Women's Rowing Diary - Jessica Scott
4/11/2005 8:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
April 11, 2005
I love being a coxswain. To me, it's one of the best ways that I could contribute to the team. I get to be there for a spectacular group of women during the time they train so hard for, and watch them become better rowers in the practice days between races. Plus, I get to ride around in the front of a boat on beautiful sunny days...ah, the life!
This past weekend was our race against Buffalo and Colgate. Wouldn't it be funny if Buffalo's mascot was a buffalo? That would make us the same animal, right? Buffalo = Bison, at least in New Hampshire, where I'm from. But anyway, our race day was sunny and warm, the Buffalo coach was friendly and accommodating, and the overall attitude as we waited to get out on the water was one of excitement! Well, one of hunger as well, as all the attending parents had provided us with amazing food that no rowers wanted to touch before the races. If you were a coxswain, on the other hand....
I'm getting sidetracked...I am the coxswain for the varsity four, a super group of people with some great skills out on the water. And wow, did they show it! Our race was so exciting...we started down from the Colgate four, and we'd walk a seat, and then lose it, then walk another one, and lose it - we couldn't get the lead. 500, 1,000, 1,500 meters of me yelling and motivating and reminding and cheering, and suddenly it all came together! With about 500 meters to go, the girls put on their boots and started walking right up past the other boat! We took the lead at 250 meters, and won by a second and a half! GO FANTASTIC FOUR!! The other boats put on a great showing too!
These are the reasons I love rowing. Sure, I'm up at five in the morning and gone on the weekends, and I'm not even working out. Sure, sometimes it's cold and wet, and I get frustrated with the seasons and the early morning. But times like that race in Buffalo, the times when a group of people come together to prove something not only to their competition, but to their own team...those are the times when I know that crew can be an amazing sport!
-Jessica Scott `08