Catching up with some of the best answers to one of our favorite questions to ask the coxswains we've interviewed In the Driver's Seat over the years:

Can you tell us anything about what you've learned about how to call a good start?

If you are a coxswain interested in sharing your own insights from the Driver's Seat, just contact us here to invite row2k along in your crew.

Harry Brightmore - Olympic champion, British National Team

I’d love to say we have a really fancy start routine, but we actually just get going out at our pace as early as possible. I call it as calmly as I can, because I trust the guys to push onto the right speed.

Brightmore celebrates Olympic gold in Paris

Then, Brightmore had this to say about the start he called in Paris to win his Olympic gold in row2k's interviews with the eights medallists:

The plan was: first minute as hard as you can, then next minute as hard as you can. There was wasn't anything clever about what we were doing. If you look at all of the A finals that have gone through at this regatta, every crew that has won has pretty much taken it by the scruff of the neck. We lined up on that start line knowing that we were going to sprint to the death, straight from the buzzer.

Read Harry's original column here.

Elenna Seguin - Greenwich Rowing, now coxing the Brown Men

I learned how to call a start by trial and error. Seeing how my boat responded to certain arrangements was the key to developing our sequence and the calls that went along with it. Through these trials, I have found that having one set sequence of calls for every race piece works best for my crews. Initiating every race with the same calls gets my crews into the mentality of race day and starts the piece on a familiar note.

Read Elenna's original column here.

Ella Casano - U19 World champion, Saugatuck Rowing, now coxing the Stanford Women

The best thing to do when calling a good start is just be super clear about exactly what your rowers are supposed to do throughout the entire start.

Casano in the Driver's Seat for the USA U19 four in 2022

Before you start, make sure everyone is sitting at the correct slide position with their blades buried, and then make sure everyone knows exactly what start sequence you're about to do. If you're doing a start 5 with different types of strokes--like 3/4 slide and 1/2 slide--it's best to say the type of stroke you're taking each stroke, before you start to throw in other words. That way your rowers know exactly what position they're sliding up to each time, and your start is as effective as it can be.

Continuing through the start sequence, if you're doing some sort of build, or a high 15, be clear about what part of the start you're entering before you get there. Whether it's saying something like "shift in 2" or even just saying "high 10," just something that makes it clear where you are in the start, and what's coming next. Sometimes I'll say "ready" or "listen" before I call a shift, so that now everyone in the boat knows that they'd better pay attention so that they know exactly what we're doing next.

Read Ella's original column here.

Cara Burns - University of Iowa

The more starts I did, the more I learned about them. They are my favorite part of the race. Over the years, I have learned that both your choice of words and attitude can really affect how the rest of the race will go. You can always make attempts to reset your crew’s mindsets in the middle of the race, but it’s best to start the race off on a positive note.

Burns and the Hawkeyes locking on for their heat at the Sarasota 2k in March

Your attitude should reflect whatever your goal for your start is. This means if your goal is to be aggressive during the start, then you should go into it with an aggressive attitude. I have also learned that short words and phrases work best. It is important to stay calm and collected during the start, so I say short things during the strokes to remind the rowers of their technique so that they can stay focused.

Read Cara's original column here.

Dominic Mazza - La Salle University

A good start sets the rhythm and pacing for a race. The best crews have an efficient start in terms of picking up the boat cleanly. The start is all about keeping the blades clean and long through the water.

Mazza racing on the Schuylkill

Tone also plays a big part in a start. A low, quiet voice keeps the boat collected as they build speed. Once at speed, then a coxswain can use their voice to motivate a crew to lay down the power as they seek to get their rowers ahead.

Read Dominic's original column here.

Carly Legenzowski - 3 time NCAA champ at Texas, now coaching at Dartmouth

The start of a race can be super stressful and overwhelming. But staying calm and intentional will help your rowers feel the same way. You don't want to add to the chaos and nerves. Focus on setting the tone for the start and the rest of the race. With practice, you'll get better at it.

Legenzowski getting ready to start at the 2023 Crew Classic

My biggest piece of advice is to keep it simple! I personally get nervous when we are all lined up at the start and that is totally normal. Take deep breaths and trust yourself. Keeping it simple helps you stay cool under pressure!

Read Carly's original column here.

Athena Santana - NSU University School

Starting strong is crucial because it sets the pace for the entire race. When I call for a good start, I focus on my tone of voice. At first, it's calm and steady, just like our initial strokes. But as we start to lengthen and strengthen our strokes, my voice gradually becomes more intense.

I match the rhythm of our rowing – starting slow and controlled, then gradually building up speed and power. This tactic helps the team sync up and move smoothly together. So, calling a good start isn't just about words; it's about tone.

Read Athena's original column here.

Lila Resnick - Pelham Community Rowing

The first stroke of the race is one of the most important strokes a boat can take. I think the most important thing to think about when coxing a start is that you can’t win a race off the start, but you can definitely lose one. The energy that you, as a coxswain, can give the crew by composing yourself and building up your intensity through the start stays with them for the rest of the race.

Resnick at YNats in 2023

It is also important to remember the start doesn’t define the race. A rocky start in no way indicates that the race will go poorly. However, how you regain focus and composure will dictate the future of the race. If you have done your preparation, you know what to do by the time you reach the start line and what to do if something goes wrong.

Read Lila's original column here.

Charlie Hirschman - Montgomery Bell Academy

Start sequences are always a favorite of mine, and I love the feeling of going fast from a stand still. My start call improved a lot last year during my Freshman spring.

First, during every single start sequence, I call "SQUEEEEEEEZEEEEE" as soon as the start is called, as we are taking the first stroke. I learned this call from my brother. I think consistency is important, and I like my rowers to say, 'Oh yeah, he always calls squeeze. That’s his thing." I call this because on the very first stroke, I want my rowers short, especially around the back end instead of swinging and being loose.

On the next few strokes, I don’t call specific slide lengths. After the first pass through the water, I’ll have my boat take three strokes to wind up to speed. I have a couple words I like to stick to on those three wind-up strokes: "Quick, direct, and sit up." The "sit up" is my favorite, and that’s been the key to bring up the rate quickly but with control. If my boat is rowing really short, I’ll try a 5 stroke start, and on the last few strokes I’ll emphasize really reaching out and compression at the front end.

For the next 10 or 20 strokes, I try to get my crew to drive the split as low as they can get it. All the boats I’ve found success in have had really good starts, and I think it's important to not be afraid to go crazy at the start when you’re working with anaerobic energy.

Read Charlie's original column here.

Abby Bacci - University of Tennessee, now coxing at Oxford Brookes

I learned through earnest practice to make the start completely second nature and instinctual. I did this by choosing concise words for each stroke of the start sequence that (ideally) correspond with each strokes' purpose.

Bacci taking the final turn at HOCR 2022 with the Lady Vols

A "good start" is subjective and specific to each crew, so learning if they prefer counting of strokes or knowing about what the rest of the field is doing during the start is also important.

Read Abby's original column here.

Sasha Wright - Port Rowing

On my team, we call the start doing half, half, three-quarters, lengthen, and full. We practiced this a lot before races and on our training trip to Peachtree City, Georgia this past February. My assistant coach was working with me and another coxswain and we were in two eights. He told us that the rowers knew the starting sequence, so we shouldn't repeat it to them.

Wright pulling into the start at Summer Nationals 2023

After a few trial runs, I found the starting words to use in the sequence from the advice of the rowers. I've used that tactic in calling my starts ever since. As a coxswain, I recommend talking to your rowers about how they want the start called and then use their feedback when calling the start.

Read Sasha's original column here.

Gabriela Rivera - Notre Dame Men's Rowing

Starts need to be clear and controlled.

The nerves are already so high at the start line, no one needs more chaos. Once you get into high strokes and things are going well, then you can bring the hype. But in the beginning, possess the confidence and composure that you want your rowers to have.

Read Gabriela's original column here.

Rivera racing at SIRAs in 2022