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A good session leader is always thinking several strokes ahead
The session leader
The session leader
The session leader is responsible for the planning, decision-making and safe conduct of each outing. They must have sufficient experience to carry out that role. The session leader may be a rower in the boat, the squad captain, the coach on the bank, or the cox/bow-steerer. It is not necessarily the squad captain. For example, if a novice crew is being led by a novice captain, the experienced coach on the bank would normally be the session leader.
Luckily, some of our crews have nine captains in the boat!
Before each outing - is it safe?
Before each outing - is it safe?
The session leader must match up the plan for the outing with the level of experience of the crew and cox/steerer, taking into account the conditions. Use common sense to decide if it is safe to go rowing - the decision should be based on a balanced assessment of the risks rather than habit or optimism:
👉 Consider the conditions: weather, wind, temperature, height of the water, the stream, visibility, and level of traffic on the river.
👉 Consider the crew: the experience of both the crew and the cox/steerer, whether that experience is appropriate for the expected conditions, whether a bank party will be present, and whether the class of boat is suitable.
👉 Check the boat: Bow ball secure, heel ties, hatch covers secure, runners correctly positioned and screws present, seats working, footplates secure, rigger top and bottom nuts secure, rudder functional, fin straight, hull undamaged, life jacket for cox (operational and secured), cox box equipment functional.
Competence of cox/steerer
Competence of cox/steerer
The experience of the cox or steerer (if it is a coxless boat) is particularly important. Competence should be viewed as a spectrum, rather than simply "novice" or "experienced". For a beginner cox/steerer it will require a specific coach who is familiar with coaching outings for beginner coxes and steerers; at the other end of the scale there are very experienced cox/steerers with years' of experience in different conditions, boats and crews, and with extensive knowledge of the Cam. In reality, most cox/steerers fall somewhere in between. It is the job of the session leader to plan the outing accordingly.
When a cox/steerer takes charge of a boat, it is tempting to think that they alone are responsible for everything that happens - after all, they have control of the rudder strings. In practice, responsibility is shared:
The cox/steerer is responsible for the immediate, real-time decisions required to operate the boat safely. They must steer an appropriate course, issue clear commands to the crew, maintain awareness of hazards and other river users, comply with the Rules of the River, and continually assess and respond to changing circumstances.
The session leader is responsible for the management of the outing: choosing an appropriate route, selecting suitable activities, ensuring adequate supervision, and matching the challenge to the competence of the crew and cox/steerer. Their role is not to take responsibility away from the cox/steerer, but to make it a safe environment.
Of course, mistakes will still happen, even in well managed outings - that is part of learning. The aim is not to prevent every mistake, but to ensure that mistakes occur where they are unlikely to become dangerous, and can instead become learning opportunities. A good session leader is always thinking several strokes ahead:
Is this outing appropriate for the cox/steerer's current level of experience?
Have we chosen a stretch of river where they can concentrate on learning rather than simply surviving?
Are today's conditions - wind, stream, traffic and visibility - within their capabilities?
Have we explained the hazards before setting off?
Am I giving guidance early enough, or only intervening once things have already gone wrong?
As the experience of the crew or cox/steerer decreases, the duty of care placed on the session leader increases. With an inexperienced cox/steerer the bank party, coach or session leader should be prepared to reverse bad decisions made by the cox/steerer.
After an incident
After an incident
After any incident or near miss, two useful debrief questions are:
👉 What could the cox/steerer have done differently?
👉 What could the session leader have done differently?
The second question is often overlooked, yet it is frequently the one from which the greatest lessons can be learned. Even where a cox/steerer made an immediate mistake, the session leader may conclude that a different route, activity, briefing, level of supervision, or timing would have made that mistake much less likely to occur.
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