Steering the Boat is Just One Part of Koo's Job as Coxswain
4/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Rowing
Steering the Boat is Just One Part of an Important, Complex Job
By Jason Gerdom, U-M Assistant Athletic Media Relations Director
"Steer the boat."
That's the simple answer one gets from Belinda Koo, a senior on the University of Michigan women's rowing team, when asked what a coxswain does. Dive into the topic further, however, and one quickly finds out there is much more to being a coxswain than appears. From playing the role as a second coach during practice to being the crew's motivator on the water during a race, a coxswain is a unique position in the world of sports.
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A primary example of this is the fact that while in the stern of the boat, the coxswain can see the blades of all the rowers but only the body of the person in the stroke seat. As a result, the coxswain must infer what is going on with the rowers from what she can see of the blades.
"But that is a more experienced coxswain," said Koo.
Starting out as a novice is a totally different experience, and Koo knows from experience. While in high school, she had a friend who rowed. Koo repeatedly expressed her desire to be a rower, but was always told that, at 5-foot-2, she should be a coxswain.
As a novice on Michigan's then-club rowing team, Koo still had some aspirations to row, but knew that she was destined to be a coxswain. Having never been involved with rowing prior to Michigan, Koo spent a lot of time learning with the rowers during her first season.
"The coaches teach the rowers from the launch, and we can look at their blades to see what the coaches are talking about," said Koo. "We also watch a lot of video and talk to the coaches about what they want. Much of the learning just comes from experience."
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"Before a race, I spend a lot of time thinking about the race plan and visualizing what should happen," said Koo. "There is also the responsibility of working with the rigger to make sure the boat is ready for the race."
Once the race starts, the coxswain has several responsibilities. First and foremost is making sure the boat travels down the lane in a straight line to the finish. However, there is also the responsibility of knowing what is happening with the other boats in the race and executing the boat's race plan, something that varies from coxswain to coxswain based largely on personal style.
"I let the rowers have a lot of say in the race plan," said Koo. "Some coxswains set a plan and stick to that, while I react more to what the rowers want to do during the course of a race. It varies from one coxswain to another."
In either case, the coxswain plays a role on the team that is unique. Other than the rule that coxswains weigh at least 110 pounds, there are virtually no physical requirements for the job. However, it requires a sharp mental focus and the leadership skills to bring eight rowers together as one boat. A task that, as Koo states, makes sure a coxswain is never bored.
Contact: Jason Gerdom (734) 763-4423
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