• HOME

  • STEP UP YOUR STORY

  • PORTFOLIO

  • KUDOS

  • ENOUGH ABOUT ME

  • CONTACT

  • BLOG

  • PERSONAL BLOG

  • More

    © 2016 www.katiesalvator.com

    • Twitter - White Circle
    • Facebook - White Circle
    • LinkedIn - White Circle
    • Instagram - White Circle

    Lessons I learned from crew that have nothing to do with rowing

    July 20, 2016

    |

    Katie Salvator

    IMG_1134
    IMG_1134
    IMG_1129
    IMG_1129
    IMG_1131
    IMG_1131
    IMG_1051
    IMG_1051
    IMG_1130
    IMG_1130

     

    I started rowing in college in 2004 because a friend in one of my Spanish classes told me about it and I was craving a good exercise and an outlet for my competitive side. Rowing was the perfect answer. I rowed from the winter of my second year all the way through my second senior year of college. Then, unable to get enough, picked it up again as a rowing coach from 2009-2013.

     

    Rowing combines teamwork, dedication and workouts that could make even the strongest person tear up. In addition to finding a school of fish in a big ocean that was (is) Ohio State University; I learned a lot of things that are EASILY transferrable to life in general. These may be more than lessons, mantras perhaps.

     

    Teamwork

     

    This is sooo obvious, it’s annoying. This aspect of rowing is the crux of the sport. Unless the boat of choice is a one-person single, it is imperative that the entire crew work as a team at all times. And not just working toward one goal, but doing the same things in perfect synchronization. The more alike each movement of each person, the faster the boat goes. Despite differences in personalities, abilities or attitudes, working together propels the boat faster and more efficiently. I won’t dumb it down with an explanation of how that may apply to work or life.

     

    Never underestimate

     

    Anyone.  The people that I have met because of and in the rowing community amaze me and have set the tone for how I approach new relationships. Rowing, as a sport teaches many things, but this I take the most for granted. People in general are capable of such giant things if provided the chance to prove themselves. I think the biggest travesty is when I don’t apply this to myself. I try to remember what I have done and accomplished in spite of my preconceived notions of what my abilities and goals should be/were.

     

    “Early is on time, on time is late and late is left”

     

    Let me tell you, being early to a 5:30am launch time is a daunting task at best, but that is where the day’s prep all happened. Warm-ups, boat assignments, stretching, etc. were all necessary parts of practice and Coach noticed if you rolled in “on time.” Now, if I agree to meet friends at a bar or for dinner, I am perpetually the first one there.  Because of crew, being late now makes me anxious. This one does not apply to the concept of “fashionably late,” that is intentional.

     

    Choppy water makes you appreciate flat water

     

    Both a metaphor for life and a literal statement as it pertains to rowing. When the wind picks up, the water can get pretty choppy. Rowing on those days meant soaked clothes, beat up hands and a frustrating practice. But damn, if choppy water doesn’t,  A. teach a rower to appreciate calm, flat water, and B. make rowers more skilled. In life, as in rowing, the hard times are difficult and we may want to cancel those days, but when it all boils down, they make the good days that much more enjoyable and prepare the unskilled for greatness.

     

    Take a break and look around once in awhile

     

    I got scolded once or twice as a rower and then did some scolding myself as a coach about “keeping your head in the boat.” Rowing takes a lot of focus and attention to detail to stay in sync with the others in your boat. Sometimes though, the surroundings were just too breathtaking not to inhale. That’s what happens when you are awake for the sunrise six days a week. Now, even though I don’t see the sun come up everyday, I try to take a moment or two to appreciate the beauty of nature or of life’s interactions.

     

    Rowing was such an important part of my life, and the list I have made here only just scratches the surface of what I learned about myself and about life from the years I spent involved with the sport.

     

    This post is dedicated to the coaches, teammates and rowers that I coached that taught me these lessons. I am indebted to you for helping to make me the person I am today.

    Please reload

    Featured Posts

    Lessons I learned from crew that have nothing to do with rowing

    July 20, 2016

    Why do we avoid being rude, when rude is well-deserved?

    August 1, 2018

    1/2
    Please reload

    Recent Posts

    Why do we avoid being rude, when rude is well-deserved?

    August 1, 2018

    #makekindnesscommon

    November 30, 2016

    Switch up these 3 phrases to increase your likability

    September 19, 2016

    Lessons I learned from crew that have nothing to do with rowing

    July 20, 2016

    Cynicism is not a synonym for cool

    July 20, 2016

    6 things moms teach us about being good communicators

    July 20, 2016

    The digital age is making us cowards

    July 20, 2016

    Something to know about the folks at the top...they want you to join them

    July 19, 2016

    Click Bait

    July 19, 2016

    Between thinking and speaking

    July 19, 2016

    Please reload

    Archive

    August 2018 (1)

    November 2016 (1)

    September 2016 (1)

    July 2016 (7)

    Please reload

    Search By Tags

    attitude

    click bait

    communication

    conversation

    coolness

    cyberbullying

    cynicism

    digital

    entrepreneur

    kindness

    likability

    lists

    mom

    no problem

    perception

    social media

    speaking

    thank you

    thinking

    tips

    upper crust

    Please reload

    Follow Us
    • Facebook Basic Square
    • Twitter Basic Square
    • Google+ Basic Square