row2k Features
Collegiate Coaches Corner
Novice Rowing Part 3 - Integrating Novices
October 20, 2020
Erik Dresser, row2k.com

Frosh final in 2013

Following the cancellation of the 2020 spring racing season, row2k solicited the collegiate coaching community to engage in a variety of high-level topics within the profession. We submitted over sixty questions across a dozen topics and thank the coaches and staffs that found time to contribute their thoughts during this stressful time.

This week we focus on the topic of Novice Rowing with the following question:

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BEST WAY TO INTEGRATE NOVICES WITH THE EXPERIENCED/VARSITY ROWERS?

CAM BROWN – ORANGE COAST MEN
Since we actively recruit high school rowers to join Coast Crew; very early on in the season we separate the walk-ons from the experienced novices to accomplish two things. 1) Quickly teach the walk-ons the basic parts of the stroke on land, and 2) to quickly assess those walk-ons who seem to pick up the technique quickest. Although technique is the mainstay of our program, we realize we must get the majority of walk-ons on the water within the first week of the season, to get them “hooked” on the sport, hence the urgency. By separating the experienced novices for the first week, it not only allows them a chance to row with the varsity, but we can prepare them for the upcoming time when the walk-ons will be rowing with them.

We emphasize three things with the experienced novices, 1) Patience- many will have competed late into the Summer at Jr Nationals and beyond, and so it is tough to slow things down, as they are excited to start collegiate rowing, 2) Mentoring- they will be sharing their rowing experiences regarding training, nutrition, and racing and we want this done in a considerate, non-arrogant manner, and lastly, 3) Teaching- they will eventually be rowing with the walk-ons and will be helping the coaching staff with hands-on training. Within the first 2-3 weeks we want the walk-ons who have picked up things the quickest to be rowing with the experienced novices, and in certain cases the varsity for a set time period (with the varsity eventually separating completely). The temporary integration is not only a great way to bring the walk-ons up to speed faster by providing an advanced/stable platform, but this also helps to spread the culture of what we expect at Coast and how to be successful.


BART THOMPSON – ADRIAN
We do little things throughout the year, like introducing novices during the warm-up time before practice and having the team ask them about themselves (we also do an extended version of that on spring break). We also do a good amount of team activities, and I’m a fan of assigning novice and freshmen “buddies” to the experienced/varsity rowers.


KATIE THURSTIN – STETSON WOMEN
Identify people on the team that are natural includers and assign them the role of embracing the novices. These individuals do not have to be captains or upperclassmen; it’s actually probably better if they are not. Upperclassmen are usually so far removed from their Learn-to-Row days, and being a freshman is college, it can be hard for them to relate.


JOHN FX FLYNN – NAVY HEAVYWEIGHT MEN
We have played with the timing on this: in the waning days of the freshmen eight, we were still committed to rowing a 1F, so only the best two or three would move “up” and the rest of the freshmen remained separate. Once the freshmen event was really gone, we would combine the squads in January, or maybe for the last few weeks of the fall. This past year, even the head races had fewer Freshmen events, so we mixed the squads after just a month—and I think that actually worked really well. The recruited guys got challenged earlier, having to step up their game right away to compete for seats in the top two boats, and the novices were surprisingly good at holding their own.

Maybe the best part of it was that the 2F and 3F freshmen wound up in boats with a lot of the sophomore walk-ons; in other words, with guys not that far ahead of them in their progress, and in fact, were probably closer to them skill-wise even than their experienced class mates. That made for a much better learning environment for everyone. This year’s freshmen were strong on the erg, so that helped, but as the year played out, mixing the groups early was something that definitely worked well and that will be our mode going forward.


LUKE AGNINI – GEORGETOWN HEAVYWEIGHT MEN
Keep them together until they can mix in with the experienced frosh, then start mixing it up. Ideally, they both learn from each other. When you find a hungry and athletic novice, it’s refreshing to see their confidence from; I don’t want say ignorance, but lack of experience.


BILL RANDALL – COAST GUARD MEN
After a brief introduction to the stroke on the ergs or in the tanks we row mixed boats with 4 experienced rowers (usually in the stern pair and the 3/4 pair) and 4 novice rowers. The experience pair demonstrates the stroke (broken down) and then leads their novice partners in going through the motions (we spend a good deal of time rowing by 4s at this point). All of the experience rowers rotate being in the boat with the boat with the novices and supporting the novices. We also have the incoming recruits take part in the mixed boats. At TJ we did this for 3 days. That the Coast Guard Academy we do this for a full week.

Coast Guard at 2019 HOCR
Coast Guard at 2019 HOCR

I find this approach has several advantages:
1. The novices/recruits learn the team’s routines and methods (from how we start practice to how we carry and care for the boats)
2. The novices come along faster
3. The recruits learn our technique and where we place emphasis
4.The upper class get to know the freshman

I have been doing this now for nearly 20 years, starting when I was the freshman coach at Thomas Jefferson HS for Science and Technology (TJ) and working with Jim Granger (now at FIT), and have been using it for 5 years at the Coast Guard Academy. It can be a little boring for the upper class, but it does not hurt to start them with some reminders of the basics (in most cases my rowers do not get to row in the summer because they are away doing their professional training) and the benefit in building team unity is definitely worth it.


EMILIE GROSS – NORTH CAROLINA WOMEN
After our fall in-season of 20 hours, our novices are fully intertwined into our program. Prior to that during their learning phase, they lift with the recruited freshman and we have some mixed practices. We are always continuing to blend the groups in a more effective way, so that it is beneficial for all of the athletes.


BRIAN DAWE – TUFTS
Walk-on novices can be taken out in the coaching launch and put two at a time into an experienced eight in the first week or two of their rowing careers. It’s an experience they will never forget and come to appreciate. Aside from that, novices should be on their own while on the water but do all land warmups and other workouts with the varsity. They can even be called upon to lead some of the exercises. They do not need to earn their way into the social unit. Part of this relies on the leadership within the varsity.


CAMPBELL WOODS – MARIST MEN
It depends on your program and your depth of talent. At Marist we have many less developed athletes and we are constantly teaching the fundamentals in the lower boats, which means that the fall off from our top two eights to our bottom eights is substantial, especially technically. I have started to realize that true mixed rows with the full program mostly annoy the top athletes, and often fail to pass on their skills to the athletes who need development. Instead I will usually have the top 16-24 athletes row mixed together, with the rest in a kind of development crew.

As guys from this development group step up and shine, I will invite them to row with the upper guys for a day or two. Giving one novice the opportunity to row in the V8 for a day will teach him 50X more than spending a week in a boat thrashing around trying to learn with just a V8 stroke and bow seat.


JENN LANGZETTEL – DUQUESNE WOMEN
We take the time to do some mixed rows in the fall to get them working together and we also have them come to team bonding events. As winter training hits they integrate into the training with varsity and they work alongside or with another.


TODD KENNETT – CORNELL HEAVYWEIGHT MEN
If we allow a walk on, we found it is easier and better to keep them separated until their skill level improves to within a reasonable window of the rest of the team. Otherwise they can embarrass themselves and just frustrate the rest of the team, which is a lose-lose for everyone.

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