Sean O'Neill, Class of 2014, shares his experience from the recent Winter Training Trip. This is a wonderful preview for what is to come this spring.
FoHCMR is going to try and publish one athlete interview a month going forward, and Sean sets the tone for what's to come. Go Cross!
“Why not us?” It was a question Coach Todd Pearson had posed to the Holy Cross men’s rowing team countless times; in fact, it had become somewhat of a signature sign-off for every email sent to the team. So the question resonated all during winter break, where the team has traditionally had a tough time staying in shape. And for good reason: Christmas cookies, more flexibility with how to practice (or not practice), and the comfort of a seemingly far off racing season, combined among other factors to make the ergometer seem unnecessary at such an early point. The existence of a training trip at the end of winter break is important in itself, but it also serves as a counterpoint to this negative mentality. Without such a trip, we would have had an answer to “why not us?” but after our week at Cocoa Beach the team has no excuse for anything less than the best season we’ve had in a long time.
The original plan for the first day of the trip was simply traveling and settling in, with the first practice set for the following morning. But when the opportunity for a row presented itself, Coach Pearson along with Coaches Nick Zinter and Thomas Sullivan decided not to let the chance pass by. Among the four coxswains, only senior Steve Burrison had previously been to Cocoa Beach, so the quick row was an excellent chance for the underclassmen to get in touch with their surroundings. If you are unfamiliar with Cocoa Beach, Sykes Creek of the Intracoastal Waterway takes some getting used to: shallow water, manatees, dolphins, and even a stingray on the last day can be difficult to navigate around. Further, the complex routes needed to successfully navigate the canals, wakes from boats of varying sizes, and impressive casts by early morning fisherman were all potential setbacks that the coxswains deftly adjusted to.
The second day and those after saw a pattern of relentless work for each rower. We got up for an early workout followed by breakfast, had a few hours of rest, and then headed back out onto the water for another practice. The number of rowers sleeping between each practice was a testament to how hard we worked on the water. This being said, many were still able to make it down to the beach, or at least to the hotel’s hot tub, which was constantly overpopulated either by Brown’s team or ourselves.
Although we alternated between harder pieces and more drill-oriented practices, there was no “easy” practice. The drills required intense focus as the Coaches tried to phase out bad habits and emphasize proper form. Loose shoulders, quick hands, sharp catches and proper body angle were hammered into each rower, some (namely myself) having more trouble than others. Although warm ups and drills allowed time for each oarsman to develop his stroke, the most important time to implement good technique was during the pieces themselves. To have flawless form at a rate of 20 strokes per minute is good, but if it falls apart as soon as the rating gets bumped up, then there is a problem. The Coaches did their best to address exactly that. The roar of the motor was drowned by the sound of the coaches’ yells of encouragement and direction. Even when rowing back to the trailers by 6’s after a hard practice, Coach Sull’s yells of “Don’t let your boat get down!” could be heard across the water.
The Coaches made it clear that any seat races among the squad would not be decisive for spring lineups, but each and every race was contested to the last stroke. Nearly everyone on the team had some chance to cross the gunnels and prove their worth. Perhaps even more heavily anticipated than the seat races were the class races, a great source of pride and the basis for much friendly banter within the team. The sophomores and juniors were the first to race, and a high rating and a quick start put the class of 2013 ahead from the start. The seniors beat the freshman, setting the stage for a battle between the seniors and juniors. The juniors walked away from the 5-minute piece victorious. It should be noted that the sophomores beat the freshman by a considerable margin after reconfiguring their race plan to include a full start, leaving room for another hard-fought series in Georgia on the spring break trip.
Even in an unseasonably warm and snow-less Worcester, it’s easy for the team to forget that merely a few weeks ago we were enjoying ocean breezes and Florida sunshine. Back in Florida, “practice” involved doing what we love: getting out on the water and going hard. Given the choice, any oarsman in their right mind prefers being on the water to hitting the erg, but the work we’re putting in now is essential to our success once we get back on Lake Quinsigamond. Every piece we pull helps to bring the bow of Holy Cross Rowing out in front.
Sean O’Neill ‘14
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