Mind of a Bird
Photos by Josh Hyun ’27
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Yusei Yano ’28
Illustrations by Nadine Neutra ’28
The Big Question
What do you think of when I say I am a coxswain? People usually give me an absurd response like: “the guy who sings in the front of the boat,” or “the guy who screams ROW,” or even “the guy who aura farms.” And honestly, when I first started rowing, I just laughed it off and said, “Yeah, that sounds about right.” Though I do fully believe that the coxswain has an extreme amount of aura, my role in the crew boat is so much more. When I asked my friends “What is a coxswain?” here’s what they said:
Lewin: “The guy who dances at the front of the boat and that aura farms.”
Milo: “My roommate”
Judah: “A person who keeps the rhythm on the boat.”
Leland: “An on-boat coach”
Jason: “The pilot of the boat”
Joshua: “The pack leader”
The Big Answer
A coxswain is the person in a rowing boat who steers, leads, and motivates the crew, acting as the coach on the water. They use a microphone and a speaker system to give commands, manage the boat's course, and guide the rowers with their words and a rudder to execute the race plan; I'm practically a mini coach on the water.
My Story
My first time in a boat was during the spring of my freshman year. Naturally, my height and weight made me a prime target for Hadleigh and the rest of the crew team. So, I joined the team because I needed to meet the extracurricular sport requirement. At first, I hated rowing. I spent my practices on the launch boat with coach David, motoring up and down the Connecticut River in freezing cold weather, which was no fun. After a while, the weather slowly started to get warmer and I got the hang of how to successfully cox a boat. Through learning what it actually means to be a coxswain, I realized that my job wasn't just to sit in the boat and steer the crew, but to nurture my boat and push them to their limits. On the erg and on the water, I observe each member of the boat to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.
The Head of The Bird
At a glance, rowing looks like a boring sport. The repetitiveness of sliding back and forth in the boat as you feather and square your blade is almost hypnotizing. However, the more time you spend observing boats and learning about each rower, the more engaging the sport becomes. The true magic occurs when I enter a small space at the front of the boat equipped with a rudder to steer, and a cox box that provides me with statistics on board. Obviously, the magic isn't me entering a small space, but it's when the boat starts to fly across the Connecticut River as everyone matches their blades in synchronization. I call out small adjustments, “3 seat, you are rushing,” to find the set of the boat, so the boat moves the most efficiently. Once everyone acts as a reflection of the person in front of them, all of a sudden, the boat starts to glide across the water. The rowers become the wings, and I become the head of the bird.
