About • David Schary

From grueling erg tests to the mental grind of seat racing, I've been there.

I'm David Schary – a former rower and coach turned mental performance specialist, professor, and licensed mental health counselor. I work exclusively in rowing, helping athletes, coaches, coxswains, and families navigate the unique mental challenges of our sport.

I Understand Rowing From the Inside

I rowed at UC Davis and coached high school, college, and masters programs. I know what it feels like when your lungs are screaming at 1500m, when you're fighting for your seat, when a race plan falls apart. I've lived the early morning practices, the pressure of selection, and the unique dynamics of moving a boat together.

That experience shapes everything I do. I don't apply generic sport psychology to rowing. I speak the language of the sport.

My Expertise

I'm a professor of sport psychology at Winthrop University and Director of Mental Health and Performance for Winthrop Athletics. I'm a licensed mental health counselor and certified mental performance consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. I also founded the Southeast Division of Sport and Performance Counseling and contribute regularly to Row360.

Why This Matters

Rowing is brutally demanding mentally. The pain tolerance. The microscopic margins. The complexity of crew dynamics. Yet most rowers never receive mental performance training, they're just expected to "be tough."

You train your body with precision and science. Your mind deserves the same approach. Using evidence-based psychology and neuroscience, I help rowers develop the mental skills that separate good performances from great ones: focus under pressure, pain management, pre-race routines, confidence, and team communication.

Whether you're a junior trying to make varsity, a collegiate athlete chasing medals, a masters rower returning to competition, a coach building culture, or a coxswain leading from the stern – I can help you train your mind as intentionally as you train your body.

The Breakthrough

After years of watching talented rowers either crack under pressure or soar when their mindset clicked, I realized the difference wasn’t just fitness or technique – it was the brain.

Stress science matters: I studied how the brain responds to competition and pressure.

Mental training works: Rowers can train their mind just like they train their split times.

The shift is powerful: When athletes stop fighting nerves and start using them, performance transforms.

Real results: I’ve seen rowers drop seconds off their splits by changing how they handle mid-race pressure.

Your Edge

Targeted Mental Skills:
Train your focus, confidence, and composure with the same precision as your stroke.

Turn nerves into Fuel:
Learn to channel pressure instead of being crushed by it.

Transform your mindset:
Shift mental performance from your biggest vulnerability into your strongest asset.

Testimonials

“Dr. Schary helped me simplify my thinking to one or two things during a race, not everything at once. He uses concepts that are easy to understand and is very relatable.”

-Ryan, High School Rower

"He’s very concise and direct, but super understanding. It helped me move past mental blocks, especially around 2Ks."

-Liliana, Division I Collegiate Rower

“His reflection process overview gave practical, simple scripts to use when walking your athlete through what they can learn from a testing or racing experience, so helpful!”

-L.M. Parent

Meet David

I understand the demands of rowing