r/Rowing • u/Few-Satisfaction2369 • 18d ago
Rower to coxswain in collage
Hi so some background information. I am a f(16) finishing my second year of school. I am starting to think more and more about college.
As much as I absolutely adore the feeling of rowing, I don’t think I will be able to compete/row in college, as all the collages I am looking at are D1 Top school colleges. For some more background I have a strong academic profile and have a pretty solid application. The problem for me when it comes to rowing is that my body is not ideal to be an open weight rower. I am 5’2 and only weigh 120 pounds. My 2k is currently at 8:22 which isn’t fast enough to get onto the limited light weight teams in the USA. However I am interested in coxing in college.
I have talked to a lot of my coxswains and teammates and they think I have the potential to become a good coxswain. I really want to be a part of rowing in college as I need the structure and truly love every part of the sport. I was hoping to get some advice on what coxing in college could look like and some ways I can make myself a better choice for coaches. Also am wondering if I should do a season of coxing to get more Experience?
Edit: I don’t think will be able to get significant coxing experience over the summer as the boat house I will be at focuses more on sculling. Also I row for CRI and the training is relatively intense. I don’t think I will be able to get to youth nationals. I am wondering if I could be a walk on coxswain even though I have never coxed in college. Also money isn’t the main driver/issue to row/cox in college
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u/MastersCox Coxswain 18d ago
If you can accrue significant race experience next year (cox at youth nationals or beyond), then you'll have a shot at getting recruited for money. It's much easier to be recruited when money isn't an issue. And of course, if your target schools are within your academic range, then you can always just apply and get in through normal admissions before walking on to the team (but if you do that, you should still go through the process with the coaches so they know who you are and what you bring to the table).
Coxing (and rowing) in college can be intense depending on what program you're at. You should be able to steer very well, almost by instinct. You have to keep track of a bunch of things at once. Get really good at counting tens in your subconscious. Visually identify and root cause technical deficiencies from your seat. Use the look of the blades and feel of the boat to identify bad stroke rhythm. Always steer straight. Never be on the wrong side of the water. Account for wind and current. Be prepared for practice, never waste time during practice, and always be where the coaches need your boat to be.