The Army Crew team has two boats, one for the Junior Varsity team and the other for the Varsity team; each boat consists of eight team members. The team members train indoors during the winter off-season where they train for strength, technique, and endurance, which are the key factors in their performance. Physiologists indicate that a 2000-meter race is comparable to that of playing two back-to-back basketball games. Before the two teams were formed, a series of tests were carefully conducted, measuring each member’s speed, strength, and coordination. Coach P. also measured the success of the individual team members using an Ergometer, which measures the output of each individual rower over a given distance or period of time as part of the selection process. The top eight rowers were then placed on the Varsity team and the bottom eight were placed on the Junior Varsity team.
To succeed in the sport of rowing, the members need to develop not just as individuals, but also as a team. The boats are up to 60-feet long and are very narrow with the center of gravity above the water line. The oar’s entry into the water has to be within hundredths of a second of each other, according to John Smith, a crew coach in the late 1800’s. Because of the design of the boat, synchronization and teamwork are extremely important. The boat can be thrown off balance by one of the members simply tossing his head to move hair out of his eyes, which can result in one of the other members’ oar touching the water. This can cause significant deceleration of the boat. If the boat does get out of synchronization, then the rest of the team members need to trust that the person who is out of sync will correct himself.
There needs to be a high level of trust and confidence among t ...