Coxing for the Opposite Sex

18 August 2011

The topic of coxing the opposite sex is one that does not receive enough serious attention in the rowing world and is a debate that seems unlikely to fade any time soon. You need only take a moment to peruse online rowing forums to see that this hot topic is full of misconceptions and stereotypes.  So what is all the fuss about?

Pheromones - you can’t get around science
A common concern about coxing for the opposite sex is that the cox can act as a distraction to the crew and result in a break-down of team dynamics.  Some coxes report inappropriate advances and relationships that ended in tears. It would be wrong to say that gender has never affected a crew, but it would seem that it is not the standard outcome.  If a coxswain is professional, confident and capable then such outcomes can be avoided.  The more professional your crew is, the less their gender influences the dynamics and results of the crew.

Men are from Mars; Women are from...
It is a given that there will be some differences between coxing males and females.  Typically females are more emotional and responsive to communication and encouragement, while men respond better to clear commands.  A call that can motivate a men's crew may weaken the drive of a women’s team.  
What if your coxswain said “Get on, let’s push out harder - you’re rowing like softies!”.  What would you think?  For me, the first response is to check if I am rowing like a softie - if I am then I will change my power output.  But if I perceive that I am being bullied when I’m already performing well this is discouraging and I may not increase my power at all - I could give up and push less hard.

With female athletes and female coxswains, it’s harder to use anger as a lever to greater endeavor.  With a men’s team if you can get their blood up, they will fight harder, sometimes just to prove you wrong.  Women will often give up if you push back too much.

Based on this, effective calls for women may be along the lines of ‘That’s great girls, I know we can take another seat!’ where there is both encouragement and positive reinforcement.  In other words you need to keep them fighting!  In comparison, an effective call for a men’s crew may be ‘Take that seat now! Prove that you’re not the weaker team!’ where a clear call to action has been made that will appeal to their more aggressive nature.  But some motivational techniques could work for either gender, Rebecca Caroe, rowing coach and athlete recalls: During the Head of the River Race in London our female coxswain once promised each member of the crew a pint of beer for every boat we overtook.  We overtook six!

Humour - know your crew before you go there
Rowers are often a joking lot and let’s face it, the jokes can be fraught with sexual innuendos.  Rebecca Caroe recalls: I had a female coxswain for a female crew that used to use “words that sound rude in rowing but aren’t” including: slide, wrench, cox, push, harder, nuts, who wants it?  You can probably think of a few more!

The key here, is that you need to know the sensibilities of your crew, and whether or not anyone would be easily offended by innuendos.  Note: A male coxswain cannot make the same jokes to a female crew as he would to a male crew.  The same is true for a female coxswain.  So don’t go there until you know crew, know how they respond to humour, and what they think is funny.

But it can work!  
It’s much more common for women to cox men’s boats because, obviously, they’re naturally smaller and lighter.  The cox needs to be as weightless as possible in order to not be a burden on the rowing crew, which is why you don’t see a lot of 6 foot men at the stern of a women’s 8.  
[if you want to learn more about how much weight affects boat speed read this]

Here is a story of one young coxie who leads her men’s crew to victory time and again in the juniors.  Her name is Nicole Venditti, and her strategy: "She's hard on them but loves the team like they are her brothers; that's why she's not afraid to kick their butts once in a while.  When she is frustrated she yells at them but it's because she cares about them.  Nicole keeps the boys on an even playing field,” says Mother, Donna.  This is not how you would approach a women’s crew, and Nicole knows the difference, which could be why she has about 13 medals swinging around her neck.  Get her full story.

Here are a few helpful hints on how to deal with coxing the opposite sex

Females coxing males:
1. Be clear and confident
2. Be assertive and make sure you lay down the rules early on
3. Be prepared for some friendly teasing!
4. Get their blood up - challenge them

Males coxing females:
1. Aim to encourage and give positive reinforcement
2. Keep up the communication!
3. Don’t degrade or try to make them angry, it could weaken their drive

Tell us your experiences - what motivated you as an athlete and as a coxswain how have you managed to get your crew going?