CREW KNACK

 

CREW KNACK

or Ergs Don't Float

By

Richard J. Noyes

 

 

Basketball, hockey and volleyball usually come to mind when you think of sports that require instant reaction and close-knit teamwork. Crew is often overlooked, but is likely the sport demanding a level of joint participation beyond all others. One, two, four and eight rowers occupy shells of various sizes. For the purposes of this account, we’ll concentrate on eight-person boats.

Clearly, rowing requires an aptitude for the sport. Tall, strong people with long arms (the longer the lever the greater the potential lift or pull) are especially well adapted. If these attributes also include ratio or “water sense,” the ability to slide in the seat in concert with the rest of the crew, plus the capacity to vigorously compete while in deep oxygen debt, and an indomitable will to win you have the makings of a good and maybe great rower.

The strongest rowers usually sit in seats four and five in the middle, also known as the engine room, of an eight-person boat. However, you can have big and powerful rowers in all eight seats and still not compete favorably. Championship rowing is all about chemistry. A boat can have all top rowers, but unless their techniques are in sync, strength alone isn’t enough to win.

Rowing endurance is initially measured on a dry land ergometer, an apparatus used to measure the performance of muscle groups. But the athletes with the best erg scores aren’t necessarily the most efficient rowers. As they say in the rowing world, “Ergs don’t float.” That being said, strength in a good place to start in recruiting rowers: Paraphrasing Ecclesiastes, the race may not go the swift or the strong, but that’s the way to bet.

Rhythm, timing or perhaps even musicality contribute mightily to productive rowing. The coxswain’s commands become a kind of mantra, and to a lesser degree the metronomic clicks of the oars in the oarlocks helps put rowers into a trance-like state that allows them to dig deep and reach levels of endurance beyond the ordinary.

       Crew epitomizes the adage, “We’re all in the same boat,” and championship-level rowing exemplifies communion at its zenith. Coxswains prompt the crew: They dictate when to square the oars and give the order to be ready to row and then row. Coxswains also know that things can go terribly wrong, as when a chorus of technique turns into a holy mess.

For example, when an oar is not squared up to slice through the water a rower can “catch a crab,” a feared occurrence that can flip a blade around and slow a boat’s momentum, or cause an oar to fly up and possibly injure a rower.

A rower I know was in the number seven seat when the Stroke’s oarlock opened and the blade popped out. The boat was now down a rower and had more power on the starboard side. The rower in seat seven became the new stroke of the boat. The pull on the port side was increased and they won a race they were leading by several lengths by an eyelash. This was teamwork and mental toughness at its best.

When things go smoothly, the race starts with accelerated strokes that are difficult to execute in unison, but essential for a quick start. When flubbed, the start can put a boat’s eventual finish in doubt. Following a demanding transition from fast-paced to regular and smooth, the coxswain sets the stroke rate and orders the strokes-per-minute pace that the crew, led by the Stroke in the first seat, use to maintain a cadenced flow.

Coxswains also correct individual rowers when their strokes are early or late. And often direct all rowers to simultaneously align the timing of when all eight blades enter the water (catch) and when the blades leave the water (finish). As described, winning coxswains must have a knack for leadership, plus the gifts of perception, tempo, and instant decision-making. Most importantly, they have the ability to steer through wind, rain, and waves while keeping the boat at a prize-winning clip.

The coxswain also motivates in the sprint portion of the race which is commonly the final 250 yards when the crew powers up and the stroke rate increases, the crew aches, and despite the pain draws upon resources they didn’t know they had.  When properly executed, rowing is a model of collective action that delivers victory through unity.

Richard J. Noyes, former Associate Director, Center for Advanced Engineering Study, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a consultant to public and private sector organizations. (more)

Noyes is the co-author with Pamela J. Robertson of Larceny of Love, a provocative print and eBook novel that traces the interwoven careers of three men in jeopardy and the unforgettable women in their lives.  http://larcenyoflove.com/ 

“Whenever dramatic storytelling about people you like is created around business, sports and film, I'm a happy reader. I'm sure you will be as well.”  –Kevin Marcus

Another recent print and eBook by Richard Noyes and Pamela Robertson: Guts in the Clutch: 77 Legendary Triumphs, Heartbreaks, and Wild Finishes in 12 Sports, with a Foreword by Drew Olson of ESPN.   http://gutsintheclutch.com/

“The best compilation of fascinating sports stories I have read.” -David Houle, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer of documentaries on Hank Aaron and the Harlem Globetrotters.