2009 Oxford Cambridge Boat Race

Teamwork

There are plenty of sports that depend on teamwork just as much as rowing: football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, curling, volleyball, water polo, frisbee, paintball, rugby, and many others. In an orchestra, your fellow musicians are your team; and in the work place, your co-workers. To be part of a team simply means that you rely on each other to achieve a common goal.

Why, then, is rowing often considered the "ultimate" team sport? What makes being on a crew unique enough that its level of teamwork supersedes all other sports?

First, in terms of training and exertion, rowing is often compared with cross-country skiing, outdoor cycling, swimming, and running. These sports all require tremendous amounts of endurance, aerobic capacity, and physical strength. They challenge the whole body, every muscle, for the duration of the activity. But these other sports all focus on the individual, whereas rowing focuses on the boat. Therefore, rowers must rely on the endurance, aerobic capacity, and strength of the rowers around them.

Second, every stroke a rower takes is a simple choice: how hard do I pull? Think back to your last 2k erg piece when your body was telling you to give up but you willed yourself to continue. Your quads were in pain but you knew the finish line was only 3 minutes away. You chose to finish (or not). In the boat, you have this decision, too; and you share this decision with all the other rowers. But it is easier to hide this decision behind a deceptively large, frothy puddle, a tense face, or a primal exhale. Therefore, each rower must trust in their fellow oarsman. There must be confidence in each other.

Third, all rowers do the same thing. All of the examples of teams above consist of many individuals with unique roles. The 11 players on a soccer field, for instance, each have a distinct position and mission that, if coordinated, will help the team win. Musicians, also, play on various instruments from various parts to create a total symphony. In the boat, however, every rower is doing the exact same thing. Yes, there are different seat positions, but they are mostly determined by strength, size, and weight. Therefore, rowing is an activity shared by the entire team equally.

Is the teamwork on a crew "ultimate?" Maybe yes, maybe no. But there is no question that rowing embodies many unique elements of teamwork that set it apart.

Saturday Afternoon Jog 3/28

Introducing the Grand Boulevard Loop

Meet outside the HS New Cafe entrance at 2:30pm
Distance: 4.3 miles

US Men's 8 Technique

The following pictures are all of the United States' Men's 8 training before the Olympics. The US finished 3rd (5:25.34) in Beijing behind Canada (5:23.89) and Great Britain (5:25.11). The memebers of the Men's 8 were: Bryan Volpenhein, Josh Inman, Steven Coppola, Daniel Walsh, Wyatt Allen, Micah Boyd, Matt Schnobrich, Beau Hoopman, and coxswain Marcus McElhenney. Here's a look at their technique:

At the catch - look at their grips, angle of their arms, back splash, high chest, connection of the leg drive, and hand levels.


Through the drive - look at their precision, leg drives, straight arms, lay back, and posture.


On the recovery - look at the outside arm, the wrist, the hands away before the legs come up, and the balance of the boat.

Courtesy of Row2k

Precisions on the Leg Drive

Here's a brief video of the Australian Men's Eight 2 months before the Olympics. Watch carefully at the speed of their leg drives and that that is where most of the pressure is being applied.



Courtesy of YouTube

2008 Boys Lightweight Results

All times are relative to race conditions...

Sectionals
No Lightweight Events

NY States
4:56 - St. Joseph's Collegiate
4:57 - Chaminade
4:58 - Canisius
4:59 - Pittsford
5:07 - Fayetteville-Manlius
5:08 - FDR HS

Stotesbury Cup
4:48 - St. Joseph's Prep
4:50 - Moorestown HS
4:53 - St. Francis
4:53 - Ocean City
5:02 - La Salle
5:02 - St. Augustine

SRAA Nationals
4:20 - Ocean City
4:24 - La Salle
4:26 - Winter Park
4:27 - St. Augustine
4:29 - Canisius
4:33 - Holy Spirit

2008 Boys 1V Results

All times are relative to race conditions...

Sectionals
4:57 - Burnt Hills
5:04 - Shaker
5:05 - Saratoga
5:23 - Niskayuna

NY States
4:41 - Burnt Hills
4:46 - Chaminade
4:50 - Fairport
4:58 - Shaker
5:01 - Brighton
5:05 - Liverpool
5:05 - Pittsford
5:08 - Bay Shore HS
5:10 - Newburgh Free Academy
5:13 - Cascadilla
5:14 - Wappingers
5:27 - Niskayuna

Stotesbury Cup
4:33 - St. Joseph's Prep
4:36 - Winter Park
4:41 - St. Augustine
4:46 - Holy Spirit
4:47 - Mainland
4:52 - La Salle

SRAA Nationals
4:29 - Winter Park
4:32 - Holy Spirit
4:33 - Central Catholic
4:33 - New Trier
4:34 - St. Augustine
4:34 - St. Mary
4:35 - Gonzaga
4:38 - Thomas Jefferson
4:39 - Burnt Hills
4:40 - La Salle
4:41 - Mainland
4:45 - Yorktown

2008 Boys Junior Varsity Results

All times are relative to race conditions...

Sectionals
No Junior Varsity Events

NY States
4:50 - Canisius
4:55 - Chaminade
4:59 - St. Anthony's A
5:50 - St. Anthony's B
5:06 - Our Lady of Lourdes
5:27 - Fordham Prep

Stotesbury Cup
4:47 - St. Joseph's Prep
4:53 - Chaminade
4:57 - La Salle
5:00 - Bonner
5:07 - Shipley
5:10 - Thomas Jefferson HS

SRAA Nationals
4:22 - Canisius
4:24 - Chaminade
4:26 - Upper Arlington
4:27 - Bonner
4:28 - La Salle
4:37 - St. Ignatius

2008 Boys 2V Results

All times are relative to race conditions...

Sectionals
5:17 - Burnt Hills
5:21 - Saratoga
6:05 - Burnt Hills

NY States
4:58 - Chaminade
5:11 - Burnt Hills
5:14 - Fairport
5:25 - Chaminade
5:32 - Bay Shore
5:34 - Liverpool

Stotesbury Cup
4:44 - St. Joseph's Prep
4:49 - Chaminade
4:49 - Winter Park
4:49 - La Salle
4:56 - Holy Spirit
5:04 - Gonzaga

SRAA Nationals
4:20 - Chaminade
4:23 - Holy Spirit
4:24 - Winter Park
4:26 - La Salle
4:27 - Gonzaga
4:32 - Ocean City

Saturday Afternoon Jog 3/21

The "Ramada Run"

Meet at the boathouse at 2:00pm
Distance: 10k (6.2 miles)

Boat Race Crews Announced

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Clubs have unveiled the crew line-ups to contest this year’s Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging, which will take place on Sunday 29 March at 15:40.

Cambridge Head Coach, Chris Nilsson, has five returning 2008 Blues including American Ryan Monaghan who is joined by British crew members Henry Pelly, the CUBC President, plus Tom Ransley, Peter Marsland and cox Rebecca Dowbiggin (2007 & 2008). “I’ve pushed them harder on occasions than they have been pushed before,” said Nilsson. “But we had to go there and they now know what they are capable of. We are up against a much stronger boat but I still believe we can win.”

Cambridge
Bow - Rob Weitemeyer
2 - Henry Pelly
3 - Deaglan McEachern
4 - Peter Marsland
5 - Ryan Monaghan
6 - Hardy Cubasch
7 - Tom Ransley
Stroke - Silas Stafford
Cox - Rebecca Dowbiggin

Sean Bowden, Head Coach at Oxford has chosen a global crew for this year’s Race and has three returning Blues - Beijing Olympic silver medallist and OUBC President Colin Smith (2004 & 2006) together with two internationals who are once again taking up the Dark Blue oars, Ante Kušurin (2007) from Croatia and Michal Plotkowiak (2007) from Poland. “I believe that we have one of the strongest Oxford crews in years” said Bowden. “We have a technically strong and experienced crew but we still recognise the challenge that Cambridge represent this year and we are continuing to push ourselves to prepare for the Race.”

Oxford
Bow - Michal Plotkowiak
2 - Colin Smith
3 - Alex Hearne
4 - Ben Harrison
5 - Sjoerd Hamburger
6 - Tom Solesbury
7 - George Bridgewater
Stroke - Ante Kušurin
Cox - Colin Groshong

Cambridge currently lead the overall series 79-74, with one Race declared a dead-heat since 1829.

Courtesy of http://www.theboatrace.org/

Developing Leadership

To become a better leader is not as difficult as you might think.

We all know qualities of good leadership: confident, courageous, dedicated, enthusiastic, honest, inspiring, patient, prepared, reliable, respectful, supportive, and many others. As varsity rowers, positive leadership is constantly reinforced because it will impact the success of the team and of Niskayuna Rowing.

Leadership, then, is as simple as making decisions. That's it. There's no need to complicate it further; the good leader makes good decisions, and the bad leader, bad decisions. Therefore, to become a better leader you need to become more aware of the decisions you make.

As rowers, you are making decisions all the time (leaders in the making). How hard are you going to pull on the oar? Will you give up for a stroke? Will you give up after a power 10? Will you distract during warm up? Will you stop drinking soda and eating candy? Will you get enough rest? Will you get your homework done and stay on top of school work? (And our goal) Will you do what it takes to make your boat go faster?

You have all made these and other choices at some point. In a race, you are making choices almost every second: do I look? do I pull? do I have ratio? do I reach? do I listen? do I sprint? Leaders are needed in rowing. In fact, the best boats will be full of leaders. Not loud-mouthed rowers stepping on each other's toes and yelling over each other's ideas, but individuals who understand good decision-making.

Rowers: first, make decisions; second, make good decisions. The confident person chooses confidence. The courageous, courage. And the dedicated, dedication. Leadership is in your control.

Saturday Afternoon Jog 3/14

"Blatnick to Bridge"

Meet at the Blatnick parking lot at 2:30pm
Distance: 5 miles

Precision Rowing

It is time for the Niskayuna Varsity Boy's team to move beyond the idea of "timing" and more towards that of "precision."

Timing, for all intents and purposes, limits most rowers to two points in the stroke: catch and finish, the beginning and the end. But the catch and finish, though important, account for only a very brief part of the stroke cycle - mere hundredths of a second. Unfortunately, so much else that happens in between, including drive speed, body swing, arms away, and breathing, is often lost to this focus on just the catch and finish.

Precision, on the other hand, is what most coaches mean when they talk about timing. Precision is timing, synchronicity, body angles, and power all wrapped up into one. Precisions is:

• driving the legs down together from the catch;
• waiting to open your body with the rest of the boat;
• swinging at the same time;
• matching your body angles at the finish;
• pushing the arms away at the same speed;
• leading the recovery with your body; and
• controlling your legs up the recovery;
• balancing your reach over the rigger;
• inhaling just before taking the catch; and
• exhaling right at the finish with your crew;
• applying consistent pressure every stroke; and
• accelerating as one boat; and, of course
• getting the blade in and out of the water together.

Below is a good example from the US Marine Corps of precision.

Courtesy of YouTube and not an endorsement of the US Marine Corps

Where to Breathe

For the most part, rowers should be breathing twice per stroke - whether at a rate 18 or a rate 40. The following sequence of pictures should help you understand where to breathe during the stroke cycle:

Coming up from the finish:


From the big inhale at the catch:


Through the big exhale at the finish:

Saturday Afternoon Jog 3/7

"Morrow Drive Hill"

Meet at High School at 4:30pm
Distance: 4 miles

Your Rowing Resume

As you prepare to contact colleges or other coaches (for rowing camps or junior national team interest), it is important that you have a resume of your rowing history ready. This is pretty easy to compose with a little research.

You will want to include: your personal information (height, weight, and erg times), your rowing accomplishments (results and boats rowed in), your experiences (races and regattas), and your personal interests.

Below is a sample resume that should help get you started.

Rowing Programs in College

Below is a pretty complete list of colleges and universities in the United States that offer rowing programs. For the most part, you can ignore the D1, D2, and D3 headings because that is an NCAA designation. Men's rowing is not an NCAA sport; therefore all the programs will be club, even those listed as D1, D2 or D3.

If you are interested in a particular school and want to see whether they have a rowing program, contact the school's athletic director.