row2k Features
Interview
Georgetown's Henry Hoffstot
February 14, 2013
Erik Dresser, row2k.com

Hoffstot (center) at 2011 IRAs

row2k brings you another interview this week, featuring Georgetown senior oarsman Henry Hoffstot. Hoffstot is in his third campaign as team captain and is looking forward to his best season as a Hoya this spring.

row2k - How did you get your start in rowing and why did you decide to row at Georgetown?
Henry Hoffstot - I started rowing my freshman year at Groton School in Massachusetts, with no real idea what I was getting into. We only rowed in the spring, and were required to play other sports in the fall and winter. A successful summer with the Boston Rowing Club following my junior year gave me a taste of competitive rowing, and I decided to pursue the opportunity in college. I looked at a broad range of schools, but was ultimately drawn to Georgetown’s academic reputation, community, and a sense of trust I had in the coaching staff. Furthermore, I was excited to be a key contributor to the success of a program, and knew I could have a real impact at Georgetown.

row2k - In your opinion, what is unique about rowing for Georgetown?
Henry Hoffstot - Rowing at Georgetown is unique in a number of ways. Unlike many of our IRA rivals, we don’t have enticing scholarships to draw in the most talented athletes, and don’t have the admissions flexibility to make room for the top erg scores. Also difficult is the very social nature of the Georgetown community, full of distractions not conducive to rowing quickly. Amidst a long and drawn out battle for a boathouse of our own, we are graced with very few structural advantages.

When the class of 2013 arrived on campus as freshmen, we found the varsity to be more representative of a fraternity than a team of Division 1 athletes. The rowing team didn’t have a drinking problem, the drinking team had a rowing problem. No, they had numerous rowing problems; technique, fitness, attitude, confidence, the list goes on. The team culture was corrosive, and my class had to decide at an early point if we wanted to embrace a lifestyle of beer and slow erg splits, or to try and make a change.

row2k - How big of a role do you believe that team culture plays in success?
Henry Hoffstot - The importance of team culture cannot be overemphasized. I have seen many physically talented athletes at Georgetown burn out and quit primarily because they never got a taste of success. I have found that people like to do what they are good at, and when rowing is going well, it is easy to make time for the extra erg session in the afternoons. When it is not, it is even easier to neglect them. It is important that athletes have full confidence in their peers, with a firm belief in the causal connection between hard work and success.

I was extremely fortunate to be a part of a group that not only had an unusual amount of talent for a Georgetown class, but also had an unusual desire to succeed. Without any real role models, we set our sights high, and as freshman set out to change the culture. We have been trying to win in a place that has historically seen very limited success. After a setback last year, I can finally say confidently that our team culture has improved. We have a small squad again this year, but have finally created an environment where the remaining athletes are hard working and more committed to the Eastern Sprints than the Rhino Bar & Pumphouse. Culture is as important as it is difficult to change.

row2k - What has been your most memorable race so far and why?
Henry Hoffstot - While our success at the Eastern Sprints as freshmen in 2009 was incredible, my most memorable experience would have to be our race in the repechage of the 2011 IRA. After not being invited in 2010, a varsity 8 made up of 9 sophomores qualified for the A/B semifinal of the national championships. As a wide-eyed group with zero combined years of international experience, zero combined years of IRA experience, two walk-ons, and one lightweight we went 5:39, losing to Stanford and Navy by less than a second.

row2k - How has this season gone, and what are some of you and your team’s goals for the spring?
Henry Hoffstot - The season has gone ok so far, but expectations are higher than ever at Georgetown. One of our fastest rowers is back from being abroad all last year, and time is running out for our class to leave a legacy of success. While it is not my intention to make a bold prediction of success this spring, I can say that I have more confidence in my teammates this year than ever before.

row2k - What are you studying at Georgetown and do you have any plans yet for after graduation?
Henry Hoffstot - I am majoring in Political Science at Georgetown and am fairly sure I want to go into business following graduation. The question is, when do I hang up the cleats? This question plagues many talented college oarsmen and I suspect that success at the Under 23 level guarantees a much easier answer to this looming question. Without international success, however, the choice to pursue a national team dream resembles more of a leap of faith than a calculated decision. Is the glory of the Olympics worth the tremendous time commitment and risk of failure? I have no delusions about how hard it would be, and a nagging desire to know if I have what it takes.

Ultimately, I think USRowing has to do a better job encouraging college athletes to stick around. Without a serious recruiting effort, how are athletes like my talented friend at UPenn supposed to turn down Wall Street? How am I supposed to convince family and friends that I would not be embarking on this journey alone, and that I actually stand a chance? To hint lightly as to where I see myself, and to encourage other college seniors facing a similar decision, I close with the wise words of Lee Ann Womack: “If you get the chance to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.”

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Comments

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HoyaSnaxa
02/14/2013  11:54:44 PM
Hoya Snaxa


rgk2109
02/14/2013  3:17:27 PM
1 people like this
great interview. although the infrastructure may be there, it is likely the lack of funding that is discouraging some talented and intelligent college grads from pursuing the national team. it would be great to someday see rowing have the profile that it does in the UK, where national team athletes are given the salary and perks they rightfully deserve



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