Men's Crew Feature: Season Preview
March 31, 2011 | Men's Rowing
March 31, 2011
By Kim Horan (COM '11), Special to GoTerriers.com
With two-time Olympic medalist and National Rowing Hall of Fame inductee Tom Bohrer entering his third year as head coach, the Boston University men's crew is taking the rowing world by storm, having made great strides in each of his first two seasons at the helm.
At the 2009 IRAs, BU claimed the Clayton Chapman Award for being the most improved team in the nation after recording a seventh-place finish. A year later, the Terriers moved a spot up to sixth with the freshmen eight boat recording a perfect dual-season record.
With the 2011 season set to begin, the 12th-ranked Terriers hope to beat their previous standings while remaining confident and positive along the way. Coach Bohrer has big dreams, which involving making BU one of the premier programs in the country. To accomplish the objective, he has focused on establishing a healthy team culture in which the athletes train toward a common goal.
The team currently consists of 19 varsity athletes and 21 freshmen. After graduating 10 seniors, BU gained 12 varsity rowers and 20 freshmen. This year's freshmen are some of the strongest yet. Their impressive abilities fit into Bohrer's plan of building a strong base that can continue to improve over time and also push the upperclassmen to work harder.
The freshmen are excited to be part of his vision and have the opportunity to help build something special. Lenny Futterman recalled the moment he knew he wanted to attend BU. "I was watching a practice with the varsity four boat rowing, and it was the first time in my life that I actually saw "beautiful" rowing. I am extremely happy that I chose the school. I have already made excellent friends, and there is a sense of camaraderie that is unparalleled amongst the rowers. I feel at home when I set foot in the boathouse."
It is important that the rowers are comfortable at the DeWolfe Boathouse since they spend much of their time practicing there. The men have a grueling schedule. They train six days a week, splitting their time between the boathouse, the weight room, and solo practice sessions.
In addition, spring break is a critical component of training in preparing for the dual season. Over break, the team practiced at Clemson University in South Carolina. Every day they practiced at least twice a day to help create a faster team and get used to rowing on water again after spending so much time indoors during the winter. The team goal during the time away from BU was to create a technical base quickly, knowing that the strength will fall into place.
This year's team hopes to undo last year's inconsistent spring season and close the small margin they faced at the end of last year's Eastern Sprints. Getting early wins over No. 5 Brown on Saturday and No. 15 Northeastern would generate momentum for the rest of the season, as the Terriers will face those squads again at the Sprints and IRAs.
Senior Sebastian Mueller is entering his final season with plenty of confidence and has set his sight on collecting shirts, a tradition at the Sprints where the championship winning boat gets the shirts of all the other boats that competed.
Mueller was voted team captain this year, promising to help the team deliver their best performance. He is excited so far with the energy level from his teammates.
"The intensity in boathouse is unbelievable, everyone is pushing each other, and no one backs off. They give it everything they have, and this effort is what creates a successful team."
Leadership from the upperclassmen will play a key role this season because the squad is so young. One of the team's objectives is to instill the confidence in the freshmen that anyone can have their voices heard. As a result, a leadership committee was formed, which allows rowers to meet before several upperclassmen to talk about the pulse of the team. The meetings give everyone a chance to speak without reservation.
Coach Boher also appointed senior James Potts to be the team's "Sergeant in Arms." His job is to make sure everyone is following the team rules and staying focused on the task at hand.
With practice and sound team leadership, the men should be able to accomplish their goal of becoming a first-rate rowing team. However, they must also maintain a winning attitude. In rowing, it's not all about winning, but getting better each time and taking training seriously. As a teammate you need to be resilient; not every day is fast, but how you handle the small setbacks defines success as a team.
"If you don't believe and trust, you will never be what you want," Coach Bohrer said. "We need to get a culture and vision that we can race with anyone and be on top."
