“White Hot Concentration is the unappreciated fruit of hard ligting, especially squats. When your in the squat rack, with a serious amount of weight overhead, your life literally depends on maintaining concentration. You learn to block out the swirling images in the mirror, the obnoxious chatter of the people next to you, the fat drop of sweat running down your nose. Once you've mastered this concentration in the weight room, duplicating it on the race course is relatively easy. Champions have only a few things in common. One weapon they all possess is White Hot Concentration.” PeopleHardRunningCoursesNextEasyWhiteRoomsCommonRaceSeriousDependsAmountWeaponsWeightHotMirrorsFruitFatsBlockNosesChampionConcentrationSweatMaintainingRowingObnoxiousOverheadRacksChatterSquatWeight Room Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“Coach's Rule: never admit a lack of experience or knowledge. Carry on at all times as though you've guided a hundred champion crews. Honesty is not the best policy when leading a bunch of college rowers. They are looking for strong, disciplined leadership and not a kinder, gentler coach. Once you've established a certain attitude and demeanor, it's nearly impossible to change to a difference mode in mid-season.” CertainStrongDifferencesAttitudeImpossibleHonestyPolicyCollegeHundredSeasonsCoachesBunchAll TimeChampionCrewRowingKinderDemeanor Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“The toughest part of the whole damn sport is the X Factor. To me, the X factor is your soul. It's your courage. It's your unique driving force. Suppose for a moment that [you] and I were [running]. Suppose that in every possible way-physical and mental-we were identical. Which one of us would emerge as the champion?” WaySoulWholeMomentsRunningForceSportsUniqueDrivingFactorsYour SoulDamnChampionIdenticalRowingDriving Force Author:Brad Alan Lewis
“The ability to row in any conditions, raging crosswind, two-foot tall jet ski wakes, torrential downpour, is absolutely essential in order to be a champion sculler. It all comes under the heading of boatmanship. Some races are won on nothing more than superior boatmanship.” TwoMotivationalOrderAbilityRaceFeetConditionsEssentialsRageSuperiorsChampionTallJetHeadingsRowingSkis Author:Brad Alan Lewis