COXING 101

And beyond…

CONTENTS OF THE PRESENTATION

• Important Vocab
• What is a coxswain/basics of coxing
• How to use the coxbox
• Call ideas and vocal intonation + recordings
• How to practice with purpose + at home training
• Important coxing relationships
• Nuanced coxing skills
• Coxswain as a mini coach
• Racing run-through (pre-race prep and race plan)
• Helpful resources online

(Click on the bullet point to get to the corresponding topic slides)

VOCABULARY

Weigh enough / let it run - stop

Feather – making the blade flat, parallel to the water

Square - make the blade perpendicular to the water

Hold water / squared and buried / on the square- square the oars in the water

Starboard – looking forward; the boat’s (also your) right

Port – looking forward; the boat’s (also your) left

Bow - the front of the boat (has a small ball at the tip called the bowball)

Stern - the back of the boat

Rigger - the arm that holds the oar to the boat

Rudder - the fin at the bottom of the boat used to steer

Oarlock – the item that captures the oar, attached to the end of rigger

Foot Stretchers - the shoes in the boat that adjust on a slide

Gunwale - the edge or lip of the boat on each side

Coxbox - your best friend - the device that shows speed, distance, etc. Also has a microphone

Catch - the point in the stroke where arms are straight, legs bent, blade is square in the water

Release - the point in the stroke where arms are in, legs are straight, blade is feathered out of the water

Settle - bringing the rate down to a sustainable rate the rowers can hold for the body of their piece

Rate - how many strokes the rowers are taking per minute

Split - how fast the boat would row 500 meters at this pace (shows power → lower split is better)

Rig the boat - put the boat back together after taking it apart for travel

Launch the boat - pushing the boat off the dock and out onto the water

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What Skills Does a Coxswain Need?

• Organization
• Planning
• Management
• Anticipation
• Strategic Thinking

On Land and On the Water

• Organization

Be prepared from the moment you arrive at the boathouse; gear, plan, equipment, athletes, etc

• Planning

Meet with the coach, learn the day plan, get your team prepared

• Management

Know how long it takes to do things, get them done in time, have the crew ready

• Anticipation

You can’t know everything, prepare for the unknown, do things before others know that they need it, seem omnicient

• Strategic Thinking

Make good choices, know what the options are; think long range. What will be best for your crew, the coach, you. Think about outcomes.

What is a coxswain?

Role in the boat:

• Steer the boat
• Direct and command the boat
• Provide information
• Motivate

As coxswain you are the one that keeps everything on track. You are FOR the boat and FOR the rowers to help overall success !

Steering the boat�Straight Courses

Straight is fast! The straighter and smoother you can steer the better. Steering should be subtle, make small changes and wait for it to take effect.

Coaches often talk about “finding your point”, which means finding a landmark in the distance that you can point the bow of your boat towards to ensure that your path is straight down the course.

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Know your lake or river; you should always steer an efficient course. Get to know your landmarks so you take the same course each time. Also, know the time to get from point to point.

Remember: If there is a collision you are at least partly at fault, no one is blameless when boats collide! Know the traffic rules.

Some 1500m and 200m races have buoys and some have targets at the end of the lanes. You will be able to use these to have the best course.

Steering the boat�Head Racing & Lakes and Rivers

If the course you are racing on will not be straight, find an initial point and follow it until your turn, then find the next point and repeat. Find the straight stretches throughout the course whenever possible, and use them to your advantage.

Study a map of any racecourse. Know the landmarks; a house, a point of land, a buoy. Look for them during warm up. Warm up is also for you to become prepared.

If making a long or sharp turn, let the crew know before you start. The rudder creates a force on the boat that will roll it to one side. It will be easier to keep the boat set if they know.

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Head races, single file on a river present many challenges. This is where it is very important to know your crew as there will be many strategic steering decisions to get the best result.

GIVING COMMANDS

Basic Water Calls:

• Port/starboard pressure
• Weigh enough / let it run (I prefer weigh enough for more urgent situations and let it run for a calm stop)
• Sit ready, ready?, row → you’re telling them to sit ready, make sure they are ready, then to start the action of rowing
• Power 10s, build in 2
• Set the boat (keeping the boat balanced)

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Basic Land Calls:

• Up/down an inch
• Up/down to shoulders
• Up/down to waist
• Up and over heads
• Roll to waist
• Into slings/Out and into the water
• Starboards/ports one foot up and out (when leaving boat) →

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Always have dockside get out first because the oars on the water

are what keeps the boat stable (coxes get out first)

Example:

“Roll to waist, ready, roll”

• Announce the action
• make sure they’re ready
• then perform the action

VIDEO ON BOAT HANDLING COMMANDS

(4 minutes)

LAYOUT OF THE COXBOX

WHAT CAN THE COXBOX DO?

GPS COXBOXES:

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• Uses GPS to track stroke rate
• Stores workout memory and data
• Displays split, distance per stroke, number of strokes, stroke rate, stopwatch clock, distance traveled, average split, etc.
• Has preset workouts based on time intervals and distance intervals
• Attaches to a microphone to amplify your voice through speakers in the boat
• Has customizable workouts
• Can connect directly to your phone or the coach’s phone using bluetooth to transfer data

Video demonstration from the NK brand:

WHAT CAN THE OLDER COXBOX DO?

OLD SCHOOL COXBOXES:

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Will display

• Stroke count
• Stroke rate
• Stopwatch/clock

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Also does:

• Starts automatically
• Stores splits and stroke rate
• Recalls splits and stroke rate
• Attaches to a microphone to amplify your voice through speakers in the boat

Tone – say things the way you want them to be done; harsh, relaxed, intense

Volume – Varying your volume creates contrast; i.e. information vs demand

Intonation – Don’t ask the rowers to do something. Tell them.

Intensity – Vary your vocal intensity depending on what you want them to do; focus strokes vs power increase

Emphasis – Say things at particular part of the stroke to create emphasis

Control – Make sure that what you say has a purpose and you know why you are saying it; you do not have to fill the silence

How You Make a Call Matters

GENERAL CALL IDEAS

A lot of times, beginning coxswains just don’t know what to say. Until you have a strong sense of what to say and when to say it, call ideas can be helpful to fill the awkward moments.

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NOTE: You do not have to be talking all the time

Technical Calls

• Catch or finish timing
• Swing / run (letting the boat move smoothly through the water during the recovery)
• Acceleration → on the finish!
• Posture (shoulders back, head up)
• Body angle at the catch / layback at the finish
• Level handle height (helps set)
• Early roll ups / squaring (at the knees)
• Ratio (control the slide)

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Power Calls

• Use acceleration to increase rating
• Snapping the knees down off of the catch / knees down quick
• Power 10

NUANCED CALL IDEAS

Now that you have a strong sense of what to say, these are more advanced calls to use with more experienced rowers.

Technical Calls

• Swing / run (letting the boat move smoothly through the water during the recovery)
• Acceleration → on the finish!
• Clean bladework
• Dropping the blade at the catch
• Float back to the catch
• SPAS - 5 for set, pressure, acceleration, swing (a good reset)
• Soft catches strong finishes
• Slow the last part of the slide (helps with run)
• 5 for each rower in the boat (5 for each pair of rowers in an eight)

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Power Calls + Motivation

• Acceleration
• Snapping the knees down off of the catch / knees down quick
• Drive together
• Every stroke counts
• Empty the tank / finish strong
• Big legs

THE SPRINT:

• You’re a machine
• How bad do you want it?
• Home stretch
• Empty the tank
• Hold the power
• Finish strong
• Remind them of their goal (time)
• 10 to sprint

RHYTHMIC CALLS:

*Should be timed with the stroke, very dependent on tone of voice*

• Drive, hit (drive, hit the finish)
• Catch, finish (good for timing)
• Down, hit (knees down, hit the finish)
• Hit, send (hit the drive, send power through the finish)
• Legs, finish (legs off the catch, finish)
• Drive, snap (drive, snap your blades out of the water at the finish)

VOCAL INTONATION: WHAT YOU SAY MATTERS JUST AS MUCH AS HOW YOU SAY IT!

• Loud ≠ better → your voice can have a motivating tone without you screaming
• Try using a lower voice (slightly more raspy) and speaking sharply
• Speak at a normal volume during the pieces, using your motivating tone, so that when you do raise your voice it MEANS something to the rowers (for instance speaking during normal calls, then raising your voice in pitch and volume to announce something important like the halfway point)

Sprint Example:

Rhythmic Call Example:

EXAMPLES OF VOCAL INTONATION AND CALLS

What Did She Do Well?

• Adjusts her point and speaks calmly at the start
• Volume control - speaks instead of yells for the majority of the race so that when she does raise her voice it has more impact
• Uses rhythmic calls to keep her crew in time
• Helps them control the rate in two settles knowing it will be difficult to bring down → first settles from 43 to 39, then calls the shift down from 39 to 36 (makes it more manageable)
• Tells them when she will be on the rudder to warn them that the set might get rocky
• Yells about buoys that may hit oars to let rowers know
• Explains where they are in comparison to other boats
• “YOU’RE WALKINGGG” → motivating but also informative
• Explains when they are going to put on power and when they are doing focuses “we’re moving at the 750, doing focuses at the 1000”

What was her 2K race format?

• The start
• 10 stroke move at the 500m
• 10 stroke move at the 750m
• Focus at the 1000m (5 for arms, 5 to breathe)
• Big move after the 1000m “10-3-10” (power 10, breathe 3,2,1, power 10)
• Hands for 5 →felt it in the boat
• Pairs at 750m to go → vocal shift
• 500m to go “relax/breathe”
• Building into the sprint at 300m
• Big last 10 strokes

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ON THE WATER

ON LAND

AT HOME

PRACTICING WITH A PURPOSE

• Practice finding a point and intentionally steering straight towards it during warmups. Try different points to see what you like best.
• Pick a point and estimate how many stroke/meters away it is, then when you reach it, see if you were right or if you were a few strokes short of your mark (ex. I think that tree is 10 strokes away, count out 10 strokes, have you reached the tree?) This exercise will help you count out the last 10 strokes of your piece to make sure you time it correctly.

ON THE WATER

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How can I make sure I’m working on my individual skills during practice rather than just going through the motions?

• Practice engaging your core and staying firmly planted in the boat. Making your body an extension of the boat helps keep the set together. This might also mean keeping pressure through the foot boards Play around with different vocal tones, calls, coxing styles, etc. After different pieces, ask your rowers what they preferred.
• Practice breathing and projecting from your low diaphragm (lots of singers focus on this and there are many youtube videos to teach you proper breathing).

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• Ask your coaches! Oftentimes your coach knows what you need to work on. If your coach has no critiques, ask them to watch you for the next few practices to see if there’s any advice they can give

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• After practice, on land, gather your crew for a boat meeting to discuss what they liked/didn’t like, as well as ideas for upcoming practices *REMEMBER: YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE THE ROWER’S LIVES AS EASY AS POSSIBLE SO THEY CAN PERFORM THEIR BEST * → catering to the needs of your crew is very important, and it’s impossible to know what they need without asking

ON LAND

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What can I do on land to keep improving and getting better?

• While erging, if something looks “wrong” with a rower’s form but you just can’t put your finger on what it is, ask the coach. They can tell you what you’re seeing and how to correct it.

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• Practicing pointing out common technique problems on the erg. (handle height, starting with the back, arms/back/legs sequence, etc)

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• Before erg practices, go around to each of the rowers and ask what kind of coxing they need that day (it can vary completely depending on their day and the workout, so even if you think you know, just ask!)

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• Listen to recordings online! The best way to learn new calls and ideas is to listen to other people who don’t sound like you.

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• Listen to your own recordings and write down what you liked/didn’t like. It can be helpful to note how much time you spend counting, using filler calls, making technical calls, etc.

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• Check out coxswain resources on social media. A great instagram account is Coxswain Resources that makes learning about coxing not feel like a chore.

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• Write down ideas for calls or warm up drills that you want to incorporate, and let your crew know you plan to try them out beforehand.

AT HOME

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Is there anything I can do at home / during the winter?

A big part of being a coxswain is having strong relationships with your rowers, something we’ll talk about later. Brainstorm how to keep your crew happy and healthy.

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Small things that I do on my own time to keep my crew happy:

• Keep saltine crackers in my car for those who forgot to eat enough the day before the 2k
• Bring a bag of candy like jolly ranchers (sometimes in the boat for a little post-piece reward)
• Keep tape, bandaids, wrench, parts, chapstick, hair ties, etc. on me in the boat

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• Make recordings on your phone to evaluate off the water
• Get a pad of paper and make five areas on it, and a timer
1. Commands: “in two, up two”, “settle in two”, “building for the sprint”
2. Information: “we’re moving on….”, we’re in second and holding”, etc
3. Motivation: “now we move”, “we beat them last time”, “I want their 4 seat”
4. Technical: “3 you’re late”, “ratio”, “more acceleration”, etc
5. Junk/Filler: counting, non-essential info, etc

Time how much time you spend on each item and consider the %age timeItems 2,3 and 4 should take up 65% of the time

Item 1, 15% and item 5; 5-10% and 5-10% can be silence

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AT HOME

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Evaluating Your Own Recordings – Race and Practice

COXSWAIN RELATIONSHIPS

Nuanced Coxing

ANTICIPATE YOUR COACHES NEEDS! Make yourself valuable by handling things behind the scenes and staying on top of things. Ask about the workout, get out equipment, etc.

Learn to feel the boat. Are you feeling your body naturally lean to one side to balance the boat? That means the set is off.

Adjusting your seat is key so that you don’t injure your neck and back. Take some time to make sure it fits you. USE the back support please!

Listen to the calls your coach makes and when they make them. Start to mimic and understand why your coach made a comment.

ANTICIPATION – On Land

• Understand your relationship with the coach and athletes and expectations
• What can I do ahead of time to anticipate my coach’s needs?
• Learn the common workouts and understand what is required of you for the warm up, execution of the workout, and cool down
• Ask about the workout ahead of time
• Get out equipment early (oars, coxbox, microphone, walkie talkie, etc.)
• Get out on the water early at practice and stay out as long as you can → the more water time, the better
• Have a quick dock time when launching and returning
• Ask if your coach wants to check the data from your last race on your coxbox
• At a race, know the course and landmarks; study it, know it
• Make mini pack to take in the boat which has tools, tape, nuts/bolts/washers, hair ties; which is also a good place to carry inhalers.

ANTICIPATION – On Water

• After a piece, get your boat pointed and turned for the next piece before stopping for water/rest
• Stick to the designated intervals of the workout, be ready! Do not add more time to the breaks! Know when to turn around to keep your interval
• Know the weather, use a weather app. What is it doing now/later. In a tidal area know the tide; highs and lows and when it will change
• Will the weather affect your workout, your race, lining up for the start? Don’t let the weather stop you from completing the piece how your coach wants.
• Make decisions that will keep your boat/rowers/you safe.

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Generally try to get a good understanding of how your coach likes to operate, and apply this method to your coxing. It will only make you more valuable to the team!

COXSWAIN AS A MINI COACH

As the coxswain, your role is as an “in boat coach”. It is important to understand what the boat needs and how your day should operate so that once you’ve reached the startline of your race you know what to do. When things inevitably don’t go as planned, it is critical that the coxswain make the right choice for the crew and know what to do.

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This can be applied to practices, as well. Oftentimes a coach may leave for part, or even all, of the practice, meaning as the leader of the boat you need to understand the workout, what it is working to accomplish for your boat, and how to execute the plan that your coaches may have wanted. Anticipation and improvisation are key.

RACE DAY CHECKLIST

1. Do I have all of my supplies? (mini pack, coxbox, oars, riggers, boat, microphone, course map. etc.)
2. Gather your crew to rig the boat → adjust your seat, headrest, etc.
3. Test your cox box in the boat and check battery
4. Make sure oars are down by the docks
5. Get bow number and put it on your rower and your boat
6. Meet with your coaches to strategize
7. Attend the coaches / coxswains meeting to learn about the course and venue
8. Pay attention to the weather conditions
9. Know the wind direction and strength; will affect the start? The race?
10. Instruct your crew to warm up (30 minutes before launching is a fair assumption, but check with your coach)
11. Launch (with appropriate time per your coach)
12. Warm Ups on the water (can include power 10s, practice starts, drills, etc.)
13. Get to the start on time, find your lane, get your point, go fast !

GENERAL RACE PLAN

1500m Race:

Start:

• Full, half, three quarter, three quarter, full
• High 10 / power 10
• 5 for swing
• 5 for timing
• Call the settle

500m in:

• Update them on rate and splits
• Where are they compared to the other boats?

750m in: HALFWAY

• 10 to move / 10 for power
• Make sure the power doesn’t drop off here

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500m to go:

• Final push, powering towards finish
• Remind them to sit up, breathe, lock in their technique before the sprint
• Make sure splits are going down

300m to go

• Start to build into the sprint

250m to go

• Sprint ! → ask your crew what they need from you during that time

Development

• Don’t ever stop
• Learn something every day
• Keep a journal/log
• Always ask your crew what was good/bad
• Check with your coach after practice
• Share notes
• Record and evaluate yourself
• Ask your coach for ideas
• Read online discussions, attend clinics
• Don’t ever stop (I know I put this on the list twice)

HELPFUL RESOURCES

The 9th Seat - Mary Whipple https://www.9thseat.com/

Ready all, row - Kayleigh

https://readyallrow.org/

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Hannah Gagnon on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/@hannahgagnon223

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Cox Talks by Cat Sheffler

https://www.youtube.com/@CoxTalksbyCatSheffler/featured