Master Coaching

Is Winning Really Everything?

By Mayrene T. Earle

Shortly after this year’s FISA World Masters Regatta in Princeton, N.J., a comment by Margot Zalkind, who served as dock master at the September regatta, started me thinking about a topic that has always been sticky for me. After noting the disappointed faces of rowers who failed to win, Margot asked a question that I think is really important for masters rowers: “If you don’t win, can you still have fun?” In other words, is winning everything?

Before I answer those questions, I should warn you that this column might raise the dander of more than a few readers. Actually, that’s what I’d like it to do. I’m hoping to inspire you to think about why you compete and what you get out of racing. How important is winning to you? What do you value most about racing – the experience or the outcome? How do you define success?

Most of us have heard the statement attributed to former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Or this variation: “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” Here are my thoughts on the subject.

If you think about it, winning is the exception to the rule. At a head race, for example, there are far more non-winners (as I prefer to call them) than winners. Still, most of us, myself included, feel like failures or losers when we don’t win. As sports fans, that’s how we tend to think of the team that loses the Super Bowl or World Series, even though those two losing teams are the second-best teams in all of pro football or baseball.

I think we’re missing something important here. When you make competing all about winning, you stand to lose more than the race. By defining success strictly in terms of winning, you deny the value of all your months of training and the simple rewards of working hard for a goal. It’s as if when we don’t win we believe that all our efforts – the hours of training, the teamwork, our exertions on the race course – aren’t worth a thing. By focusing entirely on results, we forget to value the experience of training and competing. Where’s the sense in that?

I’ll go so far to say that we can learn more from losing than from winning. Think about it. When you win, what do you remember besides the excitement of winning? But when you lose (or come in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th) you have a chance to learn important lessons about how to improve your performance. Do you need to change your race plan? Revise your training regimen? Improve your technique?

Don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE to win! I work hard to coach rowers to win. You might even say that I’ll do everything I can to win. For sure, seeing the value in not winning does not come naturally to me.

But lately, while putting together MastersCoaching race entries, I’ve had to re-examine my attitudes about winning. I’ve always pulled strictly from the pool of rowers who have attended MastersCoaching clinics when putting together boats. But the truth is that for big-stakes regattas I am sometimes tempted to boat individuals who’ve never rowed with MastersCoaching in hopes of creating a sure winner. This is sometimes known as forming a “rolodex crew” or “pot hunting.”

To avoid giving in to the temptation, I’ve found it helpful to think about what I value most and what success means to me. I realize that more than anything I want to inspire rowers who compete under the MastersCoaching banner to feel like winners no matter the outcome – so long as they perform with spirit, fire and tenacity, which I consider the characteristics of real winners.

What about you? Do you experience a win at regattas regardless of where your boat places? Are you able to feel successful even when you don’t win, or is it all about outcome? Are you having fun?

Mayrene T. Earle, M.Ed., is founder of MastersCoaching. She conducts camps and clinics for masters rowers around the world; provides coaching for coaches, and offers Erg Inspiration classes by phone. Contact her at mayrene@masterscoaching.com.

Copyright © Mayrene T. Earle. All rights reserved.


			“Mayrene's coaching stands out for me because she has the ability to get you to do more and row better than you think you are able. Through gentle encouragement and vivid imagery she has helped me find and keep in touch with that rowing stroke buried within.” Noreen Warren,Madison Wisc.

	Is Winning Really Everything? By Mayrene T. Earle Shortly after this year’s FISA World Masters Regatta in Princeton, N.J., a comment by Margot Zalkind, who served as dock master at the September regatta, started me thinking about a topic that has always been sticky for me. After noting the disappointed faces of rowers who failed to win, Margot asked a question that I think is really important for masters rowers: “If you don’t win, can you still have fun?” In other words, is winning everything? Before I answer those questions, I should warn you that this column might raise the dander of more than a few readers. Actually, that’s what I’d like it to do. I’m hoping to inspire you to think about why you compete and what you get out of racing. How important is winning to you? What do you value most about racing – the experience or the outcome? How do you define success? Most of us have heard the statement attributed to former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi: “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Or this variation: “If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” Here are my thoughts on the subject. If you think about it, winning is the exception to the rule. At a head race, for example, there are far more non-winners (as I prefer to call them) than winners. Still, most of us, myself included, feel like failures or losers when we don’t win. As sports fans, that’s how we tend to think of the team that loses the Super Bowl or World Series, even though those two losing teams are the second-best teams in all of pro football or baseball. I think we’re missing something important here. When you make competing all about winning, you stand to lose more than the race. By defining success strictly in terms of winning, you deny the value of all your months of training and the simple rewards of working hard for a goal. It’s as if when we don’t win we believe that all our efforts – the hours of training, the teamwork, our exertions on the race course – aren’t worth a thing. By focusing entirely on results, we forget to value the experience of training and competing. Where’s the sense in that? I’ll go so far to say that we can learn more from losing than from winning. Think about it. When you win, what do you remember besides the excitement of winning? But when you lose (or come in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th) you have a chance to learn important lessons about how to improve your performance. Do you need to change your race plan? Revise your training regimen? Improve your technique? Don’t misunderstand me, I LOVE to win! I work hard to coach rowers to win. You might even say that I’ll do everything I can to win. For sure, seeing the value in not winning does not come naturally to me. But lately, while putting together MastersCoaching race entries, I’ve had to re-examine my attitudes about winning. I’ve always pulled strictly from the pool of rowers who have attended MastersCoaching clinics when putting together boats. But the truth is that for big-stakes regattas I am sometimes tempted to boat individuals who’ve never rowed with MastersCoaching in hopes of creating a sure winner. This is sometimes known as forming a “rolodex crew” or “pot hunting.” To avoid giving in to the temptation, I’ve found it helpful to think about what I value most and what success means to me. I realize that more than anything I want to inspire rowers who compete under the MastersCoaching banner to feel like winners no matter the outcome – so long as they perform with spirit, fire and tenacity, which I consider the characteristics of real winners. What about you? Do you experience a win at regattas regardless of where your boat places? Are you able to feel successful even when you don’t win, or is it all about outcome? Are you having fun? Mayrene T. Earle, M.Ed., is founder of MastersCoaching. She conducts camps and clinics for masters rowers around the world; provides coaching for coaches, and offers Erg Inspiration classes by phone. Contact her at mayrene@masterscoaching.com. Copyright © Mayrene T. Earle. All rights reserved.