Goals and Goal-Setting

Rowers:

We often hear a lot of talk about goals and goal setting. At the beginning of the season coaches are often asked "What are your goals for your team this year, coach?" This is certainly a valid question even if it is not stated correctly; that is, the goals should be the team's goals, not the coach's goals for the team. But why do we even use goals? Setting goals has at least three purposes:

1) Setting goals enhances motivation, preferably focusing on internal motivation;
2) Setting goals encourages athletes (and coaches) to develop new skills and strategies to improve performance; and,
3) Setting goals helps focus attention on the task one hopes to accomplish.

Various types of goals that one might want to accomplish. First are the time-line-related goals. Basically there are two types of goals in this category, although they are often referred to by various names. One is the long-term goal, also referred to as the ideal or ultimate goal. In sports, this is typically the goal set to be achieved by the end of the season. For a team it might be to win a league championship or reach a certain win-loss record. For an individual athlete it might be to have a .325 batting average or swim a 26 second 50m freestyle. Sometimes we talk about even more distant long-term goals, such as becoming a professional athlete or qualifying for the Olympics. The other type of goal is the short-term goal, also referred to as an action, momentary, or situational goal. These are the specific goals that are the stepping stones which lead us up the path to the long-term goal. Coaches focus on short-term goals as they plan each practice session and prepare their team for an upcoming game or meet.

Another way to describe types of goals is to address what one wants to accomplish. Here we are talking about mastery goals and competitive goals. Mastery goals, sometimes referred to as task oriented goals, focus on learning to perform skills. Unlike competitive goals, mastery goals are self-referenced. That is, athletes compare their current performance to their own previous performances with self-improvement being the goal. One of the nice things about mastery goals is that the athletes themselves are responsible for success or failure to achieve these goals. Competitive goals, sometimes referred to as ego oriented goals, focus on outcomes, typically winning. These goals involve social comparison, that is, comparing an athlete's or team's performance against that of another athlete or team. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to win, one problem with competitive goals is that is is possible to achieve a competitive goal, winning, without playing well. Another major problem with competitive goals is that an athlete or team does not have as much control over success or failure because they cannot control the performance of the opposition. Thus it is possible to perform your best but not accomplish a competitive goal. Although there is not an absolute answer to this problem, the best strategy seems to be to focus primarily on mastery goals and secondarily on competitive goals. Achieving mastery goals will likely lead to also accomplishing competitive goals.

This article provided by Dr. Richard Stratton, Health and Physical Education Program, Virginia Tech

Niskayuna Overtakes Burnt Hills in Bell

The following narrative of the Mohawk Bell was written for the Niskayuna Freshmen Boys' blog by Alex, three seat of the novice eight.

It was windy, it was cold, and the odds were…with us? Wednesday, October 31st was the Mohawk Bell and I must say the freshmen guy’s crews pretty much owned. The spirit of Trogdor must have been with us today because we won a lot, even with a pretty sizeable mishap.

In all seriousness, however, I personally did not have much confidence in our form as were heading to the start and warming up. It was probably a combination of the headwind and the fact that we were headed to a racecourse that we had never rowed before, but I was just not feeling it, and I was pretty worried about how we were going to do. Regardless, we got to the start and hoped for the best.

We saw the Burnt Hills crew at the start area, and I found that they were looking about as out of it as we were, so I got a little more pumped, and got excited for a win. The Burnt Hills freshmen crew abruptly started, and my boat saw that the Nisky freshmen boat was already almost at the Amtrak Bridge. Our boat was called, and we began the paddle.

Half pressure. Three quarters. Full pressure! And we were off. The boat started somewhat poorly, but we got it together within about ten strokes, and the race started. I think we had an unspoken goal of passing the Burnt Hills crew before Freeman’s Bridge, because now it wasn’t a question of whether or not we would pass them, it was a question of when we would pass them. Alas, we did not achieve this, but we caught up to their boat, our bow to their stern, about halfway between Freeman’s and the railroad bridge. A power ten was promptly issued, and we rowed.

And we crashed. Into a buoy. We were forced into the buoy before the railroad bridge, and we lost a very good deal of speed. We got back into it with a power ten and passed them just after the railroad bridge. Now it was just a matter of getting farther away and finishing the race, which we did.

Pain, Rain, and a Strong Finish

The following narrative of the Head of the Fish Regatta was written for the Niskayuna Freshmen Boys' blog by Eli, six seat of the freshmen eight.

Up until the Regatta on Saturday, I never realized how much pain a body can take. Pain, that’s what crew is all about isn’t it? The pain, the amount of hurt your body can take before you breakdown. Getting up at 5:00 in the morning, trudging through mud, and getting soaked by the nonstop rain, then rowing two 3200 meter pieces is pain, but you hardly ever feel it until afterwards.

I stood on the sinking dock, holding my oar in one hand, and my half frozen water bottle in the other. I thought to myself, this is CREW! I plopped my oar into my rigger and waited for the coxswain’s command. I looked around me. It was a total scene of chaos. Like a scene out of Saving Private Ryan, coxswains were shouting, rowers were checking there riggers, and the rain; there were at least 3 dozen other boats on the water near the dock, and the rain, oh the rain, it was the killer. People were constantly trying to bail the water out of their boats because the weight of the water would effect their race time. Our coxswain gave us the command to get in, and so I hopped into my seat, and waited to embark on one of the greatest events of my life, the HEAD OF THE FISH.

I never have been in a more awesome state then I was during the race. Rain whipped against all our faces, my arms were aching, my hands hurt every stroke, as one more blister popped open. We were nearing the 300 meter mark on the race course, only 300 meters left to go! The oarlocks were banging so loud, it would have sounded like thunder to someone over top on the bridge. St. Catherine’s was just about 200 meters ahead of us. We had done so well this race, we had to have a big finish. At last the Coxswain called for the final sprint. We pulled so hard after that last word came out of his mouth, it was like magic. The boat seemed to lift off the water and cruise through the air with such speed and precision. When everyone is rowing with each other, at the same time, there is this indescribable feeling you get that makes rowing what rowing is. This is what rowers live for, this is crew!

Ten strokes to go. Now we were pulling hard! Three, two, one, over! I nearly collapsed as we passed the finish line at the bridge. We quickly turned around and started off towards the dock. Our Coach was the happiest we had ever seen him the whole season, and it gave us joy that we had shown him that we were a team, and we accomplished something we thought we never could do at the beginning of the season. Once we got onto dry land (minus the dry), we sat in chairs around a heat source and waited for our times. About an hour later they came, and we had gotten 2nd place! We had represented Niskayuna’s High School Freshmen, and shown all the other crews, even those from Canada, who we are and what we do!

Proper Rowing Technique

Rowers:

Proper technique will move a boat; and, strength will move that boat faster. Therefore, a large portion of practice is dedicated to improving our team's technique. Below are some graphics of proper rowing at different part of the stroke.


SET: Rowers need to focus on the balancing the boat if they intend to achieve maximum power on the drive. Different coaches will correct the set differently: adjusting hand levels, strengthening the core, controlling the slide, perfecting timing. The team's ultimate goal is to make the boat perfectly symmetrical.

HAND LEVELS: Particularly on the recovery, hand levels can make or break a fast crew. One common error is dropping the hands at the catch, thereby skying the blades. When a rower dips his hands at the catch, a movement attributed to leaning forward, the entire boat will lean to that rower's side and off-set the boat. To correct this, as you approach the catch, keep your hands high. This motion relies heavily on your shoulder and upper back muscles.


BACKING IN THE BLADE: Another reason for raising your hands at the catch is to back the blade in the water and achieve a smooth transition. The rower should try and seamlessly connect the recovery and glide of one stroke to the drive of the next. Notice in the graphic the slight back-splash of each port side blade. They are not checking the boat down; rather, they catching the tail end of the last stroke.



REACH: In addition to backing the blade in the water, the amount of water you reach for is important. You may row with perfect technique, but the amount of water you get at the catch will determine how soon you cross the finish line. As team's develop in skill, rowing turns into a sport of inches. Reach out towards your rigger and get another inch of water. Don't worry about off-setting the boat because the rowers reaching to the opposite side of the boat will counter-balance your weight.

DIVIDING THE BOAT: If the rowers are reaching out, then the boat, from the coxswains perspective, will look as though it were dividing. These rowers are able to maintain their set in the boat because the weight distribution in the boat is balanced. Divide by pivoting out towards your rigger, using your inside shoulder to lead the pivot.


BURY THE BLADE: During the stroke, keep the blade under water. If you see a lot of splash in your stroke, then that means your blade is partially above the water. At the finish of the stroke, you are look for a nice compact puddle with deep whirlpools.

FOCUS: Nothing should distract the rower. Always keep your eyes on the back of the person in front of you right between their shoulder blades. You should be able to see the blades of the boat peripherally. Everything else around you is the responsibility of the coxswain.

Strategizing for the Fish

Rowers:

Let's take a closer look at the 3200 meter race course on Fish Creek. The entire race course will be buoyed. Therefore, keep all buoys off to the port side of the eight. Do not cross the buoys because the oars will tangle easily in the ropes causing havoc.

There will be many boats circling in the warm up area. The start marshall will do his best to line you up. Coxswains, remember your bow number so it is easy to find your place in the starting order. Once you begin rowing towards the start, make sure you have enough time to build the boat's pressure from paddle to full BEFORE reaching the bridge. When crossing through the start line, there will be 600 meters to the turn.

At the turn, in addition to using your rudder, use pressure from the starboards and ports to ease the turn. It is uncertain how many strokes it will take before rowing even pressure again; therefore, do not count these strokes. When getting your point back on the straightaway, search for the best angle.

After the turn, the right-hand shore will go in and out. DO NOT FOLLOW IT. Instead, make a straight line, as shown in the graphic, which can become a nice 500 meter piece of the race.

The boats will, at this point, be in the straightaway. Again, do not follow the shoreline because it will not make the shortest course. Instead, make your point the finish line bridge in the distance. Also, make sure you do not cross over the buoy line.

Finally, the sprint. Coxswains, do not call the sprint too early. 350 meters will be sufficient. Prepare the rowers that as you get near the launching area the sprint will begin. Do not look out of the boat or get distracted by the noise. Focus in and row under the bridge, which is the finish line.

Coxswains, choose what you think will be the shortest and fastest course.

Pictures from the Mayhem

Photos courtesy of Glen Koste

Novice Eight Pulls Hard at Mayhem

The following narrative of the Mayhem on the Mohawk against Shenendehowa, Saratoga and Shaker was written for the Niskayuna Freshmen Boys' blog by Tom, coxswain of the novice eight.

The race began, and we got off to a somewhat rocky start in that Shen had a good start over us. However, we quickly organized ourselves, and began to move quicker. By the time we passed the railroad bridge, we had closed the distance between us and Shen to about three boat-lengths. The dead spot passed, and by the end of it, we had closed the water between us. I then called two successive power tens and by the end of them, we had pulled ahead and Shen had fallen back in disorder.

By this time, we were about four boat-lengths behind the Toga boat. I called another power ten past the end of the island, and we began to close the distance. By the time we had reached the abutments, we were only ½ a boat-length behind. They were good rowers, and had held us off until the final stretch of the race.

From the abutments to the bridge we began to feel the pressure by Toga. As the three buoys went by, we had closed the water between us. We both pulled, full power under the Rexford Bridge. By the end of the race, we were almost neck and neck with Toga.

They were good opponents, and they clearly knew what they were doing by giving us such a hard time. I was proud to row against them.

Head of the Fish Course and Entries

Rowers:

As we prepare for the Head of the Fish Regatta this coming weekend, let's thank Google Earth for providing us with an overhead shot of the race course. The majority of the 3200 meter course is straight with one "C" curve at the 600 meter mark.

Coxswains can prepare their crews for this curve in practice. First, the coxswains will ask the rowers to increase pressure on the starboard side (and decreasing port pressure) to pivot the boat left; then the coxswain will reverse that call to realign themselves and get a point on the finish line bridge.

Race Entries:

Novice Eight Event (8:35am Start Time)
Cascadilla Boat Club
Chaminade High School
Cold Spring Harbor Rowing Association
Cold Spring Harbor Rowing Association
Concord High School
Derryfield School
Fairfield Prep
Fairport Crew Club
Fairport Crew Club
Fairport Crew Club
Friends Of Shenendehowa Crew
Gms Rowing Center
Great Bay Rowing
Manchester Central Crew Club
Niskayuna High School
Northampton Youth And Community Rowing Inc.
Northampton Youth And Community Rowing Inc.
Norwalk River Rowing Association
Ottawa Rowing Club
Pittsford Crew

Freshmen Eight Event (8:35am Start Time)
Burnt Hills Rowing Association
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Fairfield Prep
Fairfield Prep
Fairfield Prep
Niskayuna High School
Northampton Youth And Community Rowing Inc.
Saratoga Rowing Association
Saratoga Rowing Association
Shaker Rowing Association
St. Catharine's Rowing Club

Second Varsity Eight Event (2:00pm Start Time)
Arlington Rowing Association
Burnt Hills Rowing Association
Chaminade High School
Chaminade High School
Concord High School
Derryfield School
Fairfield Prep
Fairport Crew Club
Glastonbury High School
Manchester Central Crew Club
Niskayuna High School
Norwalk River Rowing Association
Shaker Rowing Association
St. Catharine's Rowing Club
Syracuse Chargers
Taylor Allderdice High School
Wayland-weston Rowing Association

Niskayuna's Freshmen Rowers

Courtesy of Jennifer Wilkerson

Race Watching Tips

Parents:

Here are some points to keep in mind as you line the shores of our next race cheering on Niskayuna's freshmen boys:

• The crew that's making it look easy is most likely the one doing the best job. While you're watching, look for continuous, fluid motion of the rowers. The rowing motion shouldn't have a discernible end or beginning;
• Synchronization. Rowers strive for perfect synchronization in the boat;
• Rowing looks graceful, elegant and sometimes effortless when it's done well. Don't be fooled. Rowers haven't been called the world's most physically-fit athletes for nothing. A 6,000-meter rowing race demands virtually everything a human being can physically bring to an athletic competition – aerobic ability, technical talent, exceptional mental discipline, ability to utilize oxygen efficiently and in huge amounts, balance, pain tolerance, and the ability to continue to work when the body is demanding that you stop;
• Race times can vary considerably depending upon the course and weather conditions. Tailwinds will improve times, while headwinds and crosswinds will hamper them;
• A "Power 10" is a call by the coxswain for 10 of the crew's best, most powerful strokes. Good coxswains read the course to know how many strokes remain for their crew to count down to the finish;
• The most consistent speed. Shells don't move like a car – they're slowest at the catch, quickest at the release. The good crews time the catch at just the right moment to maintain the speed of the shell; and,
• Coxswains don't now and probably never did yell "stroke! stroke!" Similar to a jockey, their job is to implement the coach's strategy during the race, in addition to steering and letting the rowers know where they stand in the race and what they need to do to win.

Courtesy of USRowing

6000m Projected Erg Times

Rowers:

As you plan for your last 6k test of the season, use this table to see the relationship between average split and projected time.

Also, according to the November 2006 Junior National Team Testing Results, which can be viewed on www.USRowing.org, 6k times ranged between 20:30 and 22:15 (with some exception).

Split	6000m	Split	6000m	Split	6000m
1:52	22:24	2:05	25:00	2:18	27:36
1:53	22:36	2:06	25:12	2:19	27:48
1:54	22:48	2:07	25:24	2:20	28:00
1:55	23:00	2:08	25:36	2:21	28:12
1:56	23:12	2:09	25:48	2:22	28:24
1:57	23:24	2:10	26:00	2:23	28:36
1:58	23:36	2:11	26:12	2:24	28:48
1:59	23:48	2:12	26:24	2:25	29:00
2:00	24:00	2:13	26:36	2:26	29:12
2:01	24:12	2:14	26:48	2:27	29:24
2:02	24:24	2:15	27:00	2:28	29:36
2:03	24:36	2:16	27:12	2:29	29:48
2:04	24:48	2:17	27:24	2:30	30:00

Freshmen Boy's Victorious in Mohawk Cup

The following narrative of today's race against Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills was written for the Niskayuna Freshmen Boys' blog by Nick.

We boated out at about 8am, ready to race. It was a really cold, clear morning, and the water was the smoothest I had ever seen it. It was a good day to race. The finish was just past our dock, so we basically had to row the length of the race to get to the start. Our coxswain, Kevin, started us off rowing in groups of six. About halfway to the start, he took it to all eight. We were only rowing three quarters pressure, but we were going almost as fast as the sprints we had done a few days earlier during practice. Our timing was good and we were ready to race.

That changed when we were about two hundred meters from the start. We saw a huge motorboat coming up behind us. Water sprayed out from its sides for at least ten feet. The driver slowed down as he got near us, passed us, and suddenly sped up, creating a huge wake. Unfortunately for us, we rowed right into it. The wake crashed into the six seat, drenching us. It was kind of funny at first, but the water just kept coming. By the time the wake was over, there was seven inches of water, almost up to our seats. A lot of us were swearing so loudly, I bet the driver heard us over his engine. We were panicked for a few minutes, but Kevin successfully calmed us down. No one actually saw the driver, but we later imagined him as a big guy eating foot-long twinkies. Various people in launches, including the head coach came and helped us pump the water out of the boat. Then we finally were ready to row through the bridge and start the race.

We were second in the order, with the Burnt Hills boat in front and the Shen boat behind us. Our motivation was to pass the Burnt Hills boat in front of, or before, their own dock. They had about a thirty second lead when we started, and the chase was on. About a third of the way through the race, we were next to them. Our boat kept creeping up, until our stern deck was level with their bow deck. They valiantly held us for a long time, but our persistence paid out. Suddenly their morale crashed and ours soared, and we walked right through them. For the rest of the race we opened more water on them. As we approached the finish, we were golden. Our timing was good, and we were ready to win our race. We went through the finish with a new burst of energy. There’s nothing like finishing in front of your own dock, with all our teammates and parents cheering for us. When we stopped, breathing hard, we were excited. We had our fist win.

Triple Race On Fish Creek

The following pictures were taken on Fish Creek in Saratoga, NY at the Triple Race between the Niskayuna, Saratoga, and Shenendehowa rowing teams. The Niskayuna Freshmen eight finished 2nd and the Novice eight finished 6th in a field of 6 freshmen/novice teams.

Photos courtesy of Drew Fiumano

Preparing for the Triple Race

Rowers:

The freshmen boy’s rowing team has made a very uncharacteristic change in our training this week. And, without thinking twice, we probably all agree that it was one of the best decisions of the season. The perceptible growth in our crew’s performance over the past two days proves this point. It also means that with the limited time we have left before our first race, we need to streamline all of our training activities and continue our focus on the development of our freshmen and novice eights.

Tomorrow - Friday, October 5th - is our first race against local crews Saratoga and Shenendehowa on Fish Creek. Tonight, before you go to bed, think about Tuesday, Wednesday, and today’s practices. Take 15-20 minutes to visualize yourself in the boat and all of the technical changes you have made to your stroke. Then, put yourself into the context of the boat, blending and matching your stroke with the rowers around you (see the YouTube video of the Dutch national team).

Think about controlling your recovery and maintaining proper hand levels, exhaling at the finish as your hands quickly move down and away, raising your hands at the catch and then driving the boat together. Finally, visualize yourself focusing forward, with your eyes in our boat, the Niskayuna blades only in your peripheral view, and crossing the finish line with the fastest time.

Eat a good dinner and rest well. I hope everyone is as excited for tomorrow’s race as I am.

Staying Healthy During the Fall Season

Rowers and Parents:

After the unseasonably warm September on the Mohawk River, it is hard to tell what type of weather conditions October will bring. What you should expect is that both the air and water temperatures will begin to drop.

The Niskayuna Freshmen Boy’s team has grown to 2 eights; however, we will take a hit every time a rower needs to miss a practice due to illness. Here are some preventive measures you should take to avoid illness this fall:

1. Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast: be aware if it is supposed to rain, if there will be an evening frost, or another day in the 90s. This will, most importantly, influence how you dress.
   
   
2. Dress appropriately: If there is a chance that it will rain or be cold on the river, bring extra clothes. If you need to, carry an extra gym bag to school; don’t forgo that extra fleece because it won’t fit in your backpack. Hypothermia can set in quickly and make you very sick. Also, avoid cotton; it will absorb water from rain or backsplash and keep you wet the entire cold, windy practice.
   
   
3. Bring plenty of water: Even on cold or rainy days, you will sweat, and your body needs to rehydrate. Plus, bring your own water bottles, because there is nothing worse than catching a cold from someone else.
   
   
4. Eat right: scholastic rowers have awesome diets…eat all the carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, and vegetables you want. If you don’t replenish your body with the nutrients it needs, you will become more susceptible to illness. Also, try not to eat so much candy or drink so much soda, they won’t help alleviate muscle fatigue or regeneration.
   
   
5. Get plenty of rest: with school and crew, it may be easy to forget how important sleep is; but don’t. While you rest, your body is at work fighting off antigens, reconstructing muscle tissue, and re-energizing you for the next day. If you don’t get sufficient rest, it is easier to catch a cold.

Morning Practice - September 29, 2007

Rowers:













Photos courtesy of Paul Mason