In last year's Bluefriars newsletter Philip Lapage (OM) paid tribute to the MCSBC coaching staff, past and present, for their passion for the sport and commitment to individual Monktonian oarsmen and women. I enjoyed reading this particular article not just because I have had the privilege of serving as a Monkton rowing coach this year, but because I was introduced to the sport during my first year of secondary school by none other than Philip Lapage - he was my housemaster. I suppose that in a sense I have come full circle. On reflection, what drew me to the year long coaching position at Monkton was probably the same thing that got me on the river in the first place: a particular ethos of hard work, opportunity and of tapping unknown potential. That's how Philip sold it to me ten years ago - I was a rather rotund and unsporting third former back then - and now I know where he pinched his ideas from.
I cannot sum up my experience of coaching at Monkton in a few sentences so I won't try. But if it's true that people learn from their mistakes, then ask you can ask Gordon how wise I have become. All I will say is this: the girl at bow only got her socks wet.
There have been plenty of what I call money moments. So, in chronological order... Number one: telling a girl's double that if they do exactly as I say then they are DEFINITELY going to win...and then watch them win. Number two: discovering that my impersonation of a duck is effectively indistinguishable from the sound of a real duck. Number three: managing to field a crew at Reading University eights head despite our not having a girl at 3 or 4 or a cox - although admittedly, the cox I borrowed from Reading University managed to wind the crew down a hundred metres before the finish! Number four: The reaction of the girl's 4+ on winning Avon head. Number five: the reaction of the girls 4+ on winning at Birmingham regatta. Number six: the reaction of the girl's 2x winning Bristol Avon regatta. Number six: maybe you will be able to fill in another good result here, but hopefully it will be Gordon phoning me up next year to tell me that the women's senior squad have become unstoppable.
Actually, the list is a bit deceiving. In reality the best times for coach and crew are often during training. I'm afraid the moments that make me laugh the most probably won't translate well in writing. You just had to be there. But I can tell you that on those occasions when an individual or crew suddenly evolve a bit I do a little summersault inside - while outwardly I start shouting like an overstimulated Spartan warrior.
Being a coach isn't all about winning medals if you can get just a couple of people to change the way they think about themselves. Self-doubt is a much bigger handicap than a temperamental river or bashed up old blade. I feel that I have been part of a coaching team this year that has put a huge amount into creating that all important self belief and of that I am enormously proud.