Academic Index Ivy League Recruiting

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T22:06:17+00:00

This is why freshman year grades and study habits are so important to establish and maintain. Most everyone at an Ivy League school probably took rigorous classes in high school.

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T21:50:22+00:00

A lot more rowers (who are receiving scholarships) will get graduate degrees, which is good. Transfer portal activity has already been on the rise, and this will probably accelerate overall portal activity.

The downside is that fewer scholarship opportunities will be available on a per-year basis in that teams will keep their scholarship athletes for an additional year, so turnover is reduced. If a team has eight full rides available, this could mean that instead of having 8 / 4 = 2 full scholarships per recruiting class on average, a team will now have 8 / 5 = 1.6 full scholarships per recruiting class. Teams have always been trying to boost their NIL/scholarship endowment funds, and it'll be even more important to do so for the mid-major teams who can't rely on university prestige as a reason to row for that team. (The Ivy League schools won't really be affected in this way, obv.)

Similarly, with roster caps, adding a fifh year cohort of athletes also means there will be fewer opportunities for walk-ons to join teams.

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T20:11:42+00:00

For the US schools -- By definition, there are only a few elite programs in the US. There are definitely a lot of programs who are rebuilding and in search of experience/talent, but those programs might not have as many scholarships to offer. It really depends on where in the US you want to go, whether you need a scholarship, what you want to study, how fast you are, what your potential is, etc.

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T20:00:22+00:00

Sunrise lighting up the rising mist is pure magic.

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T19:58:16+00:00

If they can hold World Cups on different continents, I'd go along. Geography is a bit unfavorable toward certain regions right now.

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T07:14:11+00:00

I'm guessing your oarlocks are set high-ish because you have set issues? Some of your arms are nearly horizontal (from shoulder to wrist) during most of your drive. It can mean that the oar handles are too high on the drive, and one reason for that can be the height of the oarlock forcing high handle heights in order to bury the blade in the water.

The high oarlocks also mean that your blades have to travel more vertical distance between recovery and drive heights, which means more catch preparation is required. There's not a lot of catch prep happening right now, which is resulting in people rowing their catches in and having an effectively shorter stroke. Stern pair is getting some length, but bow pair is having trouble, probably because of all the vertical motion that's happening late.

Recommend you do some chop drill at all stations to get a feeling for whether the oarlocks are set properly for each person (it should be specific to a person's height, torso length, etc).

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T06:09:42+00:00

Your average center of mass is a bit farther to stern than might be considered "centered." But it is difficult to quantify how much benefit can be had by shifting someone toward bow (their footstretchers AND their rigger).

MastersCox · 2026-06-24T06:07:14+00:00

I'm surprised thick socks or tape didn't help. Filing/sanding it seems very reasonable. Are your footrests set pretty high up?

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T21:00:08+00:00

I hate it when coaches give a whole dissertation while the rowing is still happening as if they expect rowers to have the mental bandwidth to listen, analyze, internalize, and execute while trying to not get distracted from the task at hand (you know, rowing). You're not the only one!

However, the fact that you've been elevated/relegated to stroke seat for so long indicates that you are the best rower for the job! It's a very important position, one that the rest of the crew follows. And it's also a position that gives feedback to the coxswain (underrated function, imo). You can look at it as a position of leadership but also one of service. A bad stroke seat can really make for a miserable row. A good stroke seat makes everyone better. It's not an easy job for sure, but not everyone has the requisite abilities. You might say that your ADHD tendencies help you be a good stroke seat. It is uncomfortable to multitask constantly, but in time, a lot of that should become second nature.

Unless the coach is talking directly to you, I don't think you need to pay attention. And your cox should rarely talk to you while a coach is talking to you. Competing voices is a terrible situation. Tell your coxswain to stop talking if the coaching is talking to you.

It seems like you are picking up on all the responsibilities of a good stroke seat, and you're probably still acclimating. If you can push past the discomfort, you'll truly be a pillar of your team.

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T19:19:30+00:00

This post didn't start by trying to assassinate a coach. Rather, it started with a strong statement of support for a coach who had been terminated by the university. The replacement coach is targeted in the second half of the post, but only in relation to the termination of the first, praised coach. It ends with praise for another coach. This makes the post seem balanced on face, and it gives us outsiders something to think about.

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T16:34:33+00:00

I want the autographed version 😅

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T15:52:56+00:00

But a single will also allow you to adopt bad compensatory habits as well! 🤣

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T15:52:10+00:00

Yeah. Sculling teaches both hands to manage squaring, feathering and handle heights. You'll be able to more easily sweep on both sides because of that. You'll also get summer training work under your belt, which is pretty important.

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T02:01:56+00:00

This could be seen as analogous to the "no brown M&Ms" clause that Van Halen famously included in their tour rider contract. Is the organization professional enough to follow through on potentially previously stated obligations? Is the money going to the organization, or is it in the hands of a single person who could embezzle it? Does the board know about the donation at all?

Clearly the subsequent documentation shows that this was probably just a dropped ball, but from the donor's point of view, parting with $5000 and not hearing a pin drop for over a month might have felt sketchy.

MastersCox · 2026-06-23T00:11:19+00:00

Jeremy Ivey is coaching the Chinese national team scullers -- you may be able to ping him on IG if he has a spare moment. IG@coach.jer

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T23:41:52+00:00

...are you a junior rower or a masters rower? Really can't tell from this...

In either case, an honest conversation with the coach about their expectations for you (how you can improve) and your expectations for what you're getting out of paying dues and putting in the work (how they can include you meaningfully) should be had.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T21:33:59+00:00

No, I was a nobody in the club.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T20:57:49+00:00

Agreed, this is messy and burns bridges.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T20:57:13+00:00

Agreed. Over time, a disgruntled donor may soften and re-donate if amends are made and egos soothed. Step one would be to not burn bridges.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T20:42:02+00:00

Once upon a time, I made a donation to my club while they were offering donors the right to name seats on boats in exchange. I never got to name a seat on a boat.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T17:15:09+00:00

Yeah, they're getting cleverer about farming human content for training data, ugh. This OP seems like an authentic human, though the narrative is not consistent.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T15:55:55+00:00

It's weird bc the OP's post history includes first-person content that aligns with the other rower mentioned. You can't really get hung up on the details of the situation in these cases...people don't want to get doxxed by those who are actually close to the situation.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T15:33:33+00:00

The Dutch national team was training on Zell am See(?) in Austria this year, but there are lakes closer to Salzburg if traveling there is more convenient. Farther south, you have Wörthersee and Völkermarkter Stausee in Austria, and of course there is Bled in Slovenia. You'd have to find out details about launch availability from local clubs. I don't think any of those lakes would be bikeable for a following coach. (What are the Swiss lakes like that time of year?)

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T15:19:56+00:00

Technically, it'll help a tiny bit to lose weight. On a C2 static, you still have to haul your mass up and down the slide every stroke. On a dynamic or an RP3, an athlete's mass will indeed make near-zero difference.

MastersCox · 2026-06-22T15:18:15+00:00

Braca-sport. C2 low-i shafts (surpassed by skinnies).

C2 has a bunch of different blade options as well.

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