Coaches Archives • David Schary

How to Mentally Prepare for a Seat Race: 3 Steps That Actually Work

David Schary January 27, 2026 No Comments

Seat races are one of the most psychologically demanding moments in rowing. The evaluation is direct, the stakes are clear, and every stroke is being measured against one other person.…

Monday Morning Implementation: How to Start Training Mental Toughness in Rowing

David Schary December 9, 2025 No Comments

If you understand Racing Brain recalibration theory and know why “dig deeper” coaching doesn’t work for athletes with miscalibrated threat detection. You also know about systematic exposure and prediction error…

What to Say After Hard Rowing Pieces: Post-Practice Mental Performance Questions

David Schary December 2, 2025 No Comments

You gather your athletes after a brutal 2k erg test. You want to debrief. Help them extract learning. So you ask the standard question: “How did it feel?” They answer:…

When ‘Dig Deeper’ Doesn’t Work: Understanding Rowing Mental Performance

David Schary November 25, 2025 No Comments

“Dig deeper!” “Push through it!” “Mind over matter!” “Just want it more!” Every rowing coach has used these phrases. For some athletes, this approach works. They respond to the challenge,…

Stop Calling Your Athletes Mentally Weak: A Better Approach to Rowing Psychology

David Schary November 18, 2025 No Comments

You don’t say it directly to their faces. But you think it. You mention it to assistant coaches. You imply it in team meetings when you distinguish between “athletes who…

Why Your Best Training Rower Fades in Races: The Science Behind Underperformance

David Schary November 11, 2025 No Comments

Every coach knows this athlete. She crushes every erg test in the boathouse. Top-three on every distance. Technically flawless. Her 6k predicts she should be your fastest seat racer. In…

It Takes 15-20 Pieces: Why Mental Training Isn’t a Quick Fix for Rowers

David Schary November 4, 2025 No Comments

“We tried that reflection thing. It didn’t work.” This is what coaches and rowers tell me after they’ve asked the three questions twice, maybe three times, and their athletes are…

Why Hard Training Doesn’t Build Mental Toughness (And What Does)

David Schary October 28, 2025 No Comments

Your rowers are suffering. Brutal 6k tests. Painful seat racing. Threshold pieces that leave them gasping. They’re doing thousands of high-intensity strokes every season. And many of them are still…

The Three-Question Protocol: How Rowers Can Train Mental Toughness

David Schary October 21, 2025 No Comments

Sarah was the rower every coach has seen: dominant in training, fading in races. Her 6k erg was top-three in the boathouse. Technically sound. Strong aerobic base. But she was…

Rowers Have Two Brains…But Only One Shows Up in Races

David Schary October 14, 2025 No Comments

You know the race plan. You’ve reviewed it a dozen times. And you’ve executed it perfectly in practice. Then the race starts. By the 1000m mark, the plan is gone.…

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