OS Stefanie Kozuszek reminds us what it’s really all about

Open Scullers launch for another morning of hard work on the water. (Photo by Igor Belakovskiy)

Tonight is the Rising Stars Dinner and Auction, an event to support the National Team and Olympic dreams of members of PBC’s Open Sculling Program.  Following the dinner, our Open Scullers will leave for California and the final leg of training for the regattas that will determine this year’s Olympic team.  Our shared hopes, dreams, and best wishes for success, go with them!

In this month’s look into the world of an Open Sculler, Stefanie Kozuszek reminds us that making the National Team is just the icing on the cake of being part of a hard working, close-knit team.

If you’d like to read more about Open Sculler Stefanie Kozuszek, please visit her bio page here (click).

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Happy 2012! I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday season!

It’s a big year, an Olympic year, and the end of a four year cycle of hard work and effort by athletes from all over the world hoping to represent their nation in London. For the PBC Open Sculling Program, it means it’s time for us to kick it into overdrive. Following this weekend’s Rising Stars Dinner and Auction, a few of us will stay in DC and focus on building our fitness, targeting through to the next cycle. Others will head out to Long Beach, California, to prepare for the National Selection Regattas in Chula Vista in April. We all hope they will be greeted with flat water, warm weather, and a training environment that will lead them to a spot on the National Team.

It’s always interesting to see the reactions of people when you tell them that you are training to one day make the National Team or better yet, to make it to the Olympics. They usually hone in on the Olympic part and ask when the next Olympics are. The next time they see you they’ll ask something like, “So, make it to the Olympics, yet?”

Deep down, you know how much more work and how many more years you will have to put in to make that dream a reality. You’ll have to get up early, train twice a day, and throw in a little work on top of it all to help pay the bills. This and more run through your head when all the person waiting on the other side probably wants is the short answer. Still, you’re thinking that there is always more you can do, always something to improve on to give you that little extra edge … “No, not yet, but I’m working on it,” you say.

Sometimes it’s scary to share your ultimate goal with others. What if you never reach that goal? Will they think of you as a failure? Or will they respect that you had enough courage to chase those dreams? In the end I’ve realized that if you are doing what you what makes you happy, then who cares what someone else might thing.

The reality is that we won’t all make it to the Olympics or even to the National Team. But as long as we’ve tried our best and enjoyed the time that we’ve put in, each of us will be able to walk away with our heads held high knowing we were true to our dreams. The friendships built on this team alone are enough to make it all worth it, but we will have also bettered ourselves along the way.

But enough of that. It’s time to get fast!

Rise to the occasion, PBC!

Social Committee Chair Virginia Bryant and Coach Reilly Dampeer and her Open Scullers want to remind everyone that the Rising Stars Dinner is less than two weeks away!

The Second Annual Rising Stars Silent Auction and Dinner is coming up on January 21. This is your opportunity to play a vital role in America’s success in international athletic competition and the strong tradition of competitive excellence at PBC. Show your support: donate services or items for the silent auction, buy tickets to the event, bid up auction items!

For more information, check your mail for your invitation or click on a link below.

• Rising Star Dinner Information
• Auction Donation Form

See you there, PBC!

-The Potomac Star on behalf of the Social Committee and Open Sculling Team

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Please save the date:  January 21, 2012

Potomac Boat Club
Rising Stars Dinner and Silent Auction
An event to benefit the club’s Olympic Hopefuls

 

An invitation to Save the Date from Open Sculling Coach Reilly Dampeer:

The Potomac Boat Club Open Sculling Program is hosting the second annual Rising Stars dinner and silent auction on January 21, 2011, to benefit our Olympic hopefuls.

I am pleased to announce that this year’s event will take place at the prestigious University Club in downtown Washington, DC.  Potomac Boat Club members will receive an invitation in the mail soon, so please keep an eye out for it and RSVP as quickly as possible, since space will be limited for this special event.

The Open Sculling Program attracts talented athletes from across the United States to Potomac Boat Club to train for elite national and international competition.  The Program has produced athletes who have earned Olympic, World, Pan American and National Championship medals.  As we approach the upcoming Olympic year, our focus is sharp and our goals are to earn the honor of representing our country internationally and bring prestige to the club and program. Like all aspiring athletes who came before us, we strive with dedication, perseverance, and the hope to embody the competitive spirit and tradition that is Potomac Boat Club.

Proceeds raised from this event will fund travel expenses and entry fees for the 2012 Olympic selection regattas to be held in Chula Vista, California.  It will also fund the purchase of the latest training technology, state-of the-art equipment and resources for our athletes.

The 2011 event was a huge success, and I look forward to achieving even higher goals at this year’s Rising Stars event. PBC community support is key to our success. There are literally hundreds of sponsors, officials, coaches, and other individuals who make the achievement of an Olympic dream possible. We invite you to share this exciting evening with us and to be part of the enduring dreams of our athletes.

For more information regarding the Open Sculling Program and the donation of items for the Silent Auction, please contact me at redampeer@yahoo.com or (206) 819-6004.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Reilly Dampeer
Head Coach, Open Sculling Program

Open Sculling 2012 Preview

After a successful 2011, it looks like our Open Sculling Program is getting some new blood!  Open Sculler Katie Stainken contributes the following post.

To learn more about Potomac Boat Club’s Open Sculling Program and Katie, please visit The Open Sculling Program page at http://www.potomacstar.com/racing-programs/test/.  And check back soon for new teammate bios!

A big PBC WELCOME to our new Open Scullers and coaches!

* * *

Since the last update from the Open Scullers, quite a few exciting changes have taken place. The biggest change is in the roster:  we now have four women and eleven men, who make for a crowded carpet at 6am when we do our daily core routine!

On the men’s side, Open Sculling Program veterans Willy Cowles, Taylor Frank, Sean Gorman, Joe Ledvina, and Michael Malone are joined by Greg Charte, Patrick Lacey, Matt Miller, Carl Thunman, Steve Whelpley, and Nate Kelly. For the women, Stef Kozuscek, Katie Stainken, and Morgan Wimberley are joined by Emily Carney.  Lucky for us though, Coach Reilly has recruited two new coaches to assist with the program and keep us in line: Jim O’Connor and Heather Barney.  Thanks to Jim and Heather for volunteering their time!

Looking back at Fall the Open Scullers participated in the Head of the Potomac, Head of the Occoquan, Head of the Charles, and the Fall Speed Order. All of these races offered great racing experience for the team as we geared up for winter training and the 2012 year.  We capped off the fall with a new challenge … the first annual PBC Triathlon, which consisted of a 10k erg, bridge loop run, and a quick row out to Roosevelt bridge and back.  Next up, we have a run test, 30 minute test, 6k test, and the annual erg marathon on December 31^st. Hopefully the weather will remain mild, or at least above freezing, and we will be able to continue to row through December and into January. With the 4-oar rule in effect and our large team roster, 2x and 4x will have to be the boats of choice.

It’s not all work with the Open Scullers, though!  We’re looking forward to decorating the ballroom and to hosting the PBC Christmas party on December 11, and then to our Rising Stars dinner in January, which was so successful last year thanks to you.  Some members of the team are also California Dreamin’, and will be heading out to train the winter months away in Long Beach, California, after the start of the new year.

As always, thanks so much for your support, PBC!  Stay tuned for more information on what your Open Sculling Program is up to and news of our upcoming events!

Start your New Year’s Resolution to be social in December!

Hosted by the PBC Open Sculling Program, you are cordially invited to celebrate the Season’s Spirit of Giving in our beautifully decorated, heated ballroom!

The Potomac Boat Club Annual Holiday Party
Date: Sunday, December 11, 2011
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Dress:  Festive Attire (Yes, it’s time for that sweater. The only time.)

Hors d’Oeuvres ~ Beverages
Good Friends and “Others”
Fun Photos with Santa
Belly Button Bakery for the Children
PBC Members, Friends and Guests welcome!

AND please don’t forget to bring an unwrapped, NEW gift to support the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots!

Oh, for all of you crazy “Senior Members” out there (and we know you’re crazy because you actually read this far down …), at 2:30 PM, before the start of the “regular” party, there will be a brief “Special Meeting of the Membership” in the “Club Lounge” to vote on an “extra special” amendment to the Club’s “Constitution.”

Now, that’s what we call getting the party started “early,” if you know what we “mean” … (wink)!

Not that we do, of course.

 

The 2011 PBC Triathlon

In case you didn’t check the listserv this week, or conveniently chose to ignore the message, you were invited to participate in the 2011 PBC Triathlon this morning.  Missed that one, huh?

On November 19, 2011, PBC’s Open Scullers, led by Coach Reilly Dampeer, combined their usual training efforts into a little triathlon. They erged, ran, rowed, and invited everyone to participate in the “fun.”

Here was the format:

• Erg – 10km
• Run the “Bridge loop” out to Virginia across Memorial Bridge and back to the Club from Virginia across Key Bridge (approximately 3 miles)
• Row a single out to Roosevelt Bridge and back to PBC (approximately 4km)
• No ‘Transition Time” allocations or assistance allowed (e.g., oars or boat to the dock)

Reilly briefed participants at 6:30 AM, and the clock started at 7:00 AM.  Finish time was recorded for each participant when the participant’s feet were firmly planted on the PBC dock.  No handicaps were used to calculate the results.

Well, who was the big winner?  We’ll have to get the update from Reilly!

 

 

PBC’s Shumway finds gold in Mexico

PBC's Margot Shumway at this year's Pan Am Games (Photo courtesy of Margaux Jackson)

Potomac Boat Club’s Margot Shumway won gold today in the Women’s Single event at the XVI Pan American Games 2011.

Margot’s win earned the U.S. one of the two gold and one bronze medals won by our National Team on this second day of finals in Ciudad Guzman.

Click here to read the Rowing News article about Margot’s win and here to read the ESPN article about the win and for more updates from Mexico.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MARGOT AND COACHES MATT MADIGAN AND REILLY DAMPEER!  We’re so proud of you!

Kevin Baum … from Red to Blue

We wish Kevin the best of luck on his quest to earn a seat in the Blue Boat. Don’t forget to write.

To read Kevin’s bio, click here.  -PS

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Time is impervious to the effect specific moments have on people. We ascribe extraordinary value to events, which can re-define us as people, yet are offered no chance to sit by and observe that moment. The clock keeps ticking and lives need living, regardless of the internal psychological transformation that has taken place.

Such is rowing. Win or lose, succeed or fail, we still wake up the next day and have to get back at it again. Ultimately, rowing careers are judged by wins and losses and medals won, but the value of rowing goes much deeper. The life of an oarsman revolves around training. It consumes 99.9% of our time, and it is from this experience that we derive worth from the sport. Winning races would mean nothing without the thousands of hours of training that brings us there. There is a direct correlation between effort exerted in achieving a goal and how consequential achieving that goal is.

Coming off a four month ankle injury last fall, the prospect of re-gaining my previous fitness was daunting. Recognizing success lay in improving on that previous level was overwhelming. The only way to survive experiences like this (especially the first few months of only erging), was to set a tangible, achievable goal: Pan American Game Trials in August. I had seven months to get myself back into shape and in a position to race for a spot on team USA. I knew barring any major changes, I would be racing in the double with Taylor Frank. Having raced with him many times before, I felt very comfortable with this lineup and was excited to see how fast we could make it go in seven months.

By the end of the summer, we were starting to feel very confident in our speed. Rowing at the US Elite Nationals, we placed third, sprinting through a double from the US Training Center with far superior erg scores, to claim the bronze. One more month of training and we would be ready.

Unlike many of the races I have participated in at PBC, I felt a strange sense of calm for this one. Psychologically and physically, I was in a better position for success than any previous PBC race. I had remained largely sickness and injury free during the seven months. Taylor and I had logged many hours in the double and had total confidence in our rhythm. We were ready.

Our heat went as well as could be expected, with our double placing first and earning an automatic spot in the final. It was a learning experience however, as our long, effective 36, became a short, less effective 36 in the second thousand after the wind shifted from a direct tail to a direct head. However, we pulled out the win in an excruciating last 500. We earned ourselves a day of rest which we sorely (no pun intended) needed. The rep the next day showed us that our speed was right in the mix, with the top two crews finishing 1 second and 0.5 seconds ahead of the crew we had beaten the day before.

Success requires skill, hard work and luck. You must put yourself in a position to succeed, but sometimes the best preparation doesn’t always lead to the desired or expected result. Ask Mahe Drysdale in 2008. Ultimately, we did not take advantage of the good position in which we had placed ourselves. After a solid start and a decent first 500, the wheels came off. The rhythm we had found in practice and in the heat was not there, and we struggled to get it back. Maybe it was the hour and a half rain delay. Maybe it was the nerves generated by our best chance to win a regatta. Whatever it was, we did not execute. Hats off to the winning crews. By the last 500, we were totally out of the race, and were forced to row through the referee wake for 500 meters tripling the margin.

Devastation. Frustration. Embarrassment. Myriad emotions swirled through my frazzled brain after the race. It wasn’t just that we lost. The other crews had trained just as hard and long as we had. It was underperforming so epically. It would have been tough to be mad if had we raced as to our potential. Chances are, if we had rowed our greatest race, we would have still lost. But we did not give ourselves the opportunity to find out. We let ourselves, our coaches, and our training down. In rowing, you only get one shot. As much as I desired to just sit on the water and never come back to shore, the world had not stopped. The clock continued to tick, and we continued to breathe.

The toughest part was feeling like we had let Ri down. What she had done with two undersized, under-gifted athletes in such a short time was remarkable, and I cannot say enough how incredible a coach she has been. Even though we did not achieve our goal, I am proud of the effort we made. Those seven months of training were the real experience, and one that I will carry with me the rest of my life, even though I will not be racing in Mexico. The hours on the water in the dark and cold. The training in Augusta. Proving to myself that I could overcome my injury and get back to my previous level. Proving to ourselves that we could race and compete with the big boys, regardless of our ergs or our experience. These are the lessons that have changed me and I will carry with me.

The clock kept ticking. After taking some time to put it all in perspective, I had life choices to make. Ultimately, for a variety of reasons, I accepted a place I had been offered to study for a Master’s degree at Oxford University. I will continue to row there, and attempt to make the Blue Boat for the 158th Boat Race.

I will be sure to keep Potomac Star updated as to my progress while I am on the other side of the pond, and am thankful for all the support I have received from everyone at Potomac over the past few years.

Taylor Frank sweats this month’s report from Open Scullerland

Big thanks to Taylor Frank for overcoming the heat long enough to file the July Open Sculling Team contribution to the Potomac Star!

To read more about Taylor, please check out his bio (click).

Click on USRowing Senior World Championship Trials – Finals complete (Mercer Lake, NJ) to see the results from the finals.  Great job, PBC!

* * *

Hello, Everyone.  I am Taylor Frank.

For those of you who may not know me, I am the one usually talking in the group of open scullers.  If I am not talking, it is because I am either smiling or making odd noises.

I am having a difficult time thinking of what to write about because it is so hot outside right now.  I can actually feel the sun radiating through the walls of my house.  Despite the fact that I keep my air conditioner set to 66 degrees, it feels like an inferno in here.

Anyway, I actually do know what I want to write about – the Open Sculling team and its ongoing rise to the top.

I don’t know how many of you have spent time around us, but I can honestly say that this is the best training group that I have ever been a part of.   We are competitive, aggressive, and obsessively determined to get faster.  At the same time, we are also an incredibly supportive and caring group of people.   We know how to work hard, but we also know how to have fun.

The dynamic of the team is one that unquestionably fosters an environment of success.  This was clear to me early on, when I joined two years ago.  While we may not have seen a tremendous amount of success then, I knew this group would be successful in the long run.

For some, I think that success has arrived and for the rest, it is just around the corner.  We have put in a tremendous amount of work over the past two years and it is starting to pay off.

This is an exciting time for us.  PBC’s Open Sculling Program is on the cusp of breaking through and emerging as THE premier elite sculling program in the county.  This year, we hope to send several athletes to the World Championships in Bled, Czech Republic, and the Pan-Am Games in Mexico.  I also have a feeling that there will be a strong PBC contingent representing the US next year in London.  My sights are set on the Pan-Am games this year, and then London 2012.

Stay tuned, try to stay cool and keep your ear to the grindstone.

[Ear?  Ow. Yet another example of how our Open Scullers take it to the next level! -PS]

Malyka Ianni: In the head of an Open Sculler

To learn more about Malyka Ianni, the author of this month’s Open Sculling team contribution to the Potomac Star, please click here.  You’ll find Malyka’s bio, along with bios for each member of the Open Sculling team.

[And, yes, the Open Scullers mentioned below are sweep rowing at the moment.  Welcome back from the dark side.]

***

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ….”

I will go out on a limb and assume that every rower has thought this at one point or another. Rowing has the unique ability to induce a euphoric sense of indestructibility one minute and create a deep internal hole of pain and frustration the next. That may be a bit melodramatic, but admit it. It’s true. We’ve all been there before.

The Open Sculling team trains more or less year around. We take a short break (maybe 2-3 weeks) in August/September and then jump right back into the training cycle. To say it’s a long season is an understatement. Just getting to June in one piece can be a minor (or major, depending on who you are) achievement!  Recently, a teammate and I discussed the topic of psychological endurance. While improving physiologically and technically are always at the top of the training agenda, mental and emotional stamina are equally as important to one’s success in rowing. More often than not, mental toughness makes the difference between winning and losing.

So, how do you build mental toughness?

I have found that one of the tricks to managing the highs and lows in the sport of rowing is to see the silver lining…to keep your eye on the big picture and maintain perspective. It’s taken me many, many roller coaster rides to the top and the bottom to figure this out.  Even with this insight and experience, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and lose sight of the big picture.

For a coach, fostering the development of an individual and team’s mental toughness should rank up there with developing technical proficiency and fitness. Since Wimbledon is in full swing at the moment, I’m going to use the sport of tennis as an example. In tennis, matches between opponents can last hours. At the 2010 Wimbledon, the world’s longest tennis match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut took place. It lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. Now stop and think about the variety of things you do in a typical day 12-hour day! It wasn’t just physical and technical training that helped these men get through the grueling match, but their mental stamina and ability to focus, as well.

On the Open Sculling team, we often use the phrase “go to the well,” which means to dig deep, find that other level, and use every physical and metal resource you have. Isner and Mahut relied heavily on this same sort of mental ability to push through physical fatigue. Each man went deep into the pain cave so to speak!

So, back to rowing. I was fortunate enough to have been coached by Michelle Guerette a few times while living in Boston. Ten minutes around Michelle, and it’s clear why she has been such a successful rower. Workouts with Michelle, whether pieces or just steady state, never went as prescribed on paper. Eighty minutes of steady state became 100 minutes or more once we were actually out on the water.  A 2 x 2k would turn into 2 x 2k plus 2 x 5 minutes and then some. Just when you thought you were done, there was always something else.  Initially, these changes to the workout drove me insane; however, eventually I realized they were instrumental in developing my mental toughness. Every time I thought I had nothing left to give, no other place to go, I somehow made it happen. I learned that the results of those extra pieces didn’t always matter, but that the extra effort needed to just complete the workout made a world of difference in my racing and ability to push through the pain.

I am writing about this topic to share with Potomac Star readers that mental toughness is part of my training that I wish I had taken more seriously when I first started training.  Recognizing that your coach might have something more than just physical benefits in mind when putting together a workout or just recognizing the importance of training in this area on your own is critical to maximizing athletic performance.  It took me longer than I wish it had, but realizing this myself as made me a better athlete.

But mental toughness can be as simple as finding the silver lining in a difficult situation, too, like losing a seat race or completely bombing an erg test, suffering an injury, or being excluded from a race because the boat is under weight, as happened to me and teammate Maria Bukolich in the 2- at the 2011 USRowing National Championships.  Now, I am able to learn from these situations and see the positive, the silver lining, along with the negative aspects.

At PBC, I am, again, fortunate to train with Coach Reilly and a team that pushes me to push myself to new extremes and limits every day.   Through each new hurdle, I see the silver lining.  After the disappointment of the underweight boat, Maria and I are off to join teammate Stef Kozuszek at the US Training Center in Oklahoma City to compete for a seat in a women’s 4-.  The team chosen will then go on to compete at Senior trials in August with the hopes of representing the US at World Championships in Bled, Slovenia. With months and months of hard training and preparation under our belts, we are facing this test as another new opportunity to get closer to achieving our elite rowing goals and make PBC proud.

[We're already proud of you, Maria and the rest of the Open Sculling team, Malyka!  Now, go do what we know you two can do: claim those seats on that US Training Center 4-! -PStar]

The Open Sculling Report for May

To learn more about Willy Cowles, this month’s contributor to the Open Sculling Program Report, please click here and scroll down.  You’ll find bios for the rest of the current Open Sculling Program team there, as well!

In the meantime, we’re pulling for you back here at PBC, Willy!  Best of luck at the U.S. Training Center in Chula Vista!

* * *

May was a very busy month for members of the PBC open sculling team, with invitations to the National Selection Regatta (NSR) II and potential National Team boat camp invitations up for grabs.  The prior month, we had marked the beginning of our summer racing season, taking our singles up to Princeton for NSR I.  We experienced some mixed weather conditions at NSR I and some mixed results, but in May, with only three weeks separating the two NSR’s, we had to move quickly to find 2x combinations.

NSR I and II, which happen every April and May, are the primary races through which National Team selection occurs. For scullers, NSR I means racing the single. The winner of this regatta earns the opportunity to go to a World Cup in Europe as the U.S. Single Sculler, and, provided he or she finish in the top 4, retains this spot as the U.S. Single Sculler going into World Championships at the end of the summer.  The same is true of NSR II, except that the second regatta also holds the opportunity to earn invitations to boat camps.  While the winner of the 2x at NSR II can also go to a World Cup, anywhere from one to three or four “runners up” can be invited to the Quad camp, a National Team selection camp where invitees try to earn a spot in the 4x.

After NSR II, nine Potomac athletes, along with three rowers from other clubs (USTC-OKC, Pocock Rowing Club, and GMS Rowing Center) ran both a men’s and a women’s doubles matrix that produced three men’s and three women’s doubles.  I paired up with Mike Sivigny, a rower from GMS in Connecticut, and split the weeks between NSRs between DC and Connecticut.  After three weeks of hard training, we arrived in Princeton ready to race.  After time trials, heats, and semis, my double ended up with a spot in the A Final.  We had our work cut out for us, with three current U.S. National Rowing team boats in the final, as well as strong entries from Penn AC and the 2009 U.S. National team double.

Mike and I knew that our strength lay in our endurance, and we were able, according to our race plan, to walk from 6^th to 4^th in the second thousand of the race.  Although we were disappointed to lose to the third place crew by only seven tenths of a second, we still felt we raced well.  Other Potomac crews raced well, too.  Kevin Baum and Taylor Frank pushed a strong last 500 to a 4^th place finish in the B Final.  Joe Ledvina and Austin Nichols came in second in the C Final.  On the women’s side, Stephanie Kuzsocek and Meghan George placed 6^th in the A final,  Morgan Wimberley and Katie Stainken third in the B Final, and Maria Bokulich and Malyka Iyanni third in the C Final.

Based on a combination of NSR I and NSR II performances, as well as erg scores, I was lucky enough to be invited to Quad camp at the ARCO U.S. Training Center in Chula Vista, California.   I have been here for almost two weeks so far, and have already pulled seven all-out 2ks (one on the erg).  It has been quite a learning experience.  The camp includes selection for the 4x, as well as for the 8+ and 4- on the sweep side, so as you can imagine, racing has been fierce.  The National team coaches use camps like these to seat race athletes against one another, trying to find the fastest combinations in all boats.  They will test whatever combinations come out first at the third World Cup in Lucerne, and later at World Championships in Bled, Slovenia.  This year, the pre-Olympic year, placement at Worlds is particularly important because a finish in the top 11 means qualification for the 2012 Olympics in London.  Racing promises to continue to be intense and I hope to be able to continue to work hard and try to earn a spot on this year’s team, with an eye towards London in 2012.

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