Women's Crew Diary - Becky Michaud
3/31/2004 7:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
March 31, 2004
My Life as a Novice Coxswain
There are two kinds of people that are integral to the sport of crew, the rowers and the coxswains. My job on the Bucknell Crew team is that of the coxswain, an interesting job if nothing else. It's a lonely job sometimes, being outnumbered often eight to one, and it always comes with a lot of responsibility. I am the voice my rowers hear at their most painful moments, the voice that is pushing them always harder.
Coxing for me has been a struggle. It is no doubt a position of leadership, one that I may not have been completely ready for when I initially decided to take it on. But like my rowers, I have grown since the fall.
The hardest thing for me was in gaining confidence as a coxswain. I was so afraid of saying the wrong thing, that I didn't say anything at all. Most of my confidence came on our spring training trip to Georgia. In Georgia we certainly got a lot of practicing, three times per day. With the help of my rowers, who were always supporting me, I realized that I wasn't helping anyone by being quiet. I was allowed to make mistakes too. When I finally gave myself a chance, I found out I wasn't so bad after all. I actually knew what I was talking about most of the time. I began to gain the respect of the rowers in my boat, and build a relationship with all my teammates. (You really learn a lot about people when you're stuck in the woods with them.)
All my learning culminated this weekend at our race against George Mason and Army, my first real race. My boat didn't win, but we did really well. If nothing else, it was another learning experience to add to my list, and it's been my favorite one so far.
Rebecca Michaud '07