Following is another excerpt from Mike Davenport's posts designed to help rowing folks make the most of this downtime in the sport, as well as keep their programs on the water at any time. Read the full article at Quality Downtime: Use It To Make The Rowing Better.

(This is a sample chapter from Water Ready: The Ultimate Handbook on Getting and Keeping Your Rowing Equipment in Its Prime, co-authored by Mike and Margot Zalkind Mayor. Due out in December 2020)

There are so many challenges to overcome in rowing. Whether you row on your own small lake or are part of a team in a crowded boathouse on a much-used stretch of water, there is almost always something that can use improvement.

A critical aspect of rowing is overcoming those challenges. But, how?

Mike: I'll let you in on a secret: A while back, I was in my office. The phone rang, it was a coaching buddy, and I could hear the manic in her voice. She blurted out, "I need a trailer driver, by tomorrow! I can't find anyone anywhere!"

That coach's options were not good:

- Put an untrained driver behind the wheel
- Cancel going to the event
- Drive the trailer herself and forego some of her other duties

How did she get into this dilemma? She had not spent the time training drivers. No Plan B. She was stuck because she had no one else trained to drive. So, the secret?

The Secret of Quality Downtime

To avoid similar situations, identify potential challenge/obstacle and make use of our downtime to Prepare the Solution.

Quality downtime in rowing is a special, important time. We're not talking about a few minutes left from a practice, or waking up in a fog at 4 am. We are talking about those times when you can bring clear thinking to a challenge and find a solution:

Start in your off-season

Start listing your challenges. If the driver-needing coach had identified that she would need more than one trailer driver during the season, what could she have done? She could have identified a few potential people with the maturity, sense, experience and time to cultivate as potential drivers. Maybe a coach, a crew parent, or even a mechanically gifted friend. They do not NEED to be a rower!

You don't need to wait for an off-season. Teach someone trailer driving skills on a non-racing weekend in a nearby empty parking lot. Schedule a Learn-to-Rig Party on an off-the-water day. Watch a safety video at home instead of a game show.

Help your resources be well-trained

And more helpful! Look at your resources: coaches, assistant coaches, parents, waterfront directors, alumni, volunteers. For any of these people to be even more helpful, they will need knowledge and training. Here are a few areas of expertise, where education can create trained specialists:

1. Trailer Driving
2. Launch Driving
3. Training coxswains
4. Repairing equipment
5. Rigging
6. Safety
7. Fundraising
8. Recruiting members (and running Learn to Row sessions)
9. Budgeting/financial management
10. PR
11. Events; management, volunteers

Where to start to make the rowing better?

There is lots of help out there and here are just some of the resources you can tap into:

Online rigging course
Trailer driving videos
Coaching education programs
Coaching education newsletters
Boating safety course
Rowing books

In addition:

Locate and Ask Mentors

Ask your experienced trailer driver to train others. Or, ask someone not in your club, a nearby coach or other teacher. An experienced Launch Driver is a gem of a resource.

Margot: I rowed out of Potomac Boat Club in Washington, DC for years after spending time at a club of 12 mostly-not-experienced rowersWhen I got to PBC, I was delighted to meet some of the rowers who had been rowing since boarding school, and now were in their 70s. Their combined knowledge and experience was a treasure trove.

If you are rowing out of a boathouse with a large, experienced membership, plumb the depths of their know-how. If you are not, either find these sources elsewhere or, join an online group to get advice.

Words of Caution

A warning, especially about rigging: many middling riggers think they are The Best. Watch out who you get advice from. Ask around.

And most importantly, NEVER rely on "Learning under fire." On the job training can work, but learning under fire is a possible recipe for disaster.

The bottom line to make the rowing better

Use your downtime wisely, especially your quality downtime. You train your body (or others) to stay strong and be ready for rowing challenges—ergs, weights, stairs, running, etc…so do the same for the other challenges you will face. Quality downtime can be an amazing tool to have in your tool box.