Drew Ginn and Anthony Edwards -1 hr 43 min - Experiences in High-Performance Rowing and lessons learned essential for all rowers

These two ultra-successful athletes do an excellent job of highlighting how the principles in high-performance rowing apply to rowers at all levels.

Drew Ginn is a five-time rowing world champion, he has competed at four Olympics and won three Olympic gold medals. From 1995 until 1998, he was a member of Australia's coxless four known as the Oarsome Foursome. Drew now applies his talents in a coaching role and has worked as the National Head Coach of the Australian rowing team.

Anthony Edwards is a five-time Olympian representing Australia. He has won three Olympic medals and a World Championship. He represented Australia at world regattas over twenty years from 1993 until 2012. Eddy has also turned his talents to coaching and worked as the State Development Officer of rowing Tasmania, helping novice rowers transition to elite competition.

Drew and Eddy have been friends for decades and are both accomplished presenters with a great story to tell.

In this video 1h 43 minute session they discuss:

• Their experiences training and competing at the highest level
• The similarities between beginner and high-performance rowing
• How to bring a crew together
• How to set goals as a team
• Different coaching styles
• How to combine the various strengths and weaknesses of crew members.
• How to tailor your coaching to fit the individuals in your crew
• Why it is essential to foster a sense of choice in your rowing programs and how to go about it.
• How to make sure that success or failure doesn't destroy the culture in your crew
• How to manage disputes between crewmates, coaches, and officials.
• How to build success and culture between different crews in clubs or national crew

Anthony Edwards shares his story of the campaign culminating in the 2010 World Championships in the lightweight four. Eddy had already been to 3 Olympic Games, and this build-up hadn't started well. The crew had a lot of work to do and at the start of the campaign and were very different individuals. Eddy describes how, during the first session, they couldn't even get the blades off the water through to what was the best race of his career.

It soon became apparent that all of the blame for the crew's lack of performance was falling back on one person. Eddy soon realized that the crew's success or failure would hinge how this individual would perform on race day. Eddy's insights provide an excellent lesson for us all on how coaches and athletes should manage individuals in a race and crew tensions.

He vividly takes us through the heats, semis and the final. Using the actual race footage, he shows us the race step by step. During the race, he describes what their race plan was and what they were trying to achieve at different points. Saying the right thing at the right time is so crucial if you want to get your best performance. The race was one of the closest finishes with 0.08 seconds between first and third place.

Eddy answers questions about the campaign, coaching technique, coaching school children, and managing expectations.

Drew Ginn shares his experiences training and competing, the lessons he learned through the highs and the lows

He discusses:

• The importance of understanding how different personalities operate and which people shouldn't spend too much time together
• His experience of bringing differences between athletes together
• How the Oarsome Foursome sat down and planned success
• The importance of giving athletes space make their own choices and work towards their goals.
• How long you should be at the start line before a race
• Dealing with logical, creative and abstract personalities
• Bringing differences to the surface so you can manage them
• The Oarsome Foursome Race Plan
• Tunnel vision and the importance of clear, structured race calls
• How you can steer the boat from any seat
• How honest conversations can bring a crew together and foster success
• How to pairing up athletes can increase your chances of success
• How to change your technique for the benefit of the team
• Creating confidence and belief in a squad and an athlete
• The power of the super taper

At the end of their presentation, Drew and Eddy answer questions from each other and the audience.

Question and answer:

• How do you deal with pressure and not let it get the better of you?
• How do you manage disappointment?
• How do you let go of your previous good or bad performances?
• How can a coach motivate a crew following a bad performance?
• What rating should you race at?
• How do you achieve and maintain rhythm in a boat?
• How many people should you include in a crew's inner circle for success planning?
• How do you manage selecting a crew without creating undue anxiety and tension?
• What are the mistakes which national, state, club, and school selectors make when selecting athletes?
• What causes athletes to quit rowing?
• How much data should be sent to selectors?
• Is it more important to select a crew early or late?
• How many major events should a crew strive for?
• How to work with a coach or athletes to facilitate culture?
• What is essential for maintaining performance over a career spanning many years?
• How you approach rowing with injuries and family commitments?
• How do you encourage athletes to become self-motivated with training?