RowCollege

Does Your #1 Choice Know They Are #1?

You have a favorite school—one that you really want to attend. You've filled out applications, gone on visits, completed questionnaires, and submitted forms. And now you wait.

But have you done one very important item?

If the school is your number one choice—really your number one choice—have you told them? Do they know that the moment you get their acceptance notification you will jump about three-miles-high?

They don't? You need to.

Here is why you would want to tell them . . . during the decision-making process many different attributes are reviewed. If you express a strong level of interest in the school, that is a positive attribute. And everything positive may help.

Tell them by words. Make a call to the Admissions Office, or one to the Director of Admissions. Send an email or note to the coach. However, actions speak much louder than words.

Visits to the school, meeting with an alumni off campus, going to a regatta to watch their team row (and seeing the coach). All of those actions show a sincere interest in the school. And actions like those say to the school that it is at the top of your list.

And that might help the school put you at the top of their's.

       

Decision Time-Lots of Acceptances

Chances are that by now (for seniors) you are hearing back from many of the colleges that you have applied to. And let's suppose that many of those letters, or calls, or emails, are positive, and you now have been accepted at several institutes.

What should you do? You are going to have to make a decision.

At this stage in the game, with the new college year starting in about 8 months I'll submit three suggestions that might help you.

First—what a great problem to have. Numerous acceptances mean that you are a person that is desired. Good job! Feel good about where you are (and who you are).

Second—gather your information again. Take the schools where you have been accepted and begin the process anew. Are the criteria that you originally used to pare down your list of schools still applicable? If so use it/them again. If you are looking at five, or 10, even 20 schools put together the information that is important (school size, cost, location, etc). And at this point a return visit to the campus (for your top few schools at least) is probably called for.

Visiting a school when you have been accepted is much different than visiting earlier in the process. The pressure is off and you should be able to focus on specific things and gather more information that is of importance to you, and your family.

Third—I am going to suggest you try the most important step in selecting a college (cost aside) that very few recruits use. . . listen to your gut instinct. There are numerous studies, articles, and papers that suggest, and show evidence that when confronted with a significant decision a strategy using gut instinct is often as good or even better of a decision-maker than struggling.

In a recent article in the Boston Globe, Thoughts for Thinkers, the author wrote about using gut instinct:

In a series of studies with shoppers and students, researchers found that people who face a decision with many considerations, such as what house to buy, often do not choose wisely if they spend a lot of time consciously weighing the pros and cons. Instead, the scientists conclude, the best strategy is to gather all of the relevant information -- such as the price, the number of bathrooms, the age of the roof -- and then put the decision out of mind for a while.

I hope you do have a lot of acceptances to shift through. And with some thought and effort (and gut instinct) you might just land the right place for you to go to college.

 

Are You Coachable?

. . .  a simple question.

Being coachable means that you can form a relationship with a coach that is beneficial to both you, the coach, and the team (if you are rowing on one as compared to a single sculler). It does not mean that you  just listen to what a coach says and then do what you want.

College coaches want people who are coachable—pure and simple.

The coach is building a team and coachability is a critical component. One reason is that many incoming rowers will not row like a college coach wants them to. The coach and team will have a certain style and often rowers are asked to change their technique, or style, or even sides to help them develop, and to fit in with the current team.

To make that happen you need to be c-o-a-c-h-a-b-l-e.

James Lavin, in his book Management Secrets of the New England Patriots: From Patsies to Triple Super Bowl Champs discusses one of the keys to the Pats success is having coachable athletes. Coachable athletes make all the difference.

So what about it, are you coachable?

Here are a few questions that might give you an insight into the answer:

1. Do you think you have a lot to learn about rowing?
2. Do you have a difficult time making changes when asked to?
3. Are you willing to do the work it takes to make changes to improve your style/technique?
4. Can you speak honestly with a coach?

And probably one of the best sources that can tell you if you are coachable is your current coach. Ask him or her, and then listen to the response.

The answer is something you need to know and could help you excel, and find the right collegiate rowing program.

A Simple Question . . .

Time for a simple question . . .

     Would you want to row for these coaches?

Coaches under fire after teams of 8-year-olds brawl on ice

Know who will be coaching you.

It is important.

Equipment. Does it Matter What They Row?

During the past few weeks of recruiting I've been asked several times what type of rowing equipment we use in our program. That certainly is a reasonable question, and I think that it should be asked by someone who is considering investing four years of their time rowing with us.

However, the question does not go far enough.

Asking this question, most people are thinking only about shells and boats. I can understand why . . . there certainly are preconceived ideas many people have about which shells are better/faster—just like there are about cars. But is the answer to "What equipment do you use" really going to be a deal breaker for you?

I  suggest you find out more. Dig deeper with a question like this . . . "I'd like to know what type of shells and oars your team uses, and could you also tell me:

• how many ergometers you have and if they are in good shape,
• is your trailer very old,
• does the team have access to workout equipment such as weights and tanks,
• and, do team members have access to an Athletic Trainer?"

Seem odd to be asking these? Why?

They are all things that will play importantly in your rowing at one time or another. Shouldn't you know the answer before you sign up.

Remember, rowing is a very equipment intensive sport. Only some of that equipment is shells and oars.

When to Tell a Coach, "No Thanks, Not Interested."

If you've been in the game of looking at college rowing programs for while, chances are you've accumulated a hefty pile of admissions materials. And it is also a fair bet that one if not more college rowing coaches have contacted you.

So what should you do when you've decided that a school is not right for you—that you are no longer considering going there?

You need to contact the coach as soon as you have made that decision and tell him/her that you are not interested. And do it asap. Yes, I know that you don't want to read that. Of course you are too busy for this hassle . . . And it is going to be an uncomfortable phone call to make, or email to write. Get over it—it is what needs to be done.

And here are three reasons why . . .

First, rowing is a very small community, and coaches talk to each other all the time. Leaving a coach with a positive image may just come back to help you some day. It might not, but it just might. [More than once I have helped a rower who decided not to come to my school in the process of getting into the top school of her choice.]

Second, when a coach knows you are not interested he will tell the Admissions Office. That will stop the mailings and phone calls from the school. That will help you focus on the schools of interest to you.

Third, as we all learned in kindergarten, "Treat others as you want others to treat you." You would expect a coach to tell you immediately if she was no longer interested in you, or didn't think you could row at her school. Well, coaches expect the same from folks they are recruiting.

We often don't get that, but I can tell you that when a thank you note comes in expressing:

Dear Coach, thanks for your interest in me. It was an honor to be considered for the rowing program at Your College. However, after consideration, I feel that my education would be better served by going to Another College

I put that person on my list to cheer for when she is racing. Even when it is against my team.

Should You Care What Drives the Rowing Program You Are Considering?

Sport teams—any and all of them—are driven by something. There is a driving force that pushes all teams in a specific direction.

For instance, youth soccer teams (for kids 5 to 7 years of age) may be driven by such forces as: parents looking to expose their child to sports, kids wanting to learn soccer, a coach wanting to give kids an environment to grow in, to name a few.

Often this force, or forces, can be positive. Other times destructive.

A coach who is building a college rowing program because she believes in the benefits of the sport for the overall development of the athlete is demonstrating a positive driving force. Another coach who is relentlessly pushing his athletes to work and get faster to settle a grudge from a race lost long ago to school XYZ is pushing people with a negative driving force.

Why should you care? What difference could it possibly make to you what force is driving a rowing program you are considering?

Well . . . would you rather ride in a car with driver who is going to drive safely, or one who drives like a maniac? Would you rather see a doctor who knows what the heck she is doing, or one who is making it up as she goes along? And that pizza you just got at the restaurant . . . wouldn't you rather eat the one made by the fellow who made it with love and the best ingredients?

You should care because rowing in college is a big investment of time and energy, and the impact of the program, teammates and coach/coaches on you can be very significant. It can be greatly positive, or wickedly negative . . . depending in large part on the flavor of the driving force.

Yes, you should care. But how do you find out what the driving force is and if it is positive or negative?

Stay tuned.

5 Clues From a Smart Boathouse Tour (part 2)

Here we go again looking for clues at the boathouse that might give you insight into the program you are considering . . .

Oar Handles

The third clue to seek out is the condition of the oar handles. When you have a moment wander over to the oar rack(s) and check out a few of the oars. How are the handles? Good condition, free of dings, dents, and damage? Or are they beat-up, and need of repair?

It makes a heck-of-a-difference what their condition is when you are rowing with them. Bad oar handles can make your rows miserable. If you see bad ones that might be something to put on your list to ask the coach about later.

Boat Names

The next clue may well seem silly even to consider, but give it a shot. Ask where the names on the boats came from?

The logic here is that if the names are to honor someone, say like a person who rowed in the program then went on to become a famous astronaut (US Naval Academy has an "Allen Sheppard" eight,) then that is a nice honor and  is a clue to tradition and success in the program. Or, if it is named after a significant donor, that may indicate good financial support.

However, if the name is for something like a movie or a TV show that the rowers watched one weekend, well . . . that shows a wasted opportunity to honor someone. [Unless, of course, the movie is a fantastic one like "Oxford Blues." Yup, I am joking].

Display Area

The final clue to scout out is basically this, is there an award/trophy display area? Is there a place where honors, such as All-American plaques are placed for all to see? If not, ask yourself, "Why?" Possibly they are not at the boathouse, but instead at the Athletic Department. Maybe there are no honors to display. Again another clue for you to dwell on.

Five clues (tracks, bathrooms, oar handles, boat names, display area) that may give you valuable insight into the program and school you are considering.

If you look around, the boathouse just may be talking to you.

5 Clues From a Smart Boathouse Tour

For a recruit, touring a collegiate boathouse can be a special event. Often those boathouses are filled with equipment, athletes, and coaches that you don't see in an average high-school boathouse. Medals, trophies, and interesting trivia (did someone say "race banners") can be everywhere.

Exciting as all that may be, the downside of a boathouse tour is that it is very easy to get distracted. This can cause you to miss out on little details that can offer up important insight into what type of rowing program, and college, you are looking at. Following are five of those clues, and what they just may tell you.

Shell Tracks

Without tracks rowing just isn't, well . . . just isn't rowing—at least not like most of us know it. Shell tracks can hold an interesting clue into the rowing program that you are considering.

How's that?

When you have a moment, slide a finger inside a shell's track, and see what you get. Greasy finger? Might be a clue about how well the boats are maintained.

Poorly maintained boats just don't last. In an article I wrote, "Last Almost Forever: 13 Steps to Help Your Rowing Equipment Last An Eternity!," I stress one of the critical steps in helping equipment last is cleaning them, inside and out. Really well.

So if a boat isn't going to last, how will it be replaced? Through fundraising? Does that mean that you will be doing a lot of fundraising for funds for new equipment?

Something to think over.

Bathrooms

This is probably one of the most important clues at the boathouse, and it comes in two flavors. First, are there bathrooms? Second, if yes, what condition are they in?

I'm not talking about fancy locker rooms (although there are boathouses that have beautiful ones), I'm talking just plain-old-bathrooms. Here is a basic question to ask yourself, "If they're aren't any bathrooms, where the heck is a person in need of one supposed to go?

Out in the woods? Don't go?

That may well give you an idea of how thought out the process is of having athletes training in an area for a couple of hours.

And if they do have them, are they clean? You don't have to be able to eat off the floor, but is it scary in there? Does it look like the worst gas-station bathroom along I-95? If so, what do you think that tells you about the support of the program?

Coming up, three more clues to some very important items . . .

The Flavors of Rowing-Pick Yours

So many things these days come in variety. Computers, coffee, cars . . . seems like there are endless variations to almost everything. You can get almost any flavor of ice cream that you want.

Collegiate rowing is really no different, it too comes in different flavors. As you search for schools and rowing programs you will be well served to keep this thought in mind—and pick the one that best suites your taste.

The flavors of collegiate rowing range from row-once-in-a-while-program-for-
the-fun-of-it to feeder programs for the national team. Following is a list of the different variations of collegiate rowing that you will find:

• Division 1
• Division 2
• Division 3
• Club
• Intramural

I will go into more detail about each of these types of programs in future posts, but in the meantime here is a brief synopsys of each.

Division 1: Although Division1 rowing programs range from hardcore to those rowing just for the experience, most consist of very dedicated athletes with a goal of high performance and winning the "big one."

Division 2:  Sometimes considered the step child of Division 1, Division 2 programs have a different philosophy, which we will discuss later. The main focus here is a student-athlete with a balance between the two—athletics and academics, with athletes who are pushed hard and have high expectations in both areas.

Division 3: This is where the true amateur philosophy holds. Division 3 student-athletes are not treated any differently than the general student body at their school, they get no extra benefits such as might happen in Division 1 or Division 2 (such as athletic based scholarships). They are very hard working and some Division 3 programs are very fast.

Club: There are numerous colleges that offer club rowing. These are rowing programs that are usually run by the club or recreational division of their school, instead of the Athletic Department. These programs can range from some extremely competitve programs to ones that are barely able to field a team.

Intramural: Some college, more notably the larger schools, offer intramural rowing. The focus here is competition on campus against other collegiate members or teams.

Picking a flavor that suites you well will take an investment of time. It is a very worthwhile investment. Watch out for the brussel sprouts!