When you look at your rowers in your crews, what do you see? Do you see their technical and physical ability and how this translates into the performance of the crew? Is there anything a rower can contribute beyond this? Have you ever thought about the impact certain rowers have on the rest of their crew that doesn’t relate to their ability to row, their fitness or their strength? Do they have a role that goes beyond their seat position and ability to row well?

This article is in response to a recent discussion with a football coach. This discussion highlighted that in some instances, coaches view their athletes only from the perspective of their physical and technical expertise, and the value this contributes. But all athletes value extends much further than this.

Consider how one rower performs in the position of stroke seat in the eight in comparison to another. What differentiates their performance is often more than just their ability to row. To be a stroke of an eight, requires a contribution beyond just physically rowing. Do your best strokes communicate to your coxswain? Do they set a standard for others to follow? Do they become vocal when these standards are or are not met? Can they give feedback to the crew about the boat? Are they a leader?

In reality, when we look at athletes in any sport, we must challenge ourselves to view an athlete’s total contribution and therefore, establish roles for our athletes that suit the type of contribution they are capable of making. We do this for the benefit of the crew’s performance. When a rower makes a more holistic contribution they become a more valuable member of the crew.

These are some factors which I have noticed that can add value to a rowers technical role:

Listening skills:

How well does a rower take on and retain information such as race strategies, technical data, feedback about their performance, or information about the opposition crews? Does a rower truly tune in totally when they need to? Rowers who can listen well generally create less stress for those around them including coaches and fellow crew members. Good listening skills provide those around them with a sense of security in knowing the rower understands what needs to be achieved and are prepared to perform their role.

Communication skills:

Do they speak their mind in an appropriate way? Are they assertive in expressing their opinion on how to improve the crew’s performance? Does the athlete consider the impact of their feedback on others? Do they communicate to build trust and respect with their crew members? These are often an extension of a rower’s listening skills, and demonstrate how well they can communicate with their coach and crew members. All these factors can make or break a crew. From my experience, rowers who can communicate well in the boat and out of it, quickly build a reputation of being the type of rower others want in the boat.

Team skills:

What is the rower’s approach to the crew? Do they position themselves to be the star, or do they work hard to be the best person for the crew? Are they concerned about how to add value to other crew members, or are they selfish in their participation? Are they likely to behave selflessly, and act to help the crew win, even if that means putting their individual desires or needs to the side?

Self-management skills:

Does the rower organize themselves to be at their best when they need to be? Are they the type of rower who forgets their gear or neglects their preparation? Do they compromise the crew’s goals by their actions away from practice? Do they create headaches for the coach because of the lack of awareness of their limiting behaviors? Do they bring the crew into disrepute by their off-water behavior

Discipline:

Is the rower totally reliable in carrying out coaching instructions? Are they able to make tough choices which see the crew’s goals come first? Do they do what they are told on and off the water or do they change the rules to suit themselves? The list of non-technical skills, qualities or abilities that athletes can contribute to the overall team is extensive (and the above is really just an overview – see the video on the GRIP Model later in this article).

Not every rower brings the same characteristics to the crew and never do we want them to. Certainly some of the qualities mentioned here are desirable in most rowers, as they are all qualities which ultimately add value to the crew or overall rowing program. Coaches who take notice of the non-technical rowing qualities often take this knowledge into consideration with their selection choices. As a result, the team chemistry is much more effective, and this assists a crew in achieving their overall goals. With this knowledge, a coach can also find the right rower for the right seat. Not every rower is going to be able to adapt themselves to suit the unique contributions required from the differing seats in an eight.

You might be interested to read more about an athlete’s role beyond their playing position. We cover this when talking about the role of athletes within the “GRIP Model” we use in pre-season preparation. (See our article on Pre Season Preparation and using the GRIP Model.) In that article, it is the ‘R’ in GRIP that stands for Roles in the team.

We discuss that roles in a team encompass more than simply the position on the field or court an athlete plays, in the same way as we have above. Although this is part of it, the main aspect to roles is having each athlete understand what their role is beyond their “seat” role.  What this means is every team member is expected to make a contribution off the water. We also have an online video available for you to watch on the GRIP Model that you can access by contacting us. We would be happy to share this with you on your request.

At Athlete Assessments, we’re here to provide you with excellence in service and here to help you be your best. If there is anything we can assist you with (or if you’d like to watch the GRIP video), please contact us.

Bo Hanson is currently a consultant coach with the USRowing Men’s team currently preparing for the 2012 London Olympic Games. He was also one of our 2009 and 2010 Convention presenters and after such overwhelming feedback from the delegates, we asked Bo to share his most valued rowing advice with our readers on a regular basis.

Bo’s own rowing career spanned four Olympic campaigns, winning three medals for Australia and he was and remains the youngest rower to compete at an Olympics for his country at 18 years of age. He is now an in-demand coaching consultant for Athlete Assessments (www.athleteassessments.com) and works with coaches across a vast range of sports. He maintains a personal connection to rowing coaching through his involvement with his own high school and the rowing clients he consults to.

A version of this article was first published by Athlete Assessments in their December 2011 Newsletter. If you’d like to subscribe to future newsletters or contact Athlete Assessments, go to the website. Also, if you’d like a copy of any the resources mentioned above, contact Bo directly at (760) 742-5177 or email coach@athleteassessments.com.

Bo Hanson, Four-time Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments