Need Training Tips

[[old] newcoach]

Heythere this is my first post, mainly because this is the first time ive seen this forum because I was previously searching for how'to books on coaching rowing. <br><br>I rowed for my highschool club all four years, fall and spring as well as a few summer seasons and at least kept on an ERG my first yearin college....we had an ERG, no team . Now I'm back here for a year, and upon randomly deciding to checkout the old boathouse during their practice, I had a warm welcome from those who knew me as "powertool." A coxswain who recognized me desperately shouted at me from the water and asked if I could coach them for the day because they were ridiculously understaffed. As In- All other coaches from previous years were gone, there are about 80-110 kids, and the only people supervising were a brand new coach from Vancouver and one of the rowers father's who fixed the boats and is hardly ever there. <br><br>I got talked into becoming the full time men's varsity coach, coming off their many win's and NYS club championchip title...and I have no idea how to coach. I started last tuesday I think, and have been doing OK so far because its their third week of the season. I can pickout<i>some</i> things that help with keeping the boat set, timing and reducing check, I remember the drills, BUT I'm having a hard time fine-tuning the rowers and giving them good specific tips and techniques to make the boat work harmoniously. Also other than my more muscular appearance and slightly larger abundance of facial hair (and being 19) you could hardly tell me apart from any of the other kids. Because of this i fear the rowers might have a hard time seperating me from the rest of them as far as theamount and nature of respect. Since its fall season we have only 2 or 3 regattas so I'm not at too much pressure to preform until the spring season., other than the Head of the Fish. <br><br>Any good training methods, things to look for from the perspective of a launch (motorboat) , tips, ANYTHING that any of you think could help me, is greatly appreciated. More topics of this odd journey I fell into and questions will more likely be posted regularly. Thanx all.

[[old] jamesg]

So you want some brief notes on the Universe...<br><br>Have confidence, you know a lot more than your novices. Best thing is to have them get it in quick, whip it through fast, then relax - and all together. Don't use the erg, otherwise everyone will end up doing something different, and boats don't move that way. Technique is all, whereas knowing how to get fit is only a small part of technique. Learning to row well and together is such a lengthy business that fitness will come anyway.<br><br>Make sure your crews enjoy themselves, and that stroke has a good rhythm, otherwise people will give up.<br><br>In UK once upon a time the quick fix was the Fairbairn style: sit still at the backstop, then all rush forward together and slam it in from a great height. Very effective in getting novices together, and big strong ones moved the boats quite fast. Never tried it with hatchets, and you won't see anything like that at the Olympics.

[[old] remador]

For a start, why won't you take a look at this:<br><br><a href='http://home.hia.no/~stephens/rowing.htm' target='_blank'>http://home.hia.no/~stephens/rowing.htm ... ><br>Might help you!<br><br>Good work!

[[old] Cran]

and this might help:<br><br><a href='http://www.worldrowing.com/training/manuals.sps' target='_blank'>http://www.worldrowing.com/training/manuals.sps</a>

[[old] dadams]

Hey there newcoach,<br><br>Go with your guts. You've got four years of coached rowing under your belt. Now go ahead and apply it.<br><br>Look for what's slowing the boat down. If one of the crew members technique isn't the best that's fine (They're novices!). As long as it isn't slowing down the boat.<br><br>If you're motivated, chances are they will be too. Set goals (good blade work, a great training week, national champs, etc). Write them down. Let your crew see them. Accomplish them!!!<br><br>As the big blue letters say below....Row hard, row well.<br><br>Dwayne

[[old] becz]

First of all, you're to be commended on agreeing to help out. It's always easier to say no.<br><br>There are really two things a coach focuses on: one is easy, the other hard. The easy part is demonstrating to your rowers what it looks like when a crew is rowing correctly and rowing well. To get the correct stroke in your rowers' heads (and yours), spend one of your training sessions in front of the VCR with video of an international competition. You can get World Champs and Olympic video from www.regattasport.com. You can also find some video on the internet (if anyone has any links please post them). After that, it would be extremely helpful to video tape your own crew, and compare what they are doing to what the elite crews are doing. Pay particular attention to hand movement and placement. This aspect is often lost on less knowledgable coaches. Focus on bladework and timing.<br><br>The harder part of coaching is teaching your crew what it "feels" like to row well, not just what it looks like. What does it feel like to be connected at the catch? What does it feel like when the boat is swinging together, and when the boat is running out? That requires more thought on your part. You can find some drills in books to help with this, but those are again just pictures, and you need to find a way to get the sensation across. Get creative. One coach I've had made us pair up, clasp hands together, and both lean back at the same time, keeping our arms straight out. That's what being connected to the water through your lats should feel like. Once your athletes understand what that's supposed to feel like, they can go after that feeling in the boat.<br><br>Most of your crew's pratices should be long steady state, moving the rate around, but always going after that perfect stroke.

[[old] dadams]

<!--QuoteBegin-becz+Sep 23 2004, 09:38 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'><span class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></span> (becz @ Sep 23 2004, 09:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> You can also find some video on the internet (if anyone has any links please post them). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><br> Here's a good one.<br><br><a href='http://www.invernessrowingclub.co.uk/catchpos.html' target='_blank'>http://www.invernessrowingclub.co.uk/ca ... br><br>You can go through frame by frame (0.33 sec per frame) of the strokes of some of the top scullers and sweepers.<br><br>Dwayne