The Boston University men’s rowing team had a slower start to their fall season than in seasons prior to COVID-19. The team has regained their swing after recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. This fall, they competed in three races, including the Head of the Charles and the Foot of the Charles.
Head coach Thomas Bohrer said the fall season is based on endurance, learning and technique.
“The fall is bringing a group of athletes from different programs together, unifying them as to how we row,” Bohrer said.
Sophomore Bowen de Gouw said that the first week of the fall season is focused on fitness before the team quickly switches to preparing for the Head of the Charles, which graduate student Luke Brady said acts as a reunion for athletes, family members and alums.
The team sent a Championship Four and Eight to the Head of the Charles. The Championship Four placed ninth out of 15 crews and the Eight finished 18th out of 25 crews. In the Foot of the Charles, their top boat placed third.
Races in the fall are to “keep things interesting,” Bohrer said.
“We’d like to be faster, but really at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. It matters how you’re progressing, how your mindset is, how you evaluate those small results,” Bohrer said.
When underperforming, Bohrer said it’s important not to dwell on the disappointment and to make improvements instead.
“It takes a little bit of a look in the mirror. It’s easy to say, ‘it’s disappointing.’ How do you change that disappointment to moving forward?” Bohrer said. “I think you keep looking at the small gains that you make, and being honest with how you perform.”
Bohrer said the past two years were difficult for the team because the campus was shut down during 2020, and athletes returned home. The following season, the team practiced in groups of 10 with masks on.
“I think last year, too, I underestimated post-COVID. It was harder than I thought it was going to be in the sense (that) it took a toll on a lot of people more than I thought it did,” Bohrer said.
Coming out of the pandemic, Bohrer said there was an adjustment in expectations.
“Sometimes you can think, ‘oh, we’re just gonna get back, and it’s just gonna happen,’” Bohrer said. “You have to work for everything you do.”
Now that the worst of the pandemic is over, Brady said there will be fewer disruptions in the routine of practices and races.
“This year is a really good opportunity to have greater consistency in our training and more time together as a group,” Brady said. “Hopefully, from there, we can build momentum into the spring.”
Being on a Division I team means having a certain mentality, Bohrer said.
“If you have the core of the group, you know they’re going to do it, and they’re going to push the standard,” Bohrer said. “I think the mentality on the team now is: ‘I don’t want to get left behind.’”
The team is focusing on how the individual rower can contribute to the team’s greater success, de Gouw said.
“This year, especially, reflecting on our team culture, there’s more accountability and focus on everyone contributing their part and going above and beyond,” de Gouw said.
Bohrer said in the end, it comes down to how effort translates to progress.
“You’re not always going to win. You always want to have good results,” Bohrer said. “You can’t control your competition. You can only control what you do.”
