Sophomore Jason Tipold's high school dream was to be a basketball star. But at five foot, one inch — an entire foot shorter than most of the players at his high school — he never realized his aspirations. Tipold did not give up as an athlete, though. When several friends from his high school's crew suggested that he become a coxswain, he decided to give it a try, and the rest is history. Tipold was recruited to come to Princeton, and now he coxes for the men's heavyweight crew.
Though the role of a coxswain is much less physically demanding than that of other rowers, it is nonetheless a complex and demanding position. The two most important aspects of the coxswain's job are to steer the shell and to motivate the rowers in his boat — both during practice and on race day.
"It's a good position for someone who is a leader," Tipold said. "You have a mental role, and in steering you can make or break a race for the team."
Many coxswains compare their role to that of a jockey on a horse.
"Basically, I'm like the slave driver," sophomore coxswain Marcelline Baumann said.
Command, not demand
But good leaders don't just yell — they also motivate.
"Commanding the respect and instilling confidence in these guys is definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of the job," junior James Egan said.
According to junior Weston Powell, coxswains must always think about "what you can say so that when [the rowers] are tired and don't want to give any more, they do [want to keep rowing hard] so you can win the race."
From the perspective of the coaches, the coxswain's role becomes even more complex as the season progresses.
"In the early stages of the season, [the coxswain's] only role is to steer and handle the boat in different conditions ... and to facilitate the management of the workout," men's heavyweight coach Curtis Jordan said.
But as the season progresses and the boat's lineup of rowers is finalized, the coxswain must take on a strong leadership role — Jordan equated their role to that of an "assistant coach."
By the end of the season, the coxswain "will have a better feel for the heartbeat of a crew than even me as a coach," he said.
Less pain
When it comes to training, the coxswains are not required to subject themselves to the grueling workouts that other rowers must endure.
"There isn't a lot expected from the coxswain, as their physical shape doesn't affect the outcome of the race," Egan said.
In the fall and the spring, coxswains are out on the water practicing with the rest of the team. During the winter, when the team works out inside, many coxswains complete the workouts with the rowers simply because "it gets boring not doing anything physical while you see physical exertion day in and day out," Tipold said.
Overall, Princeton coxswains, despite their somewhat unusual role, seem to have only positive things to say about their experiences on the team.
"Coxing keeps me sane," freshman Sarah Sherman said. "Once I'm down at the boathouse it's a completely different world. It's an outlet for me."
Besides, even if the coxswains aren't doing heavy lifting on the water, they too get to lift a trophy above their head when their team makes it to the medal stand.
"I love it," Baumann said. "I'm an aggressive, competitive person and I just hate losing. It's a personal thing if someone tries to beat my boat."
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