Lauren Goodwin ’10 Wins Silver Medal at Rowing Nationals

Lauren Goodwin ’10 readily admits that being a coxswain initially sounded “kind of boring.” While everyone else on a rowing team builds up some serious biceps while actually rowing the boat, the coxswain is there at the stern, steering and occasionally yelling at teammates for motivation.

Yet when Goodwin went to see her sister row for the Winsor School at the Head of the Charles in October of 2006, she was immediately transfixed by the strong, confident coxswains swiftly guiding their boats through the water. That spring, the high school freshman started on the novice team at Community Rowing, Inc. in Boston, moving up to CRI’s competitive team that summer.

Things got serious very quickly. Being on the team was a huge commitment, with four hours of practice every weekday, late nights on Fridays, and all-day events on most Saturdays and many Sundays. Competing against teams from Northampton, Everett, Wayland-Weston and more, CRI has also travelled as far as San Francisco for races.

Most recently, the team went to Cincinnati earlier this month to participate in the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships. Out of a field of 26 four-person open-weight boats from all over the country, Goodwin’s team earned a silver medal, with a finish that was second only to an L.A. team that practices year-round and beat this year’s best NCAA time.

Pretty impressive, especially considering that all four of Goodwin’s rowers had been nursing injuries ranging from back problems to a stress-fractured rib. “We were really happy with the result,” she says. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen, but we knew we were going to have to pull our hardest with every stroke.”

While it might seem sometimes like the coxswain is just there to bark orders at her teammates, the role involves juggling many responsibilities – steering the boat, assessing the location of other boats, keeping balance, providing motivation, and serving as the de facto coach of the team on race day. “You need a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and the ability to multi-task really well,” Goodwin says. “The team puts so much trust in you as a leader, because it’s all basically in your command.”

Coxswaining for the rowing team at Boston University this fall, Goodwin is anxious for a new challenge – and grateful for how the sport has molded her as a person these past four years. “It’s taught me dedication and discipline and balance,” she says, wistfully. “It’s made me a more confident person, both on and off the boat.”