How to: Form a Race Plan

A guide on how to think about racing from the perspective of a coxswain

• Plan it

  As a coxswain, planning for the race means carving out extra time outside of practice to sit and think about the small details that make up my crew, to really understand each individual’s strengths, weaknesses, and effective motivators and ineffective motivators that are unique to each person. It is just as important to be aware of my own strengths and weaknesses, identifying areas in my coxing that I need to refine, practice, and perfect prior to the race. In terms of logistical planning, I need to consider what I know about the competition and race day conditions that could play a factor in affecting our performance.

  Part of the race plan should be planning to expect the unexpected. A race plan is not a strict set of rules that need to be carried out no matter what. Sometimes situations don’t go as planned. Therefore it’s essential that everyone is on the same page about what needs to change, how to change, and when to change it.

• Communicate it

  I make sure the crew knows logistical aspects like stroke rate (cadence), split (speed), time, and meters, communicating this information in a concise and direct tone, so that the strategy of the plan is crystal clear. As the coxswain, I need to make sure I know that the rowers understand what is happening. It is just as important that the rowers trust me to tell them what they need to know.

• Practice it

  Practicing the race plan happens prior to race day, where the stakes are controlled, mistakes are necessary, and there is more room to test and practice different approaches based on the crew’s strengths and weaknesses. I practice putting myself and my crew in the race mindset by walking them through possible scenarios during training sessions to help visualize the intensity of the race. This allows us to execute possible race strategies, testing our abilities as a boat, make the necessary adjustments, and give us the confidence to push another level during the actual race.

• Promise it

  The race plan is my promise, as a coxswain, to follow through on executing the plan in the way that worked best as a crew. I promise to communicate the information that they need, be consistent in my delivery, and make the best decisions with everyone in mind. I commit to getting the team to reach greater than expected outcomes and to show up to want to win.

• Execute it

  I follow through with the plan by staying consistent in my delivery and clear in my communication. The rowers are able to stay in sync and listen to me when I tell them what we are about to do, or if any changes need to happen mid-race, and they are able to execute the given strategy together in the most effective way. The most important aspect to executing strategy during a race is communicating with your crew— what, how, when— of the plan.

• Evaluate it

  The most fulfilling and exciting moment of rowing is realizing the outcome of an effective ‘move’ or strategic power push during the race and finding out how we moved up on the competitor’s boat as a result.

  Sometimes the strategy does not always give us what we want. There could be multiple reasons why, and it is important to determine how, when, and what needs to happen if this is the case.

  This is my framework for evaluating a plan after executing it:

  Ask— Did the plan do what I wanted, did it work, was it effective in its purpose?

  • If so, tell the rowers. Confirm that they were successful. Then, set a new benchmark to hit and elevate the end goal.

  • If not, communicate with the rowers, re-assessing the current state (give the logistical information) and determine how and when to attack the problem differently.