The Moment

Most crews experience a moment during their seasons that define how they will approach the rest of the spring. Sometimes early, sometimes just before the championships, the turning moment is recognized by everyone in the boat. The entire crew instantly understands what has happened, what they are capable of and what the mission has become. Perhaps a team that didn't believe it belonged in the finals has a great tune-up race, or a crew that didn't believe it could win takes down the favorite team in the league. Perhaps a JV finally takes down the varsity, or a novice 4 has such a great practice that the crew begs the coach to enter them at the championships. A great sprint piece, a strong long-distance row, the first time setting a boat on the square; any of these can be that moment. The common thread here is a boat that finally gels together and feels fast.

This moment must be seized upon and built upon. Concentrating on how good the boat felt in that moment can carry a great crew through weeks or even month of preparation. Remember, there is a large mental portion to this sport. How a team prepares mentally for the final championship regatta will impact the results far better than any last few days of drills or tiny rigging change by a coach. There is rarely a sudden lineup change in the final week that will find an extra second over 2000 meters, but that second can be found where it always was, in the athletes. A great moment, either in a race or in practice is a great help to mental preparation.

With a week remaining before the "championship weekend," I call attention to that moment, because I believe each crew I've been associated with has experienced a great moment sometime this season. There have been distractions, obstacles and disappointments, but these have been mostly off the water. Concentrate on what has happened on the water, and those moments when the boat gelled together and ran.

Categories: Motivational, Rowing, Regattas, Teamwork