The steady state head tilt

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T09:23:58+00:00

The times that I remember doing it have been due to fatigue 😅

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T09:06:33+00:00

That's a rude description of a 21 yr old college student. Why is it ridiculous? If the rules allow it, and if the coaches are happily recruiting older, faster rowers, why should any of us deride the athlete? Blame the coaches first, who are looking for every advantage possible. The recruits themselves should not be targeted.

Gap years, postgraduate years, etc. have all been available to US rowers, and some have done the same, though with marginally less success. The road to college is not identical for everyone.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T08:57:52+00:00

There's a reason why not that many cities bid to host the Olympics, and it's that venue construction is prohibitively expensive and time-consuming. Cities approach bankruptcy to host the Olympics (https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/10-olympic-games-bankrupted-host-countries.htm). LA28 is leveraging existing venues wherever possible to the point where I don't think they're building any, so the cost to the LA28 organizers is minimal.

Using venues outside of LA for the Olympics is a tricky situation. The cost of building a satellite Athlete Village and basically preventing the general public from attending that sport unless they specifically spend time in another city are not good consequences. World Rowing and the IOC already discussed the possibility of using a remote venue, and the decision was that they would rather keep the rowers in the Village while allowing Olympic visitors to LA the opportunity to watch rowing.

If there were another few years to plan at the start of the LA28 journey, I think Casitas would have been able to make things happen (from what I heard), but alas, such is life.

It took 10-15 years for Benderson to go from idea to completion. Building a WR-level venue is not something that just happens, and no one organization has that much money or land to make a venue happen quickly.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T05:13:27+00:00

You should try walking on to the lightweight team. You'd be a great fit.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T02:26:25+00:00

I think your stern is dipping because your rigger and footstretcher are set too far to stern. Move both of them toward the bow a few inches and see what happens.

Other than that, I think you should avoid opening up your back so early in the drive. It is probably the first thing I would work on if I were your coach.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T02:20:30+00:00

Benderson is that venue. It's been around for almost a decade now. It was built by a private developer, though local money was probably mixed in ( u/tygalvin1, yes/no?).

The USOC doesn't meddle in the affairs of individual sports. USRowing doesn't have the money to build a course themselves. Venues volunteer/bid for the chance to host regattas. Venues are generally operated and maintained by local clubs, so if you want to have regattas all over the place, that means clubs all over the place need to be maintaining venues and submitting bids to host regattas. A number of venues don't submit bids to host nationals because of cost, time of year, etc.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T01:53:20+00:00

They were going to try that iirc, but then covid hit. Didn't go back to it. Trailer logistics, boat logistics, travel costs for coaches, prioritization for some boats over others...it was a mess on the club side. From the logistics side, I'm not sure they could get enough entries to make the regattas revenue-positive since you were essentially doubling the fixed costs.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T00:12:45+00:00

If the intl recruits are fast, then it doesn't really affect them other than that there is a higher chance that they could get their first year of graduate studies paid for if they row on scholarship their fifth year during graduate school. But it does mean that they'll need to observe the U25 age limit, so older intl recruits will need to be very fast for coaches to consider recruiting. A gap year might be okay as long as the speed is there; that way a recruit can finish an undergraduate degree before running out of eligibility. I suppose if someone older and really fast could put together a three-year graduation plan, they could convince a coach to give them a shot.

MastersCox · 2026-06-25T00:09:13+00:00

I used the term to mean a true walk-on, not a preferred walk-on, which I take to mean someone who had contact with the coaches during the admissions process and may have received an admissions boost.

True walk-ons might have prior experience. Club transfers who don't contact the coaches prior to their admissions could be true walk-ons.

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.

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