Next up In The Driver's Seat--where we hear from the folks who add that extra something to the teamwork of a crew--is coxswain Olivia Seline.

Oli coxes with the Bates women, and got her start in high school start at Westerville Crew in Ohio. She is about to wrap up her eighth year of coxing as she gets ready to graduate in May.

An avid reader of the 'Driver's Seat' column, Oli loves collaborate with the coxing community, She also served as the Head Learn to Row coach at Westerville in the summer, where she found giving back to the club that got her to where she is now an incredible experience.

At Bates, Oli teams up with fellow 'In the Driver's Seat' alum Lucy Del Col to keep the shells straight and the crews fast.

Let's hop In The Driver's Seat with Oli:

row2k - What do you see as the three most important things for being a successful coxswain?
Oli Seline - Many things make a great coxswain, but three that come to mind are teamwork, commitment, and adaptability.

Be a unit with your crew and the other coxswains on the water. Understand when you need to step up in your shell to make the tough decisions, but also when you need to take a step back and assess what's happening beyond your crew. We never operate as an isolated unit on the water, and one of the quickest ways to elevate on the water during practice is communication with your crew and coxswains around you. This will build confidence in your skills as a coxswain, and the trust between you and your crew.

Racing on the Basin vs Radcliffe Lights and Trinity, 2024

Believe what you say wholeheartedly, and show it with inflection and intensity. It sounds obvious, but I think it's often overlooked. Coxing is weird! It's unlike any other position in athletics. It's hard to command a group, especially when the rowers could have years of experience over you. However, if you commit to calls you make with passion and purpose, the rowers will often respond the same way. Also, keep it authentic. My favorite recordings are of coxswains that are uniquely themselves and show it fiercely. My college coaches told me great advice for this: You don't need to be like the other coxswains on the team, lead the boat your way.

Keep moving forward. There will be races or practices where you aren't on your game. It's inevitable. Coxing is about making the best quick decision you can, but also recognizing when you could've done something differently. Be honest with yourself and your crew, and be willing to accept feedback. Then, keep moving forward. Use these situations to better yourself, but don't linger for too long on the past. Accept what happened, adapt your skillset, and apply this knowledge the next time the situation arises.

Calling the sprint at New Englands in 2023

row2k - What is your favorite drill to run with your crews? Any tips on how to the drill well, for maximum effectiveness?
Oli Seline - One of my favorite drills recently is pausing at 3/4 slide.

It's simple but can be adapted to focus on different areas of the top quarter. It helps the crew find one leg movement in/out of the catch, match blade work through the last quarter, and check in with posture at the top end. It's an area of recovery that can be used to correct a lot of techniques. For example, after we've run it for a few practices, my crew understands their individual focuses and lets the shell adapt together. Overall, I like to focus on the hips and the shoulders through the pause, looking for any unnecessary movements coming into the front end.

row2k - What's some of the best coaching advice you've received about your coxing?
Oli Seline - In high school, I was coxing a crew with double my experience. It was overwhelming, and I didn't feel qualified for the position. However, before every race, my coach would tell them to trust me, and that they could race strong knowing that I had everything else handled. She kept this mantra in the boat talks for the next two years, and it shaped my mentality before races.

Coxing Westerville in 2018 at the Charles

Coming to Bates, this was something I had to lean on. I didn't race the first year due to Covid and practices were limited. I felt I wasn't qualified to lead the team in any capacity. But I kept moving forward and reminded myself that I was in the seat because someone trusted me, and that I had to show up for the crew. That way, they can trust me, and race without a second thought.

row2k - What is a mid-race call or move that you've made that you'll remember for the rest of your life?
Oli Seline - "We're taking the inside line, there's no other option. I'm not letting them push us to the outside."

At Head of the Charles this fall, the boat behind us was trying to make a pass in the Powerhouse Stretch before Weeks. I took Weeks on the outside of another crew in high school, and it was not a position I wanted to take again. I remember locking eyes with my stroke seat and saying, "We're taking the inside line, there's no other option. I'm not letting them push us to the outside." At the time of the call, we were even. It was a big ask to make over the next few hundred meters, as we were the crew being walked on. The boat immediately responded, however. I told each rower when I was sitting on their seat, and we took Weeks with nearly open water, positioning us with an open water lead for the rest of the course.

Finishing the course after that big move at the 2023 Head of the Charles

It was terrifying, as I wasn't sure if we'd be able to make the move as a 2V8 against another team's 1V8, yet this circles back to the cohesion and confidence I mentioned earlier. I didn't let the boat know of any uncertainty, so they attacked with confidence. They knew I wouldn't make the call if I didn't think they could do it, and that when I told them to move, there was no time to wait.

row2k - Can you tell us anything about what you've learned to steer straight?
Oli Seline - Learning to steer on a reservoir and now on the Androscoggin, the only landmarks are trees, which can be incredibly unhelpful for finding a point.

The biggest piece that helped develop my steering in environments like this was gaining perspective on things around me. Whether it's distance from another crew, a line of buoys, or a marker on the river, understanding where you should physically sit on the water can guide your line when there's not much else to look at.

Medalling at New Englands in 2023

row2k - Tell us about the best race/practice you've ever had?
Oli Seline - Over the past eight years, I have a lot of favorites, but one that comes to mind is the New England Championships in my sophomore year. It was my first large regatta in college, as Covid drastically impacted the year prior, and I had no idea what to expect.

We started the race in sixth, about a boat length behind the rest of the pack. Through the first 1000m, we climbed through half of the field but were still far behind the top two crews. It's hard to trust a race plan when it feels like you might not execute it successfully, but we stayed calm and kept pushing forward. Around the 750m mark, we walked through the boat in second place, and the momentum started to build. I remember telling my crew that I wanted to make the cox in first turn around, that I wanted them to be uncomfortable with where we were sitting on them. I didn't let them think we'd take anything, but first we just had to get to the line following our plan.

Pushing hard through the next 500m, we came even, but couldn't find our way in front. Every stroke of the sprint, we held even, and I didn't know we had gotten first until the announcer told us the order for approaching the awards dock. It was an awesome feeling and I was so proud of that boat.

Head of the Charles 2021

Thanks for riding along with Oli -- and, remember, this column is open to all "drivers" out there, so if you are an experienced coxswain at any level--from juniors to masters--and would be willing to invite row2k to join you in your ride, just contact us here. We'd love to hear from you about what you see from the Driver's Seat.