September marks the start of a new season: a time to set fresh goals and have a renewed focus on becoming the best version of yourself in the boat.
Part of becoming a ‘winning cox’ is constantly reflecting on your performances and using those insights to grow. Good reflection can only happen when you have clear, purposeful goals that guide your focus and help you measure your progress.
I am going to share with you some of the strategies I found most valuable when kickstarting the season:
Reflections on previous sessions and races
Take some time to analyse your previous races and training sessions. What moments made you feel most effective? When did you feel out of depth? Perhaps these are the areas with room for improvement.
Use multiple sources, such as feedback from your crew and coach and recordings; perhaps there is even some video of the race that you can refer to. For more experienced coxes, supporting your reflections with data can be effective, as can plotting your recording and speed charts together to see if you were having a positive impact on boat speed with certain calls.
Remember to be honest in assessing your own performance, especially when listening to recordings. It can be tricky to listen to your own voice, but really listen to the good things being said as well as the areas for development. These insights pinpoint the areas where you can concentrate your efforts.
Identifying areas for improvement
The role of a cox extends beyond making calls and steering; therefore, goals can be related to different aspects of your role. Remember to nail the basics first; this applies to people at every level. Time management is critical, for instance, living by the standards you set for the rowers. Some other examples are:
Leadership and communication
Set a goal to lead a session confidently – you could discuss the plan with your coach before the session and set yourself the challenge of executing this with minimal prompts. Another type of leadership goal may take the form of leading debriefs at the end of sessions. Stepping up to this role will help you develop your leadership skills, boost your presence in the boat, and build trust with the crew.
Technical knowledge
Set a goal to deepen your understanding of rowing technique. To do this, you could set aside time to practise specific aspects on the ergo each week, e.g., the catch, and discuss them with your coach to gain feedback on your understanding.
Personal development
Consider setting goals that build your confidence, leadership, or adaptability skills. One goal may be to develop a routine that makes you feel prepared, such as developing a race plan to practice with your crew or utilising race visualisation to prepare you for different scenarios.
Setting practical goals
Start with a ‘big picture’ goal for the season – then break it down into sizable goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Discuss these with your coaches so they can give you feedback along the way. For example, “I want to cox the first boat at my club, to do this, I need to do X, Y and Z.”
Examples:
- For the winter season, I will record my sessions twice a month so I can get regular feedback.
- For this month, when there are challenging conditions, I will focus on relating my calls to the conditions to maximise boat speed.
- By the end of the month, I will be able to confidently lead pre-session briefs and debriefs.
This approach will keep you motivated and focused, allowing you to feel progression and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’re one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal.
Embrace Continuous Improvement
Remember, growth as a cox is an ongoing process. Regularly revisit your goals and let your experience in the boat guide them.
My biggest advice is to celebrate the wins along the way—whether that’s boosting your crew’s morale after a hard race or stepping into a new crew and making calls with confidence. Embrace the lessons from setbacks. I’m still learning to this day, and I always have something to improve on. That’s what keeps me enjoying my role in the boat every day.
Enjoy the process, stay focused on your goals and make this season your best one yet.
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