To learn more about this series, see the topics we plan to cover, and to read Parts 1 through 3 on this topic, please visit the Youth Coaches Corner's index page. Youth coaches are more than welcome to contact row2k to get involved in future columns.

This week, a second round of answers on best practices to promote consistent technique team-wide--you can read the first set of responses from last November here.

What’s your approach to ensure technical consistency throughout the roster?

MATT GRAU - THREE RIVERS ROWING - WOMEN'S HEAD COACH

Our program operates with a periodized technical plan that is layered on top of our training periodization.  We have a technical focus for each week, as well as drills or activities that will be shared across all boats and squads.  Sometimes the technical focus will have additional sub-focus areas. 

The coaching staff starts the season by developing our ideal technical model, and we build the weekly focuses backwards from our ultimate goal.  Each week we discuss the technical focus and the “why” behind it as a whole group, and reminders about our focuses are included on our published lineup sheets each day.  

2022 Head of The Charles

KERRY HASSALL - CULVER ACADEMY - WOMEN'S HEAD COACH

We work on technical consistency through communication:

For the coaches, I run a technique session at the beginning of each year. This is a great opportunity for us to share ideas and opinions about the technique and discuss what the Culver Girls stroke is. Then I make sure to check in with coaches at various times to make sure that we are all on the same page. It isn't about saying the exact same verbiage; it is about making sure the technical points are hit. The check-ins allow each coach (including myself) to learn a new way to give a technical call so that we establish a uniformed style throughout the program. This also allows me to catch any misunderstandings about how the stroke should be executed.

For the athletes, we bring the Varsity and Novice together to make sure the Novice can watch Varsity. We will also partner Varsity with Novice so that Varsity can use their own language to explain the stroke to a new rower. This supports the Varsity athlete's learning as they are able to get more of a visual regarding mistakes in technique. It is always fun to hear a Varsity rower repeat coaching calls that are given to them by our coaches. It even allows for a few "Oh, that is why you say that" moments and tells me what calls do not work and whoch areas of the stroke we need to break down further for that athlete. A fresh voice is always a helpful tool, and partnering Varsity with Novice is excellent for team bonding.

NATHANIEL KELP-LENANE - NEW TRIER HS - MEN'S HEAD COACH

Our coaching staff debated at length, and in the end we agreed that novices are not really prepared to control their recoveries to make the gather a part of their stroke. Our novice coaches have the rowers and coxes focus on body control through the recovery and body preparation. Then the upper-level coaches make sure we introduce the gather to JV/Varsity athletes at the beginning of each season with low cadence steady-state.

This happens both on the water and on land (with sliders). Coaches need to make sure that everyone knows why the gather helps and how to best activate muscles for the movement. We are constantly assessing and re-assessing that everyone executes this together.

2022 Head of The Charles

REBECCA NEWMAN - WILLIAMSBURG BOAT CLUB - VARSITY COACH

Communicating with my entire coaching staff about technique and about what the drills and focus of the practice needs to be to ensure we as a team are consistent in our approach to the rowing stroke, power application, and blade placement. Every practice includes a focus on technique in the warmup, and I regularly observe squads that are not my direct squad. This way I can work with each squad's coach to help with any technique issues.

We also focus on the rigging and equipment, ensuring that we have set our rowers up for success. If the boat is rigged wrong for them, how can they have good technique!

RUDY RYBACK - LAKE OSWEGO COMMUNITY ROWING - MEN'S HEAD COACH

Surely the most impactful tool is video footage of the athletes and the ability to replay footage in slow-motion. But this, combined with drill and demonstration and the ability to convey what you are looking for, is key.

I try to periodize the physical training, but also really try and periodize the technical rowing as well. When it goes well, it feels like a "school of fish" where we are all moving together through the technical process. We'll start with some basic drills at the beginning of the year, and work more technical and dynamic drills as we get into peak season. 

2022 Youth Nationals

LORNA RUNDLE - MONTCLAIR HS - WOMEN'S HEAD COACH

Technical consistency is imperative for success across the board. I coach all my boats and I coach my coaches. All my athletes have the same technique. As a coaching team, we have a clear vision of our team technique. There is a degree of flexibility as to how a coach coaches but the technical outcome has to be the same. This is non-negotiable.

JOHN THORNELL - STONINGTON CREW - WOMEN'S HEAD COACH

Our assistant coach and I work together on defining our stroke. A common style ensures that younger rowers will not have to make changes at the varsity level. (We hope they will not have to make too many changes if they decide to row in college, too). During winter training, we deliberately mix novice and varsity rowers on ergs to create a form of technical osmosis.

On the water, we sometimes row mixed boats to give younger rowers a sense of what the boat should feel like. It also makes varsity rowers focus on technique more than they might with other varsity rowers. We try to provide rowers with a steady progression from the novice boat to the first varsity eight.

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LESLEH WRIGHT - TEMPE JUNIOR ROWING - ASSISTANT COACH

We have regular open communication within the coaching staff.  We typically all work with each of the athletes at some point during their introduction to the sport as well as during development.  We often sit with one another in the launch as well to get a sense of one another's input and coaching style.

DREW COMBS - LITCHFIELD HILLS ROWING CLUB - HEAD COACH

The classic approach: mix boats, putting the athlete who rows the way you want at stroke to force the rest to develop it.

I also move my coaches around. We all have meetings and know what the approach is but having it said in a different way to athletes--and having different set of eyes of athletes from time to time--is always a huge help for both coaches and athletes.

Manny Flick Regatta #4, 2022

CATHY COFFMAN - ALBEMARLE HS - HEAD COACH

We start all our novice athletes on the erg before they get on the water for the first time. I make sure, as head coach, that I work with those athletes for several sessions to ensure they are all learning the “stroke” from the same point of view.

At our small sculling only program, we are always focusing on the body sequence, both on the erg and then on the water. I find it really helps to teach the stroke on the erg first so athletes have a sense of body prep before we add in all the nuances of the first days on the water. Once we get on the water, I pick a “focus” part of the stroke each week during the early part of the season, so every athlete, from the varsity to the novices, is working on the same part of the stroke during practice.

Additionally, I try to make sure all of my assistants ride with me in the launch and have a chance to see how I teach the stroke, as well as what to focus on first and how to build on the different parts of the rowing stroke. Finally, as coaches, we do a lot of filming of the athletes and we share the clips with each other and discuss what athletes are doing well and how to help them correct the parts of the stroke that need improvement.

JULIAN CANHA - DC NATIONAL ROWING CLUB - HEAD COACH/DIRECTOR

Our coaches work with both the boys and girls squads and we mix the novices in with the varsity quite a lot. So there is a lot of collaboration on the coaching staff and everyone is getting the same message.

2022 Head of the Schuylkill