In the Driver’s Seat, with Carly Legenzowski – Rowing Stories, Features & Interviews

next in the driver’s seat–Heard from people who keep the shell straight and the crew fast is Coxswain’s Carly Regenzowski.

Curley currently coaches 2V as a junior at the University of Texas and just won the San Diego Crew Classic. In her sophomore year she raced her Longhorns in her 1V4 and in her 2022 NCAA her crew finished her third.

A former rower in high school, Carly was with the Maritime Rowing Club/New Canaan Crew and won the Youth National Title in the 2018 Light Men’s 4. He then joined Greenwich He Crew and headed to Texas. She also holds the Youth Men’s Cocked Head of the Charles her course record for her quads in 2017 when she and her New Kanaan Crew achieved her first streak in that event.

let’s jump in the driver’s seat Curly and:

row2k – What do you think are the 3 most important things to be a successful mastermind?
Carly Regenzowski –

• Become a team player: Rowing is the ultimate team sport, both in the boat and as a whole team. Being a good team player is essential to success, and your teammates and coaches will quickly see your commitment to helping your team run faster on and off the water. Early in his freshman year in Texas, I wasn’t entirely happy with my coxing his skills and role on the team. But doing the little things and going the extra mile earned me a lot of respect from the team. Mm. When I got on the boat, I felt the trust of the rowers, I felt more confident in myself, and my coxsing skills improved greatly. Being a supportive teammate for the other commanders on your team is equally important. As coxswains, we can learn a lot from each other and work together to make each other and the team better.
• Learn to row: Learning how to row is the most important thing for a beginning Cox. I started out as a rower and after about two and a half years switched to full-time coxsing. Rowing is easier said than done. Telling the rowers to make technical changes is much easier than actually making them. Being able to understand what it feels like to make certain changes can help coxsing. Think about things like, “What if I do this with my hands?”, “How does it feel to connect, where does it connect?” Learning how to row gives you a little more compassion and understanding for rowers. Asking them to do something over and over again when they’re tired gives you a glimpse of their effort and generosity. If possible, take a boat and go! Get Singles, Doubles, or Coxswain 4’s!
• Be Reliable and Consistent: Reliability and consistency are very important to Coxswain. Rowers are very busy when they are rowing, so it is imperative that they do their job well every day. I don’t want to be a commander who makes the team unreliable. Everyone has their days off, but how you spend them makes all the difference. Try to be the helmsman that the oarsmen can trust no matter what. Your reliability and consistency as a Coxswain builds trust and instills confidence in your abilities and leadership.

2022 NCAA Championship

row2k – What’s your favorite drill to do with your crew? Any tips on how to drill wells for maximum effectiveness?
Carly Regenzowski – In Texas, coaches typically run the drills. The best thing a Coxswain can do while training is to listen. Be careful with the drill. Talking too much will take the focus off the drill. Row the boat and let me feel it.

My favorite drill to perform is catch placement. This is just the blade in from finish to catch, no driving. It’s a great drill to work on a catch while the boat is set up without thinking about the rest of your stroke. I tend to do that when I have time to kill time before a race, even if I’m stuck in line for the race.

2023 Crew Classic

row2k – What’s the best coaching advice you’ve received on coxsing?
Carly Regenzowski – The best coaching advice I’ve received is to lead. Especially during a race, it is important to establish yourself as the leader of the boat and control the situation. This means being assertive on your phone, making decisions quickly and confidently, and not being afraid to offer constructive criticism to rowers. It is also important to be open to feedback and suggestions from Ultimately, taking command helps build trust and respect between you and the rower. This is critical to your success on the water.

row2k – What was your most memorable call or move during a race? If so, what did it involve and what was it called? Carly Regenzowski – One of the things I really love about Coxing is the creative side of things. In high school, I was pretty serious about boating and couldn’t get too creative.

Back in high school, won Youth Nuts in 2018

When I got to college, I realized that being creative in your call really helped motivate rowers and keep things interesting. is not. Most importantly, always be clear and concise. But trying new techniques and approaches can make a big difference.

One thing I really like to do during a race is call by seat. It keeps things personal and helps you focus on your boat, but it also gives you information and motivation about your relationships with other boaters. For example, if I’m in the stroking seat of another boat, call his stroking seat and say “I’m on YOUR seat.” Turn, keep your energy high and focus on your boat. That is very fun!

2022 Crew Classic

row2k – Can you tell us something about what you learned about how to get off to a good start?
Carly Regenzowski – Starting a race can be very stressful and overwhelming. But by acting calmly and purposefully, rowers can feel the same way. I don’t want to add to the confusion and nervousness. Focus on setting the tone for the start and the rest of the race. Practice and you’ll get better. My biggest advice is to keep it simple. Personally, I get nervous when everyone is lined up at the start, but that’s perfectly normal. Take a deep breath and trust yourself. Keeping it simple helps me stay cool under pressure.

row2k – Tell us about the worst race or practice you’ve ever had.
Carly Regenzowski – What we’re working on this season is maintaining the mentality that there are no bad practices or bad races. Things don’t always go according to plan and it’s not always good, but that’s where we get better.

2022 NCAA Championship

row2k – What’s the best race/practice you remember?
Carly Regenzowski – I had so many good races and practices that it’s very difficult to choose, but I think the race I enjoyed the most has to be the finals of the 2022 NCAA Championship. I was dealing with a problem, but it didn’t help. The previous day’s semi-final wasn’t the best performance, but it gave us the fire we needed for the final.

As soon as I took off from the line I knew it was going to be a good race. It was the best race as a boat. I was third, but to be honest, it didn’t matter where I was. It was the people that made the race so special. We hadn’t rowed in a long time, so there were many ups and downs between us all. rice field. That’s everything.

Thanks for riding with Carly. And remember, this column is open to all “drivers” out there.please join your Ride, please contact us here. I would appreciate it if you could tell me your impressions from the driver’s seat.

2022 NCAA Championship