COXING
(Or, How to handle oarsmen and women!)
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The cox. The little guy in the stern/bows. The steerer. The mouthy one. All of these descriptions and more are used to describe coxes. They can sometimes be overlooked at clubs and not given as much coaching or guidance as the oarsmen they steer. This has always seemed slightly odd as lets be honest, an eight or a four travelling flat out is a dangerous thing in untrained hands. The cox in a crew has to be responsible for the safety of the crew on and off the water not just in terms of steering but also manoeuvring the boat on the land and in and out of the boathouse.
The purpose of this is not a tub-thumping exercise to get coxes more recognition or praise but to perhaps let some of the newer or less experienced coxes see what their responsibilities and duties should be. To let them get an idea on what they should be asking of themselves during outings and land sessions. To look at their equipment and how it should be cared for and also how to look after themselves. I am not saying this is the definitive guide or anything like it. I am basing a lot of it on my own experiences and those of people I have spoken to over time, both coxes and oarsmen. Please note I will use the term oarsmen in an all encompassing role. I’m not excluding oarswomen from this, far from it.
We will look at things in a step by step way and try to let it flow but no promises. So here we go;
A COX. WHAT ARE THEY THERE FOR?
A cox is there to steer the boat. That is the most common response and certainly cannot be accused of being wrong. It is however not the complete story. Talking to other coxes gives an insight into just how much a cox can actually do. Some of the responses have included, being in charge of the whole crews safety on the water, checking all equipment before and after outings, being the eyes and ears of the coach in the boat, being a second coach to the crew. All of the above are certainly true and I would add that sometimes you as the cox have to act as a buffer between the crew and the coach. The more experience you get the more responsibility you will be given. Good coxes can be a psychologist, mother/father, task master, friend and nanny to their crew. They can help to get the best out their crew during a race by making the right calls at the right times. Their steering is important and while in most 2000 metre races will not usually win a race, it can certainly lose one. During head races steering can be much more important and good steering can be the difference in a close encounter. We will get more into all of the above as we progress but it is safe to say that a cox is an important part crew.
YOU & YOUR EQUIPMENT
Let’s start off well away from the water. Let’s start in your house before you even leave to come down to the boathouse. The first thing we will look at is what goes in the bag to take to the river. Simple stuff, right? Well yes but like everything else if we are gong to do this at all we will do it right.
Warm clothes are an obvious place to start especially in the Scottish climate. Try not to make them too bulky or heavy. You may be the only person in the crew wearing a lifejacket but if you are wearing heavy clothes then once the water has soaked in, that may be of no use at all. However if you do not keep yourself warm your ability to do your job decreases. I always found lots of layers worked best rather than one or two big things. For the summer adjust accordingly but it is always better to be too warm than not warm enough. Bright clothing is probably not a bad idea either. You want to make sure your visible on the water. Hats and gloves. Both of these can be essential in winter and in terms of the hat I would recommend something warm as well as a normal cap. The cap has become more and more necessary as cox boxes are used although a head band can be just as effective. The gloves while needing to be warm and waterproof if possible, also need to have plenty of feel. By that I mean a big bulky pair of gloves that you can barely feel the steering wire in are no use for subtle adjustments. Sunglasses even in winter are a good idea to stop glare off the water and to stop you screwing up your eyes in sunlight. Eyes open all the time! Trainers for the feet are best but take wellies with you if you want to use them for the steps. Next, and just as important as all of the above, a complete change of clothes. I mean a complete change. Top to bottom and from the very inside to outermost layer. If you are having two outings you may need to take extra kit with you to change between outings. This may sound like a lot of hassle but I can assure you that sitting in cold, wet kit during a second outing in the middle of winter is no fun at all. Travelling home in damp kit is just as unpleasant. I remember one of my first outings coxing I got totally soaked but only had the clothes I was wearing. An hour long drive home left more than just a damp seat. Waterproof clothing is useful if you have it, but again try not to go for anything too bulky. Your splashtop is probably about as heavy as you would want.
Apart from clothing what else should you have? Pen and paper/notepad to take down notes during crew chats, keep erg scores, weights lifted. It is always good to have a record of these things to help out the coach and crew. It will also give you notes to do your ‘training’ with later. If you have some tools (10mm spanner, 13mm spanner crosshead screwdriver, flat head screwdriver) they can always be useful to carry out quick checks on the boat and oars. Other than that a watch is the only other piece of really useful kit. A stopwatch can be helpful but any watch at all will do. This will help you make sure you turn up on time not just for outings but it will let you ensure you don’t miss the start of races and it can help during outings to time pieces of work. Over all, the advice is, be prepared. Have a look at the weather forecast the night before to see what the weather is supposed to be like. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the river or wherever the training/racing is taking place.
AT THE RIVER
So you’ve made it down to the river time to think about getting out there and doing some work. Let’s go!
Well no not quite yet. Before you go out there are still a couple of things
to do. I always found it useful to have spoken to the coach before hand in
order that I knew as much as possible what the outing was going to cover. What
are the crew trying to achieve during the outing? What are the points of technique
the crew are trying to focus on? What pieces of work are taking place and where
and when are they to be done? While the outing may change slightly as the outing
progresses, it helps to have in your head, an outline of what is going on.
If you have an outline in your head you can take some pressure from the coach
and allow him to concentrate on the rowing.
Have a check around the boat before it is taken out for any loose nuts etc
and also check the fin and rudder and associated parts. In other words, check
your tools. You don’t want to get out on the water and find something
not working. Also don’t assume that somebody else will pick up any problems.
If you find a fault and can fix it then get it done. If you can’t, tell
the person in charge of the boats. There is nothing more frustrating than showing
up for your outing and the boat is not able to be used because a fault that
occurred during the last outing has not been rectified. Deal with something
there and then. If it is left until later there is a good chance it won’t
get fixed at all.
Once you are satisfied that the boat is alright it is time to go. Call hands
on the boat and get ready to lift the boat carefully off the shelf. Keep an
eye out for riggers on boats above and below. It is best to take up a position
at one end of the boat so that you have control over what is happening and
the crew can hear any orders that you give. I would suggest the stern so that
you can keep a close eye on the rudder and fin. Make instructions clear and
simple. If they are too complicated or garbled then accidents could happen.
Also make sure that you take charge. The worst thing is if there are too many
people all wanting to have their say on how it should be done. If you want
somebody to keep an eye on the other end of the boat, then you make that decision
and tell the person. The outing starts now so take control. Take the boat slowly
out of the boathouse and then carry it carefully down to the water. If the
steps/launching area is slippy then ensure that extra care is taken. These
boats are not cheap to replace. The possibility of an injury to a crew member
is also not a good start to an outing. Make sure when placing the boat on the
water, that the shell is placed well clear of the edge and also that there
are no objects under the water that could hole the shell. Remember that you
are going to add weight to the boat when the crew gets in so make sure that
you allow for that as well. While the crew are getting their oars you should
hold the boat. Before anybody gets in the boat make sure that the side of the
boat which is on the step/launching area has the oars in the gates. Only then
should the opposite side get in the boat. Once they are settled in, get the
other side in and last of all, get yourself in. You get in last, because there
is always a chance that somebody will have forgotten something like a water
bottle. When you get in, get yourself comfortable, plug in your cox-box if
you have one, make sure the crew are ready and if everything is ok, push away
from the steps. We’re off!!
ON THE WATER
STEERING
So we are off and running. During the outing, it is vital that as hard as the crew is working physically, you should be working mentally. You cannot afford to switch off at any stage during the outing. You are in charge of a fast moving boat and the only person that is looking in the correct direction. The first suggestion I would make is to think about how far ahead you should be looking. Your automatic reaction is to look just in front of the bow. However, you should be looking much further ahead than that. When is the next bend coming up? Are there other boats, where are they and what course are they on? Are there any bridges? How might the stream affect your course? Are you coming up to an area that is very busy like a boathouse? Are there lots of boats sitting around? Are they likely to move suddenly into your path? Effectively, you have to try and anticipate for every eventuality. If you are alert and thinking ahead you can react in plenty of time.
How to steer I hear you ask? One school says that you should only steer when the oars are in the water. While in an ideal world that is probably correct, we do not live in an ideal world. The thing to remember is that when you use the rudder it not only helps to steer the boat, it also has a braking effect on the boat. If you lose the effect of the propulsion by steering, you will get less run during the recovery phase of the stroke. It is also difficult to get very subtle adjustments if the rudder is applied during the drive phase. My recommendation would be to try and feel for the boat and do what is required. Unless it is absolutely necessary any adjustments should be small and as little as possible. Big movements of the rudder are to be avoided if at all possible. If we are looking at steering on a river such as the Clyde, there are of course occasions when a lot of rudder is needed. Even in these occasions however, it is vital that any movements are done smoothly and in a fashion that will do as little as possible to disrupt not just the run of the boat but also the balance of the boat. If you are steering a boat from the stern then you will be sitting up and holding a wire in each hand. You should hold them loosely in such a way that to steer you should push the wire forward to steer rather than pull. This will give you a more accurate and reactive method of steering. Going back to a point made earlier, when you are on a straight piece of water it is usually best to try and fix a point in the distance to line yourself up on. This could be a prominent tree, church steeple or electric pylon. Obviously there may be other crews or obstacles along this path but you can always use this point as a reference point once you are past the obstruction. Prepare yourself for any bend coming up. A modern boat is built for a straight 2000 metre race. They do not react well to going around a bend. If you prepare yourself for a bend and think more about it being a series of adjustments probably starting while you are still on the straight then it will become easier to get the boat round. It is also helpful to try and make use of any stream that there may be. Get your bows in the right place and any stream will help you swing round the bend by using less rudder which is always to be recommended.
In a bow-loader, I would always opt to have the steering set up such that if you want to go to the right, you move the steering arm to the right. This helps to create a far more natural method to steer. The set up of a bow-loader is such that you cannot see what the crew is doing. In this type of situation you are there almost exclusively as a steersman. You can give very little coaching if you can’t see what is going on. The main thing to remember is that about 80% of you boat is behind you, including your rudder. You have to think about what is happening behind you when you pass something, or go round a bend. All of the points I have made about steering from the stern apply equally to the bow-loader. The thing to remember is that the smaller the boat the more unstable it can become when the rudder is applied. You have to pick the correct moments to use your rudder and when you do, make the movements as subtle as possible.
I guess what I would say in conclusion about steering is this. There are many
good coxes and they will all steer in a slightly different manner. What they
will all have in common is that they will have a good feel for the boat and
its movement. A good cox can feel when the boat is starting to veer off, and
correct its course before it deviates too far. A good cox will use the rudder
very little and when they do they will correct any problem before it becomes
to far gone.
COMMUNICATION
After steering, communication is the cox’s main job in the boat. This can be to start or stop the crew rowing, to call for a change in rate or pressure or to pass on some piece of technical information. Whatever it is, if done properly it can help make the crew go better and improve the standard of the rowing being produced. If done badly it can adversely affect a crew and certainly lead to uncertainty as to what is being asked for or is required. The introduction of the cox-box has certainly helped cox’s in passing on information. Before the cox-box, a cox had to project their voice far enough so that the bowman in an eight could clearly hear what was being said. This could put a considerable strain on the voice and I have heard stories of coxes who would be encouraged to smoke and drink whisky to help with the tenor of the voice. Not something I would recommend myself. Although I do like a glass of whisky!
The cox-box allows the cox to get the information across without straining.
It is still important for the cox to transmit the information in a fashion
that will let the crew know exactly what is required. Your tone of voice is
all important in getting your information across. If your voice is slow and
unclear then that is probably the reaction you will get from your crew. If
you are looking for the crew to sharpen their catches up then you have to make
the call sharp and clear. You can convey urgency in your voice without shouting,
or relaxation by sounding in control and being as relaxed as you can be yourself.
For another example, if you are trying to encourage the crew to control the
slide better during the recovery this is done by your tone of voice being controlled
and smooth. If you are wanting the crew to work the leg drive harder it is
important to emphasise the word drive as the legs are in action. I can’t
explain why your tone of voice affects the crew, but if you ask anybody who
has been in a crew under the control of a good cox they will confirm this.
Learning this skill can help you to get the maximum levels from your crew and
will let you progress your coxing career as far as you want to go.
In saying all of this, sometimes you have to know when to just shut-up and
let the crew get on with it. All oarsmen will have stories of cox’s who
never stop talking for almost an entire outing. This I can assure you can be
annoying! It is as important to know when to say something as it is to know
what to say. One piece of information given at the right moment in the right
fashion can make a major difference. There is a story of a call that Gary Herbert
made during the final of the coxed pairs at the 1992 Olympics to the GB crew.
It was made at the right moment of the race and it was a call he knew would
generate a reaction from the crew. They won by about 3 feet having been well
behind at half way. Another cox may have missed their moment or may have been
unaware of what buttons to push. However, too much information or unclear speech
can make a crew switch off and ignore the cox altogether. If you have a coach
with you, and he is trying to get information across to the crew, there is
no point in talking over him. You will get your chance don’t worry. Sometimes
it is helpful to let the crew work on the points you have been putting across
to them for a while without giving them more to think about. One point at a
time. Rather than all that information at once and not really knowing what
to work on first let them work through individual points. Sometimes a little
goes a long way.
Another thing to take into consideration is that electronics can fail and
if they do, you still have to get your information across. You have to be able
to project your voice far enough to be heard. If you are in a bow-loader, this
is even more difficult as you have to get your calls behind you. I think in
this situation it is best to think about not shouting as such because that
can cause you to lose the clarity. If you a struggling to get your information
across, get a member of the crew to pass the information on. There is no point
in you having no voice at the end of the outing.
Good communication can allow a crew to improve and to reach their goals as
quickly as possible. It is important to remember that the best way for a cox
to improve their technique is to ask the crew and coach how they feel about
what you are doing. They can give you the appropriate feedback so that you
can reach the standard you want to achieve.
AFTER THE OUTING
Just because the boat is of the water, it does not mean your job is finished. In the same way you had to ensure safe passage for the boat on the way to the water from the shelf, you have to do the same on the way back to the shelf. The boat has to be cleaned to make sure there hasn’t been any damage done during the outing. Generally I would get one side of the boat to wash the boat while the other side brings the oars to the boathouse. Just make sure this changes each time so that one side doesn’t wash the boat all the time. It does get boring. Once you have the boat back on the shelf, you may have a crew meeting to discuss how the outing went. It is important that you at the very least attend this. You can have a positive input to this part of the process. You have a different perspective to everybody else involved in the outing. The coach may see it all but is not in the boat and does not know how it felt. Each oarsman will probably rate the outing more in terms of their own personal performance rather than an overall picture. Don’t be afraid to give your opinion if asked for it. If they didn’t want it, they wouldn’t ask. Be wary of targeting one person for too much criticism. You are better trying to give positive information where ever possible. Yes, everybody will have their faults to work on but if one person is constantly targeted it can make them row worse as they may get tense and that will only make things worse. Also be aware that your performance will be up for discussion as well. Accept criticism in the manner it is given. If they are trying to be positive about it then take the information on board. You have to work at your own skills just as much as the crew have to work at theirs. As much as an oarsman can be replaced, so can the cox! Again, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from the crew as well. They might not be aware that you are looking for it and so may not volunteer it. If there is a second outing, make sure you know what time is hands on the boat. If you are late you can guarantee some of the crew will be as well. If the days activities are over get yourself home and try to give yourself a break from it before you try to analyse the outing(s) to much. If you think about it straight away and it was a bad outing, the chances are you will only have negative thoughts about it. Go over how you felt the outing went. Did you feel that your steering was at its best? Did you struggle with any parts of the outing? How was your concentration? Did you feel yourself switching off at any stage? Have a think about any feedback from the crew chat. Make sure that when you next get to the river you have an idea in your head about not just how the outing for the crew should go but also how you want you want from the outing.
Coxing can be a rewarding way to take part in rowing. Even if you see coxing
as your main interest in the sport, I would still recommend that you have some
experience of actually rowing. You will have a far better understanding of
what you are asking the crew to do and also what they are trying to achieve.
I can assure you that it will help your abilities as a cox.
This is not meant to be a definitive guide to coxing. There is so much more
that we could go into here. I haven’t really touched on how to cox a
race. Maybe in the next instalment! If there is anything else you want to know,
ask people. Ask coaches, ask rowers, ask other coxes. There are guides on the
internet that are well worth a read and will let you see how other coxes approach
the various challenges. Over all, enjoy it. Like most things, you will get
from the sport what you put into it. Set your goals in your head and try and
make your way towards them during each outing. You’ll get there, it just
takes practice.
