I was listening to an interview with Ryan Holiday today on the James Altucher show and was inspired by the topic of finding value in obstacles. To quote Ryan Holiday “the stoic way is that all of those obstacles are teachable obstacles and they’re valuable obstacles if you let them be so.” As I...
Continue readingKeeping The Well Full
Coaching is a tough occupation. The hours are odd, the days are long, and talking and communicating all day is exhausting. I get sick of hearing my own voice. I think that’s why I like writing so much. It’s a way to communicate quietly and subtly. The toughest thing about coaching is keeping your...
Continue readingThe Squeeze
I have just two minutes to tell you something. Something that will make clicking on my blog worthwhile. There just isn’t enough time for me to sit down and write a lengthy post about rowing or life or whatever. I only have these two minutes. This is the squeeze. No time. Frantic. Need. Fear....
Continue readingThe Puddles Fade Away And Then They’re Gone
There are four more weeks left in the season for the Pocock Junior Novice Boys. This week we are doing final preparations for the Brentwood Championships, which are in Victoria, BC. We will travel by ferry early Friday morning, race that afternoon and through the weekend, ending late Sunday morning. Then we are back...
Continue readingMy Coaching Philosophy: Everyone Can Be Reached
Over the past sixteen years of involvement in the sport of rowing I have gone through many phases of certainty about my coaching philosophy. This philosophy has evolved over time through challenging experiences, successes and failures, and by working with multitudes of different athletes and programs. Since joining the Pocock Rowing Center as a full time coach...
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Why I Miss Coaching High Performance Rowers
Normally I would start this article with a caveat about loving the athletes that I get to work with and how much I appreciate their hard work and dedication to getting better at rowing. But, for once, I’m not going to do that. I’m just going to say very simply that I really miss working with...
Continue readingFavorite Rowing Drill
One of my favorite rowing drills is the balance drill. I usually did this at the beginning of a row either to test my core stability or to show off in front of my teammates. When I trained at Potomac Boat Club in Washington, DC, we would launch at 6am and meet on the...
Continue readingAdvice From An Idiot
I’ve often wondered why people ask me for advice or come to me with their problems. Maybe it’s because they think I am wise and knowledgable. Or maybe it’s because they think I’m an idiot who has probably made a lot of mistakes and lived to tell about them. The truth is I am...
Continue readingAccidents
Here one day. Gone the next. It doesn’t matter if it’s lung cancer, a car accident, or an overdose. Life is a fleeting gift. This is not a post about being positive all the time, or self help, or needing to feel good about everything every moment of your life. This is a call to...
Continue readingGood Enough
When my wife is hungry she walks into the kitchen and gets a bowl of cereal. When I am hungry I spend thirty minutes thinking about what to make. Another thirty making it. And then two minutes eating it, usually in front of my computer and not even savoring the food. My wife regularly...
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