Coxswains: The Ultimate Backseat Drivers

By Melina Kyriakopoulos ’27/Big Red Sports Network Reporter

When one pictures the sport of crew, they often think of rowers shooting down a river, pounding at the water with their oars and huffing heavy, determined breaths. However, within the racing shell, there is one person in the back who barely moves at all. Without rowing a second, this person can make or break the crew’s speed. This is the coxswain, one of the most underappreciated positions in sports, yet also one of the most powerful. At Lawrenceville, coxswains drive rowers to pull faster, work harder, and paddle in harmony with their fellow athletes, all while learning the art of leadership themselves.

The job, as put by coxswains Skylar Rhodes ’27 and Cam Baker ’29, is akin to that of a pilot: the coxswain instructs the crew how to row while steering the boat. Rhodes explains that coxswains must be skilled “multitaskers” who can balance their own technical work with monitoring their course plan, the boat’s spirit, and their competition.

For Rhodes, planning ahead is a crucial step in coxing her boat. Be it the three-mile Head of the Charles course (in Boston and Cambridge, Mass.), one of her favorite races, or regular practices, she finds “locking in a plan,” especially before race day, essential. By preparing beforehand, Rhodes feels freer to “gauge the crew in the moment.”

However, coxing is more than barking directions—both Rhodes and Baker acknowledge that a good coxswain must connect with their team as a leader whom they trust. Lawrenceville girls’ crew assistant coach Erin Farrell, who coxed the Georgetown University men’s varsity rowing team for four years, points out this nuance, describing a good coxswain as an athlete who knows “how to be confident without being conceited”—someone who respects the rowers while also feeling self-assured in their actions.

Farrell highlighted how “quieter leadership,” while often underestimated, can make the largest impact in the boat. She believes “the way to build trust” and get others—specifically rowers—“to listen to you is to get them to want to listen to you” through demonstrating humility. Not every call should be a shout or a critique—rather, coxswains must understand their rowers well enough to know when pushing will benefit the crew and when pulling back is necessary.

As a new coxswain, Baker explained that “learning how to have the crew unify” is essential to establishing a steady rhythm and healthy learning environment in the Second Form boat. He noted that, as a coxswain, “you kind of have to play a part in that, too, and you have to unify with them.” In the boat, Baker’s goal is for everyone to feel like “they're on the same team,” and his job as the coxswain is to glue together this team.

Most coxswains begin their crew journey during high school, creating a level playing field between interested students. Accordingly, the four years spanning a coxswain’s high school career are commonly the most consequential time for athlete development. Coxing differs from traditional sports in that developing intuition for the sport is a top priority, especially considering the constant flexibility coxswains must develop for leading new crews. Intuition cannot directly be taught—rather, coaches share balanced feedback and observations to help their athletes cultivate these skills. Farrell explained that, within the bounds of athlete and equipment safety, “a lot of [teaching] is letting them make mistakes.”

In working with a variety of rowers, all of whom have specific needs, coxswains must learn to digest feedback, discern what calls tangibly help their crew, and tailor their style to each boat. Rhodes explains that coxing taught her how to see feedback as a mechanism for “helping her grow.” While she views coxing as considerably subjective, Farrell also urges coxswains to “trust their gut” and observe objectively “what makes the boat go faster.”

For Rhodes, coxing is “an art form” which “can never be perfected,” but a skill which she hopes to continue cultivating beyond Lawrenceville. It takes a special sort of person to be a good coxswain: while the role may appear simple, the sport’s deceptively complicated demands teach participants valuable lessons in leadership, perseverance, and quick thinking.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H’17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.