1. Coxing/Steering Certificate Level 1 Course
These slides are intended as a guide to the materials that could be covered as part of a Level 1 and level 2 Coxing Course, and are intended to be adapted by clubs to suit their local training needs.
They are designed as a list of prompts which can be used by course deliverers to structure a course. 1

2. Learning Sessions The rights, roles and responsibilities of the cox
Safety and risk management
Lifting, launching and landing
Steering and manoeuvring
Commands and communication
British Rowing Technique for coxes
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Here is an order of suggested sessions for a coxing course split into 5 sessions.
The content can be used to deliver classroom sessions followed by on water practice, or re-arranged to have separate classroom sessions and on-water sessions to suit the delivery of the course.
Session 5 2

3. Session 1 Rights roles and responsibilities Safety and risk management3

4. The role and responsibilities of the cox/steersman
Rights, Roles and Responsibilities
The role and responsibilities of the cox/steersman
Safety
Steering
Commands
Coaching
Communication
Positive motivation
Strategy
Order of coaching of a cox
The number in the corner refers to ACTIVITY 1 in the course workbook which you can carry out here if you want.
Here is a suggested order of the roles and responsibilities of a cox/steersman
The first and overriding concern should be the safety of themselves, the crew and others
This also provides a possible order of coaching a cox! 1 4

5. Rights, Roles and Responsibilities
Developing coxes
Coxes may have had little initial training or subsequent coaching
Coxes should demand coaching
Coaches should coach coxes too!
Does your club have too many coxes?
Are your clubs’ coxes valued and appreciated?
Clubs get the coxes they deserve! 5

6. Rights; The Cox’s Charter
Rights, Roles and Responsibilities
Rights; The Cox’s Charter
Coxes have as many rights as rowers and scullers;
To enjoy the sport
To be kept safe
Not to be perfect every time
To improve
To receive quality coaching
To be treated fairly
To be given responsibility
To be praised
To have rights
To eat! 6

7. Rights; Weights of coxes
Rights, Roles and Responsibilities
Rights; Weights of coxes
Misguided comments on weight can have serious consequences!
The minimum weight is to encourage
heavier not lighter racing coxes!
Good coxing is about more than weight!
The effect of an additional 1kg weight is small
What difference will this make at your level?
Are there other more significant factors?
If you are considering cox weight what
about the effect of additional crew weight?
Crews can often focus on their cox’s weight without focusing on their own. Are the additional few kilos of a cox really what is limiting the speed and performance of that crew or would better/more training help or improved or more consistent technique?
Ill judged seemingly flippant comments about weight can have marked effects on individuals’ self esteem and eating habits, and could trigger eating disorders in susceptible individuals. 7

8. What is risk assessment and risk management?
Safety and Risk Management
What is risk assessment and risk management?
Risk assessment
Thinking what might do wrong and taking it into account
Risk management
Doing something to reduce risks to an acceptable level, not to eliminate them!
Taking action to reduce the likelihood of an incident, or the consequences, if one occurs.
Risk assessment can be thought of as part of risk management 8

9. Risk Assessment
What hazards/risk factors can you think of when coxing/steering? (off water and on water!)
Who might be harmed?
In what ways might people be harmed?
You can expand on this slide and get individuals or groups to come up with some suggestions, and then could use the following slides to review some examples and ask further questions.
The 2 refers to ACTIVITY 2 in the course workbook, which you may choose to carry out at this time
What hazards can you think of?
Cold water immersion
Flow/Tide/Currents
Waves
Debris
Boat type/stability
Level of ability of crew
Wind speed/direction
Weather; heat, snow, fog, rain, wind etc.
Who might be harmed?
Emphasise the cox’s responsibility
The cox is responsible for their own safety, the safety of the crew, the safety of others, e.g. other water users, people on the bank etc.
Who might be included in other water users?
In what ways might people be harmed?
Ill health injury and death
Types of ill health and injury?
e.g. hypothermia, sunburn, heat stroke, dehydration
drowining 2 9

10. 1. Examples of hazards Boat type/stability Level of ability of crew
Safety and Risk Management
1. Examples of hazards
Boat type/stability
Level of ability of crew
Water
Cold water immersion
Flow/Tide/Currents
Waves
Debris
Weather;
heat, snow, fog, rain, wind etc
Wind speed/direction
Check the forecast!
Specify some circumstances which would cause an outing to be cancelled
Whose decision is it to cancel an outing?
What local guidelines are there in place to guide crews as to whether it is safe to be on the water or not? 2 10

11. 2. Examples of individuals who might be harmed
Safety and Risk Management
2. Examples of individuals who might be harmed
Coxes
Participants
Other water users?
People on the bank
Who might be included in other water users?
What are the rights of other water users? 2 11

12. 2. Examples of ways in which people might be harmed
Safety and Risk Management
2. Examples of ways in which people might be harmed
Illness
Injury
Death
Some specific examples
Illness
Risk of waterborne diseases
Infection
Injury
Head injuries
Back injuries
Acute injuries
Chronic injuries
Death
Hypothermia
Cold water immersion
Drowning 2 12

13. Do you know all the types of boats?
Safety and Risk Management
Do you know all the types of boats?
The 3 refers to ACTIVITY 3 in the course workbook, on boats and equipment which you may choose to carry out at this time
The coxes on your course may have different levels of experience
For those with little experience, you should check that they are familiar with
All types of boats, including coxed boats
2+, 4+, 4X+, 8+ and 8X+
Abbreviations for boat types, e.g. what 2X means
The difference and challenges posed by bowloaders and stern loaders
Rigging arrangements that differ from convention and the challenges that this would have for coxing; you could get them to draw representations of the different rigging arrangements possible in fours and eights. 3 13

14. Check your equipment! Identify different parts of the boat
Safety and Risk Management
Check your equipment!
Identify different parts of
the boat
What safety checks should be carried out on equipment prior to each outing?
What checks should be carried out after each outing?
(Read RowSafe information for guidance on equipment checks.)
Coxes can complete an equipment worksheet for coxes to identify different parts of the boats that you have at your club 3 14

15. Understanding boat equipment checks
Safety and Risk Management
Understanding boat equipment checks
Why do we carry out the following checks?
Buoyancy/deck hatches
Heel restraints
Bow ball
What should you do if you find
that equipment is damaged or
missing?
What could potentially happen if these items were missing from a boat
Tutors should emphasise the importance of
Buoyancy; suitable to support the weight of the crew when swamped
Heel restraints; to help the feet come out of the shoes
Bow ball; to reduce the risk of injury, e.g. spearing, in the event of a collision
Highlight local procedures for reporting equipment breakages, and for quarantining broken boats 15

16. Clothing and equipment for cox and crew
Safety and Risk Management
Clothing and equipment for cox and crew
What clothing should coxes and crew wear
In hot weather?
In cold weather?
Give an example of a common item of clothing which you shouldn’t wear
What equipment should coxes have?
What equipment should crew members have?
It helps to collect together a cox’s kit bag to give candidates an idea of what equipment they should have 4 16

17. Personal flotation devices
Safety and Risk Management
Personal flotation devices
(PFDs)
What is the difference between a buoyancy aid and a lifejacket?
What different types of PFDs are there in your club?
PFDs must be regularly checked and maintained!
They must be worn properly!
Insert information on types of lifejacket and buoyancy aid from beginners guide. (water safety)
Teach and assess that coxes can put lifejackets on correctly.
A lifejacket will keep you face up in the water, e.g. if you are knocked unconscious, whereas a buoyancy aid only helps you to float and will not keep you head up. Different values of buoyancy are available for different weights of individuals and different conditions
Get together some of the types of pfd at your club for a demonstration
You should check the labelling of the lifejackets and buoyancy aids that you use to ensure that they are suitable for the individuals that use them and the location(s) where you row.
Gas inflatable PFDs should be regularly checked and maintained; follow the guidelines of the manufacturer 4 17

18. PFDs Safety and Risk Management 18
FROM THE MARINE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION BUREAU safety digest 3/2006
Information derived from European Standards for lifejackets and personal buoyancy aids 18

19. Safety and Risk Management
Swimming ability
What is the British Rowing guidance on swimming ability for participants and coxes?
Complete the capsize and immersion training! 4 19

20. Hazards: Know your boathouse
Safety and Risk Management
Hazards: Know your boathouse
Look in and around your boathouse
What hazards are there?
Where are the following?
First aid kit
Throwlines
Buoyancy aids
Nearest telephone
Fire Extinguisher
Safety noticeboard
Incident report book
The 5 refers to activity 5 in the course workbook 20

21. Hazards: Know your local waterway
Safety and Risk Management
Hazards: Know your local waterway
Get a copy of the map of your local waterway
(It is a British Rowing requirement that one is displayed at your club)
Identify the local circulation pattern
Annotate it to identify the usual hazards
Are there any unusual hazards at this time?
Where are the emergency access points?
What local safety regulations are there?
Idea
If you have a digital projector, you could project a map onto a whiteboard and get coxes to draw on hazards or the local circulation patterns, line of steering etc.
Or photocopy a circulation plan and map so that coxes can annotate it
What are the local hazards to navigation 21

22. Recognising Mild Hypothermia
Safety and Risk Management
Recognising Mild Hypothermia
Symptoms of Mild Hypothermia (35 C degrees and below)
Complaints of feeling cold and tired
Shivering
Confusion
Poor comprehension
Disorientation
Poor concentration
Pale
Blue lips and nails
Rapid breathing
Wheezing or cough
Fast pulse
Slurred speech
Irrational behaviour
Violent outbursts 22

23. Moderate to Severe Hypothermia
Safety and Risk Management
Moderate to Severe Hypothermia
Shivering stops rigid; lack of voluntary motion
Muscles become
Very slow and shallow breathing
Pulse slow/irregular
Lack of responsiveness 23

24. Safety and Risk Management
Hypothermia
What steps can you take to reduce the likelihood of hypothermia occurring?
Coxes?
Crew? 24

25. Safety and Risk Management
Cold Water immersion
Immersion in cold water can present a risk due to;
Cold water shock
Swim failure
Hypothermia from immersion
Circumrescue collapse
Circum rescue collapse means collapse before during or after rescue 5 25

26. Know what to do in an emergency!
Safety and Risk Management
Know what to do in an emergency!
What would you do if…..
Hypothermia!
Man overboard!
Capsize!
Collision!
At different locations on your waterway?
Devise some possible scenarios and your emergency action plan
You should pose some hypothetical scenarios at particular points on the water;
Use a map of the local waterway
Discuss who to call
Access points for emergency services
Rescue arrangements? 26

27. Lifting, launching, and landing
Session 3
Lifting, launching, and landing
This session is best delivered as a practical session with sufficient people to practice coxing the safe lifting and manoeuvring out of the boathouse

28. Safe lifting technique
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Safe lifting technique
Make sure participants;
Have a wide stance
Are standing on a stable base of support
Keep their backs straight when lifting
Use their legs to lift
Give clear instructions beforehand
Give clear commands
See activity 6 in the accompanying materials 28

29. Lifting and exiting the boathouse
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Lifting and exiting the boathouse
Look at the example boathouse given in ACTIVITY 6
Where would you position the crew initially?
Who would move where, when?
When lifting, where would you stand?
What commands would you give?
What is your local boathouse like?
Which boats are the easiest to get in and out?
Which boats are the most difficult? Why?
This slide refers to the spot the cox exercise in activity 6 of the course workbook
Sketch your own boathouse
You could have a sketched outline plan of your boathouse to hand, identifying the ground plan, where the racks are and where the different boats are usually kept. 6 29

30. Lifting and exiting the boathouse (practical)
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Lifting and exiting the boathouse (practical)
In your group practice lifting the boat off racks and exiting/entering the boathouse,
Concentrate on;
Safety
Commands?
Encouraging safe lifting
Where to stand?
Practical activity
Swap roles between coxing and crew in moving different boats out of the boathouse/storage area, putting them outside on trestles and then going through boat checks.
You can mimic the commands that would be used to place the boat on the water using trestles. 6 30

31. Carrying the boat to and from the water (practical)
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Carrying the boat to and from the water (practical)
Practice putting the boat on and off the water
Commands?
Placing the boat on the water
Lifting the boat off the water
Where to stand? 31

32. Launching How would you launch from your location?
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Launching
How would you launch from your location?
What hazards are there when launching?
What factors might influence the direction in which you launch? 32

33. Landing Get ready to land!
Lifting, Launching and Landing
Landing
Get ready to land!
Slow down well in advance using less rowers or less pressure; Speeding up again is easier than slowing down!
Approach at a 45 deg angle
Easy the crew
Alert bankside rowers to lift their blades
Manoeuvre with rudder alone
Use stern, water side rowers to back down if necessary to bring stern towards bank
Speeding up again is easier than slowing down!
Launching and landing can be carried out as a practical activity
What local considerations are there in your locality when launching and landing? 33

34. Steering and manoeuvring
Session 3
Steering and manoeuvring
This session could be run as a classroom based session followed by an on the water practical session

35. Steering and manoeuvring
Lookout!
Ahead and behind
Maintain an awareness of course and others
Actions to avoid a collision?
Emergency stops; hold it up!
slap bury and turn
Getting onto a stakeboat
Passing oars forward to row sideways
“Scratching” 35

36. Factors to consider when steering/manoeuvring
Steering and Manoeuvring
Factors to consider when steering/manoeuvring
Rudder – works when moving
Options
Using less or more pressure
Using fewer crew members
Rowing on and backing down
Water
Stream
Currents
Waves
Wash from boats
Direction of travel; upstream/downstream
Wind
Head
Tail
Cross
Activity 7 in the course workbook involves making notes on the roles of each of these in steering 7 36

37. Steering; when to steer
Steering and Manoeuvring
Steering; when to steer
Oars –to manouevre the boat at low speeds
Rudder – when the spoons are in the water, the rudder is less effective but has less effect on the
Balance
Rhythm
Comfort of the crew
Speed of the boat
There are different schools of thought when it comes to steering and whether you should apply the rudder when the blades are in or out of the water. 7 37

38. Steering; how much to steer
Steering and Manoeuvring
Steering; how much to steer
Steer little and often
Move the strings or toggles 5cm in each direction
Account for the apparent delay between applying the rudder and the boat changing course
Avoid repeatedly oversteering and correcting 7 38

39. Examples of different rudders
Steering and Manoeuvring
Examples of different rudders 39

40. Steering and manoeuvring (practical)
Steer a designated course
Command some different methods to turn the boat
Turn in different directions
Back down onto a “stakeboat”
Set out a course for coxes to navigate and demonstrate
Launching
Using the rudder
Varying crew pressure to steer
Using different crew members to manoeuvre
Different ways of turning
Turning in different directions
Backing down (use a buoy to simulate backing onto a stakeboat if possible) See attaching to a stakeboat resource
Why not video the coxes coxing, either from the bank or from the boat if you can fix a video camera
If you have a wide enough body of water get coxes to practice steering:
Straight line
Slalom
Around other crews
Sharp around a corner
Long around a corner 8 40

41. Using the stream to turn/manoeuvre
Steering and Manoeuvring
Using the stream to turn/manoeuvre
Turning from facing upstream to facing downstream
Start near bank away from the stream
Turn the bows into stream
Stream will continue taking bows around
Good coxes will turn 180’ in <30seconds 41

42. Commands and communication Session 4
This session can be run as a classroom session with opportunities for the coxes to record themselves coxing during other sessions on the course

43. Commands Commands should be Understood! Clear Concise Consistent Firm
Commands and Communication
Commands
Commands should be
Understood!
Clear
Concise
Consistent
Firm
Simple
What do cox and crew understand words and commands to mean?
See ACTIVITY 9 in the course workbook 9 43

44. Commands (what you say)
Commands and Communication
Commands (what you say)
Look at the resource of coxing commands,
Are there any other ones that you can think of?
There is a resource which outlines a variety of different coxing commands
Check that inexperienced coxes/steersman have learnt all of the commands 9 44

45. Communication Communication is made up of What you say How you say it
Commands and Communication
Communication
Communication is made up of
What you say
How you say it
When you say it
How much you say! 9 45

46. Communication; be positive!
Commands and Communication
Communication; be positive!
What is the effect of positive instructions (do’s rather than don’ts) vs negative instructions?
What positive instructions can you give? 10 46

47. Communication (how you say it!) Be confident Sound confident
Commands and Communication
Communication
(how you say it!)
Be confident
Sound confident
Give clear concise commands
Project your voice
Take command of the crew
How you sit will affect your voice 47

48. Communication (how you say it!) Paralanguage,
Commands and Communication
Communication
(how you say it!)
Paralanguage,
Tone, pitch, pace, conveyed emotion?
The ‘sound’ of the word
The delivery of the word / phrase
Meaning of a word / phrase
Same word, different meanings
Same meaning, different effects
The Sound of the word
Often conveys the meaning as much, if not more than the word itself
Think of the difference between ‘cross’ and ‘mad’
Hard consonants and short vowel sounds make a lot of impact
Kick / go / firm / on / power
Long soft sounds relax, reduce tension and encourage control:
Smoooth / slowww / relaaaax / loong /
Delivery of word / phrase
Crescendo or diminuendo emphasizes the meaning of the word
The rhythm of the voice can set the rhythm of the crew
short sharp phrases in the drive
- long soft phrases on the recovery
Meaning of word / phrase
Can have an explicit meaning and an implicit meaning dictated by context or social structure
‘don’t rush the slide’ puts the concept of rushing into the rowers mind
or ‘control the slide’ puts the concept of control into the rower’s mind
‘you’re late 2’ – you’re wrong, a failure, letting the crew down!!
‘In earlier 2’ – here’s what I want you to do to have an even greater impact!
Coxing vocabulary:
Describe the ultimate crew
These are the words and phrases that fire you up – if anyone were to to cox you – these are the words / phrases they should use to get the best out of you
Use this idea with the crews you cox
Semantics and pragmatics 10 48

49. Communication (when you say it!)
Commands and Communication
Communication
(when you say it!)
Correct timings lead to better transitions and rowing
Use “go”, “now”, “change”
At the catch, call;
changes in slide length
changes to/from square blades
At the finish, call;
changes in pressure 10 49

50. Communication (practical)
Commands and Communication
Communication
(practical)
Get some recordings of coxes, e.g. off the internet
Analyse their communication
Record yourself coxing during your next outing
There is a sheet in ACTIVITY 10 of the accompanying materials to analyse other coxes’ communication 10 50

51. Communicating with a coach
Commands and Communication
Communicating with a coach
Coaches and coxes should communicate!
Before the outing
Communicate on the plan and goals, and the coxing /technical points to improve
During the outing;
Work with each other
allow time for the cox to cox and the coach to coach
After the outing
Cox feeds back to the coach
Coach feeds back to the cox 51

52. British Rowing Technique for coxes
This session can be run as a classroom based session.
You can use the British Rowing Technique resources to run through the key points of the catch, drive, release/extraction and recovery.
You could use videos of crews rowing for coxes to assess.

53. British Rowing Technique for coxes See the BRT for Coxes resource
Use your senses
What can you see?
What can you hear?
What can you feel?
Good coxes:
Feel – the rhythm, balance, acceleration of the boat, where the stream is, if the crew are working together, how quickly they are locking on and loading the blade
Listen:
Are the catches together? Are the crew moving on the slides together? Are the extractions ‘clean’?
See:
The course, the opposition, Heads of the crew (how are they moving), blades ( are they level? In a line at catch and extraction? Squaring together? Entering the water with front or backsplash?) 53

54. Resources Videos Coxing the tideway Steering the tideway heads Books
Technique
Resources
Videos
Coxing the tideway
Steering the tideway heads
Books
Coxing; surviving the wilderness years Tom Hooper. 54