The First Two Weeks on the Waterfor a Spring-Only Scholastic Rowing Program
Eric Houston (Kent School)
First week of practice:
With no fall rowing we have novices in the program who will need to be taught how to row.
The first couple of days are spent with mixed eights. We mix the novices in with the experienced rowers and try to set even eights.
Most of the first two to three practices are spent doing standard placement drills, pause drills and lots of rowing by pairs and fours with square blades.
By the 4th practice we will have introduced the feather and be rowing by fours and sixes and doing half pressure pieces mixed with drills.
By the 6th practice we will do longer steady state pieces at 18 strokes per minute, alternating pairs in every two minutes. We do lots of drills in between pieces.
Second week of practice:
By the 8th practice we will begin to separate the rowers by ability and change the focus of the practice depending on the level of skill in the boat. The novice rowers will continue to row by sixes and alternating pairs and doing lots of drilling. The more experienced rowers will be rowing by sixes and eights and doing long steady state pieces at ¾ pressure with a few shorter full pressure pieces thrown in. At this time we will “seat race” the rowers by controlled pieces by sixes in the eights for stability and using the stroke coach for rough hull speed. As the second week progresses we will continue to increase the number of pieces rowed as eights and move rowers around for compatibility as pairs and increase the stroke rating.
For the experienced boats, the ratings will be given to the coxswains before every piece and all below 26-28 strokes per minute. In the less experienced boats, the emphasis will be placed on rowing all eight at ratings capped below 22 strokes per minute To start the lower boats rowing all eights we will typically have them drag their blades during the recovery to find the set of the boat. From there we will ask them to lower their hands until the blades no longer hit the water on the recovery.
A good drill to start the boat-setting process is to have the sit at the finish with arms away. Then have starboards lower their hands to see what happens to the set of the boat. Have starboards raise their hand levels back to the set position and then repeat with the ports. Discuss how hand levels can change the set of the boat and that they need to “set the boat” with their hand levels, not their upper body).
At the end of the second week we will have introduced racing starts at no pressure, ½ pressure and ¾ pressure. The practices will include a few shorter pieces at ratings between 28-32spm to get them prepared for racing on the third weekend!