fun, and then screw up the next day as somebody has to be home for the repairman.

The first time, we had a great little camp out in the living room in front of the fire, had hot chocolate then baked a cake to warm up the kitchen. All 5 of us (we've got two cats) snuggled down in the bed that night and were comfortable.

The second time, I bought some space heaters to make things a little more comfortable.

This time, I just roll with it. It's like clearing snow. First time is fun, second ok, third a pain.

The guys make fun of my taste in music, particularly my recent techno-craze. Sat radio really feeds this. Sirius is perhaps the best gift I've ever gotten, as it's brought music back into my life in a way Emily can tolerate. I think my selections in college got a little repetitive after awhile. (Too much Rush. What can I say, I was 20.)

I've seen that many of the kids on the team, boys and girls, have started blogs. I'm glad to see everyone's writing skills are improving, given the dreadful level of English instruction in the FC school district. I do read many of them, and Emily is fascinated with high school life; just the developmental psychologist in her.

Tomorrow, I have to finalize the entry for Scholastic sprints, which really means Midwest as well. I've dallied too much this season, (again) and lost valuable time for boats to gel. Is this because the model in college varsity crews is still familiar to me? Perhaps I don't like having to make those final decisions between rowers. I really care about the feelings of all the guys and it's hard to decide between them when things are close.

Wow, I just read what I typed. It's late, I'm tired and my guard must be down a little. Before I know it, the guys will think I'm just a big teddy bear to walk all over. I'd better be careful and be really mean tomorrow.

Finally, WHERE THE DEVIL ARE OUR NEW BOATS??!!?!?!?

That's a little more like it

Really went after the guys today with a 6x500m day. Because of time, it became 5.

The last piece showed some real improvement in the heavy boat. When a rower finds their commitment challenged, they usually respond one of two ways. Either shut down, sulky and sullen in the boat or decide to go ahead and blow themselves out on one workout, as an offering to that jerk of a coach. "Here, is this good enough for you?!?"

What funny is that's what the coach is looking for. That kind of crazy, lunatic power output will win races. The guys need to understand. Go nuts, every stroke. That brings wins, not saving anything for the end.

To the Mens "Varsity" 8

I take pride in being a graduate of Fox Chapel Crew. I take pride to think that I help start the transformation that took place between my Junior and Senior seasons. But the thing that gave me the most pride was knowing that we defied expectations. Our Varsity 8 was small by most standards, with only 2 guys over 180lbs, the rest of the boat teetering on the edge of lightweight. Our stroke was 5’7, a virtual midget in the world of competitive high school rowing. And we had two novices, an anomaly in such a competitive category. We never won a gold metal, or made it to Junior Invites, but every time we raced we left it all on the course and we knew that each and every guy was doing the same thing. Although I didn’t see the race this weekend I got a play by play from Jay. I can understand loosing because your trying too hard, flying up the slide or flying and dying. But because of lack of effort, that’s just pathetic. You took a whole length off the start, and lost by over 4. I don’t think I need to go into any more detail about what happened, but I think that you all need a wake up call; things don’t come easy any more. Jay has always said the men’s varsity 8 is the most competitive, and with that comes the most glory. No one can have glory with out heart. The next two weeks will be the most important of the whole season. There are no excuses for what happened today, you still have a lot to prove and less and less time to do it.

Time to grow a pair

Monday. Gluckman. Lineups, in order to save time:

Fox (A. coxing)
D.E.
Steve the pirate
Pat
Paul Luther
Mr. Poland
Drew
Alex G
Tosh

Endurance (E. coxing)
Mikey
G.T.
Brother X
Adam
Foxbat
Berry
Crack
G.C.

Also, the novice 4+.

For those in our wider audience, I'm volcanic. Our scrimmage today against Central and North Catholic went well except the varsity 8. I won't repeat everything I said here, but suffice it to say I lit into the guys. It's not an issue of talent. There is plenty of talent on this team. The problem seems to be courage, will, mental toughness, whatever. I'm not used to dealing with that sort of problem. Toughness is something I take for granted.

More than anything, I hate losing to Central. It's because of the whole Yale-Harvard thing with the Central coach. While we are on very friendly terms, there is a natural rivalry there that I can't ignore. Besides, Central is the top dog in town and one always guns for the top dog.

Losses suck. However, certain losses are worse than others. If you're simply outmanned and outgunned, that's a loss most can accept. If you're caught in the last 250m, it hurts and you're miserable, but you can accept it. Losing like the varsity did this morning isn't something I can accept. That's not how I've trained my crew, that's not how I lost races and I won't abide that kind of ugliness.

I'm going to kill them this week. If toughness is the problem, there are ways to assess the oarsman. There are ways to improve toughness.

Final Selection

Selection will end this coming week. There's only three questions that really need to be addressed anyway. I'm glad its coming to an end, as I'll be able to shift my focus on to more specific items.

The boats I will enter in Scholastics and Midwest are:

Varsity 8+
JV 8+
Varsity light 8+
Flyweight 4+
Varsity 2x

The Novice 4+ will enter Scholastics only.

This setup should get most guys two races. Some will only get one, and that is difficult.

I'll announce line-ups next Tuesday by email. This doesn't mean line-ups are set in stone. If guys don't like where they are rowing, they need to perform at a level that will catch my attention.

Insert various Denis Leary quotes here. I'm sure anyone familiar with his work can figure out what belongs.

Brainstorms.....or brainstalls

Wow. Lots of posting going on these few days. I'll be brief. Sure. Me. Brief.

Yeah.

Next year, sell Nalgen bottles with "Fox Chapel" on them instead of flip flops. Might make more margin moving many multicolored bottles that way.

Watching "The Incredibles" tonight. The facial expressions on animated characters have surpassed what regular humans can produce.

I filled out the survey on the Hoover Invite today. I wasn't too harsh on them. I think I just melted their computer, rather than blowing it up. Really, those entry fees were double what we'll pay for Midwest, and Midwest will have start docks and a full course with a marked finish line.

"Back in the day".....Vespolis didn't have sealed bulkheads between seats. There was a little palm-sized arch in those walls, just big enough to swallow your water bottle but small enough your hand couldn't retrieve it. When water got in the boat (like today) it would flow up and down the hull with the motion of the rowers. Really sucked if you were in the stern; you would be up to your ankles quickly. Bow guys loved this.

The next time a cox lops off a skeg, he or she has to replace it.

I'm getting annoyed with the wait for our new boats. Slow boat from China seems to be getting slower. I'm looking forward to the various brothers in a pair. I'll bring the video camera and make sure its a warm day, because people will get wet.

The next time that d**m speedboat comes out, I want an RPG-7. Heck, if every other Iraqi has one, why can't I?

I just spent another $25 on tools. I'm not letting the guys in my toolbox anymore, because I'm tired of stuff disappearing. I think I'll strap the next rower in my tools to the bowdeck of an 8+, face first. Then out they go, with a rower in the coxswain seat. Power 10! At the bridge!

I hate mono. STOP KISSING EACH OTHER!!!!

Well, I seem to be full of anger and explosives today. I think the problem is I haven't taken out any frustration on a rower recently. Where's my pellet gun.....?

SSHhhhhh.....be vewy vewy quiet.....I'm hunting coxswain....huhuhuhuh.

Motivation and Confidence

No championship athlete ever reaches greatness without motivation and confidence in himself and his team mates. You are either motivated or your not. Motivation ultimately comes from within. I have read Lance Armstrong’s Biography, after beating cancer he didn’t come back to win 6 Tour DeFrance’s because some one told him to, he did it because he wanted to prove to the world that he was the greatest athlete of all time. Jay can only do so much to motivate you, after that you must do the rest. You must want to be the best, and be willing to do all that it takes to reach that level.

An athlete that lacks confidence is worthless to himself and his team. An athlete that is too confident will try to win the game alone. You must be confident in the fact that your physical training has been enough to allow you to win. You must be confident that your teammates are working as hard as you are to reach the same goals. Most importantly you must be confident that your competition is able to beat you. Not that they will beat you but know that if you don’t take them seriously they can beat you.

The foundation is set; now begin to build on what you have already done. Motivate, yourselves, this is you chance to engrain you self in Fox Chapel Crew history, if you want recognition then it is up to you to get it. Be confident. You qualified in very difficult heats rowing at 30spm. Raise the rate and you will go faster. The other teams are good there is no doubt about that, but no one has proven themselves to be great. May 15, 2005 are you motivated to achieve greatness? Are you Confident that greatness is with in your reach?

20 practices and 2 races

Take a good look at a calandar. That's what we've got left before Midwest. Here's the breakdown between now and then:

3 seat racing days.
3 long rows per week.
One scrimmage and one "tune-up race."

After everything the boys have been through, that's all that remains. After mid-west, we're just continuing on for fun.

It's kind of funny that I'm still having attendance problems at this junction.

If the boys are smart, there won't be any more unannounced absences. Such activities will put seats in jepardy.

Yes, I'm angry. Yes, I've got a short fuse. I see potential being fittered away by stupid actions at races and inability to get scheduling squared away. Less than a month. It would be a shame to screw up at this point, after doing so well this far.

This is not spin

We've still got a long way to go. There isn't any hiding that fact. Today's racing made that point clear. I'm pleased by the team's performance in the early racing. However, they faded off by the afternoon. Here are a few points that I have for consideration:

I've already mentioned, but I won't be double-entering anyone on single-day races. Thankfully, there won't be any more such regattas, but today simply made the point.

I'm not pleased by the amount of activity between races. Last year the team would hide out in the tent because of the weather. This past regatta saw rowers out in the sun walking and running around. Those actions don't help recovery for the next race. I hate to say it, but a sunny regatta isn't the place to work on your tan, which doesn't help your hydration. I'd like to see an effort to place the tents and the boats closer together, so the rowers aren't walking so far back and forth.

Everyone needs a water bottle. I'm tired of repeating this point. The club shouldn't be responsible for your water. In addition, it's more expensive to bring in cases of bottles that have to be picked up. Why not a handful of large water tanks/jugs that the rowers fill their own bottles from? Save the envriornment and help your own hydration at the same time.

We need to find a way for each 8+ to get more time rowing together. I'll be looking at that these next few days.

Overall, I'm pleased when I look at the progress the guys' team has made. The teams we faced this weekend are the best of our league and we now have a measure of how far there is to go. I'm heartened by the ratings I observed today. While many teams were basing at 35 to 36, we are still rowing 33 or 32. A rise in cadence, brought about by more time in the boats, will bring more speed naturally.

Yes, we didn't win anything this past weekend. I made a few mistakes in judgement. That's what these early regattas are about; trying some things out, practicing a regatta and learning from our mistakes. I'm not going to spin any results. We've got aways to go, but the improvements we need are possible.

One Month

One month until Midwest. After all the miles, meters, pain, weights, training and months, there is only one month remaining. After all the mental concentration the boys have put in, the end is in sight.

One month until the schwerpunkt of the season. The Canada trip is a fun row on a great course. Nationals is a gravy shot at glory. Midwest will be the measure of the season. Succeed and all of the effort will be forgotten. Stumble and everyone, including me, will question the season.

October and November brought understanding of what kind of endurance would be needed. December and January began the endurance process. In February, I tried to break them. I tried to break them to the ground and build them back up. I'm not convinced I ever broke them completely.

I was afraid of March. After the struggle last year's crew went through, I was worried the guys would lose focus on the journey. This past March was perfect. A great performance at the NA erg race followed by half a month on the water. April has been interesting so far. A March flood that waited, followed by a great team-building trip to Moraine.

So comes the final step. There is work still to be done before this team is ready. Boats need to gel together to learn starts and sprints. There is even a little seat racing yet to be done. However, the end is near. The journey is nearly complete.

Boys, I need to call on your concentration one last time. Concentrate on what you're doing like you did in February. Put that kind of mental focus on this next month. Visualize perfect warm-ups, starts, settles and sprints. Visualize winning. Finally, remember.

Remember where you've been and conquer where you're going.

What a Weekend

Wow what a weekend, beautiful weather, good rowing, and lots of memories. I think that there where several valuable lessons that can be learned from this past weekends extravaganza.

1. No one is too tough for sun screen. I never realized that it was possible to have the inside of your ears get sunburned, but I can attest yes it can happen.

2. When camping out in early April always bring a sleeping bag. No matter how hot it is during the day it still gets really cold at night, just ask Drew.

3. Any time in Prospect make sure to dine at the Old Country Buffet, along with the amazing Orange Chicken, you can meet the legendary Jerry Garcia.

4. Always be careful, you never know when you could be dealing with a hazardous rotating beater shaft.

But on a more serious note, an over all great weekend. I think every one had a great time together. These team building activities are so valuable to having a productive season. After seeing all of you row, I can defiantly see that you are on the way to a very productive season, but there is still much work to be done. I know that it is well with in your ability to de even better. Remember anything that I pointed out to you; listen to what Jay will tell you over the next week. You have almost exactly one month until you go to war. You know you have the physical endurance for pain, now it is time to harness that power so that you can move the boat efficiently. I will not be able to attend the race this weekend, but I am confident that you all will make me proud to be associated with Fox Chapel Crew. So go out kick some ass and remember you ultimate goal this season, The Youth National Championships. Good luck, I will be with you in spirit.

Mumbling, bumbling, stumbling

A few thoughts from this weekend before I pass out.

Watching the flow dropping below 50k finally. We're on the water the next three days then loading again for Columbus on Thursday.

Get your rest. If you guys feel twice as burnt and tired as I do, you're hurting. Lots of rest and tons of water to re-hydrate. Healing sunburn needs extra water. Get clear, if you know what I mean.

We still have some speed work to do this week, getting the rating up to racing cadences.

Look at the countdown clock on this page.

Get some sunscreen and put it on before we row, every day unless it's raining. Oops, I just cursed us.....

Get ahead on your sleep. Remember, it's a very early drive on Saturday, so get ahead this week. You need more sleep to recover.

Let's do this camping thing again next year. Great trip, great practices, great fun.

One full trailer

Loading today was quite an experience. We decided to take everything the club had to Moraine so the kids could do some sculling. I believe the club has reached the limit for the trailer, and the coxed four and double on the way will put us over the top. There just isn't that much more room on the trailer for more boats and the gear associated.

There have been informal discussions about upgrading the trailer. There is no question in my mind this will need to happen sooner rather than later. Also, the club travels with so much gear, a utility or box trailer needs to be added. Such a small unit could be towed by any vehicle, including my van. That would take some strain off of the vehicle pulling the boat trailer.

Parents, I know that you read this blog and think that the club is always asking for more equipment. After awhile, you must become numb to the constant pleading. However, these equipment issues we're dealing with are the direct result of the club's growth and success. These are good problems to be having. This situation is certainly better than renting out space on our trailer to away races because we aren't taking that much equipment.

What a year for growth, huh? The club is taking delivery of three new hulls, and all are paid for. That speaks to the generosity of our donors and the strength of the parent's organization. Smart planning into the next years will only reinforce the position the Fox Chapel crew has established, putting the club in great position for further growth in the long term.

Parents, I'm glad you're along for the ride. I hope that I can meet the high standards you deserve as a coach. You've put the kids in a great position with the equipment, but there is always more to do. Remember, this is a good thing.

Will loves moving my car with me. There are plenty of buttons to push and things to do in the front seat. Here, he's ready to get going and wants to know why I haven't unlocked it yet. 

Just to prove this is a blog about a rowing coach, here's another rowing pic. Good connection and hand levels, but you can see how low in the water that lightweight hull is sitting. 

Even though most people would welcome some alone time in the house, I really miss Will and Emily. He loves bathtime, and I usually enjoy it as well, as long as he isn't splashing too much water on the floor. 

Perhaps this is a good idea after all

The normal reaction to most adults whenever a teenager comes up with an idea is dismissive. When the guys started talking about a campout this weekend for our practice trip to Moraine, I wasn't too thrilled with the idea. Fifteen to twenty teenage boys camping out. Sounds like an invitation to trouble, right? The stories I could tell about my own campout experiences only give a starting point to the havoc that many guys could create. I'll let Emily tell the July 4th camp out story from hell later.

However, the more I thought about it, the less hesitation I had. Emily and Will are gone for the weekend, so my schedule is free to chaperone. Jesse seems brave enough to come along as another stabilizing influence, and it might be a good team-building exercise. I don't expect all the guys to come along, but I hope most do. The park only just opened, so there hopefully won't be any other groups there for us to disturb and there won't be any girlfriends there either.

What's the worst that can happen? (I know, stupid question.)

With the water still up and no drop in sight, I'm assuming we're going to Moraine. With camping, we can only get plenty rows in. I guess I'd better get extra gas for the launches. Crack of dawn practice, anyone?

The Worst Row Ever

After my most recent stint as “Coach for a Day” upon arriving back at the dock after a fairly successful row in really bad conditions, I noticed a dejected look on the guys faces. Upon some inquiry I found that things may have been worse than they looked. After some contemplation I realized any row is a good row, and I think that after this week you would all agree. Any chance a crew gets to spend time on the water, no matter how disconcerting, is positive. Each time you go out be thinking about how to improve your self. Each rower has a fatal flaw, one thing they consistently do wrong. It may be rushing the slid, late catch, early catch, slow hands, shooting the tail, dropping the elbow, not enough lay back, too much lay back, sitting up straight, or a number of other slight flaws through out the stroke. But you would be amazed at how every thing seems to fall into place when you simply pull hard. But a bad row can not always be boiled down to simple technical issues, boats can simply not mesh. It often takes a lot of trial and error before the boat feels good. I know that we spent weeks rearranging the guys in the Varsity 8 last year until we found a line up that worked. We had dozens of miserable rows before we finally found something that worked. So next time your on the water wishing that you could be any where else, watch what you what you wish for, 6x500 on the erg are way worse. No row is any worse than a day on land, and take advantage of every opportunity you get to be on the water, remember ever row is a learning experience.

Well, that wasn't so bad

A beautiful day. A day without much wind, with warm sun and flat water. Unfortunately, a day with river flow well over 67000. Therefore, a day inside.

Considering that, today wasn't so bad. A little work in the tanks helps everyone, once in awhile. Also, the guys want to continue to life through the season, so an opportunity to throw the weights around can't be all bad either.

The river is heading slowly down. We'll be on land again tomorrow, and we'll spend time in the tanks again, and the guys can lift again. (Don't worry, if you take it easy, nobody will get injured. I preferred lifting like that in school.) I'm assuming the river will still be too high on Wednesday, and I'll give Wednesday off for them to play basketball. I just hope nobody adds themselves to my ever-growing injury list.

April F

Nice. Snow in April. Somehow I didn't believe the weather idiots. Snow in April? One to three inches? They're just trying to get us to watch the news again. Screaming the "Super-Duper Storm System Doppler Radar" is calling for snow in your neighborhood, more at eleven! Nobody watches the Saturday night news anyway.

Then I got up this morning. Talk about putting me in a foul humor. Then I connected and saw the river flow. 67000 and rising. Dr. B's foresight in securing us Moraine this weekend is going to pay some dividends. Get ready for a long weekend up there, chances look good.

Rowing in Pittsburgh is complicated by many factors, chief of which is our safety requirements. With the racing season starting in April, time on the water in March is invaluable. If I want boats to "gel" together and get comfortable, selection needs to be done by mid-April at the latest. That means on the water constantly since third week of March.

When the rivers here don't rise above 40 degrees until April, and the spring floods anytime between March and May, a team is guaranteed to be flooded off the water sometime during the season. These floods usually keep the team off the water at least 3 days. This one looks like a week. It's frustrating for the guys and me.

Going to Moraine this weekend should help if we're off the river all week. I'll give a day or two off to compensate for the lost time over the weekend. Be ready for a situation like a two-day regatta up there, with multiple rows per day. If we're going to the trouble of loading the boats up there and driving an hour, we might as well use the time. We'll know in a few days.

April. Snow. Flood. &%$#.

Requiem

A great figure of modern history passed away today. Pope John Paul II, revered leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has left this world. This noteworthy moment demands comment, even in this modest forum.

As many of you know, I am not Catholic. I openly disagree with many teachings of the Church, some introduced or reinforced by this pontiff. I have no brief for the Church. However, I must express my admiration and respect for the man.

John Paul II, despite any critiques based upon his moral teachings, was a humanitarian whose actions improved the lives of millions of people. This Pope's outspoken criticism of Communism on moral grounds undermined that bankrupt system in Eastern Europe. His support of the striking shipyard workers in Gdansk gave legs to the Solidarity movement and cracked the foundation of Soviet rule by force. With the moral backing of millions of Catholics worldwide, the Soviet military was checked, unable to crush the Polish uprising, unlike Czechoslovakia in 1956. His crusade for human rights continued in the Third World after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Few people get to criticize Fidel Castro in his own country, on his own airwaves. Unfortunately, the Pope's work in Cuba remains for his successor.

I salute John Paul's anti-war commitment. World leaders find it easy to criticize the current Iraq war, and the Pope's was a weighty voice in that chorus. However, his condemnation of the first Iraq war in 1991 reveals the strength of his principle. Though world opinion stood against him, John Paul remained steadfast in his advocacy of non-violence. When many find justification in changing supposedly long-held beliefs, the Pope was consistent to his morals. No matter what our opinion on those positions, we must respect the character of a man who holds to his morals, no matter the political wind.

I offer no advocacy here for one religion over another. I simply offer the example of a man who stood for his beliefs with courage and consistency throughout his life. Even if you took away the office of pontiff, this was a man whose word was always good and was never too busy for anyone. A counselor to presidents and paupers, the character of this man is what we should all aspire to. In a world that sometimes wants for role models, there is no shame in taking a pope as yours.

There are many who will take the occasion of his passing to note the shortcomings and scandals of the church while he was on Peter's Throne. This is a better job for historians in a few years or decades after some of his papers are released for public examination. If you need to read such an article, hit slate.com. I postulate the accomplishments of this pontiff earn him the same respect one would accord a passed family member one didn't always agree with. I wouldn't take the opportunity of somebody's death to critique their politics. Even Richard Nixon got rosy coverage at his funeral. Why should the Pope be any different?

An important figure of the last century has passed away. It is tempting to offer condolences to close family members when someone passes away. In this instance, Catholics are too small a group to offer condolences to. I offer my condolences to the entire world, because a great humanitarian has been taken from us.