George Pocock: 

 

If an eight could speak, it would shriek out, "Let me go free! Get your blades out clean, everybody doing the same thing at the same time!” The least little deviations spoil speed. The least little changing of the waterline ruins speed. It's these five points. It isn't the gutting it. It's the paying attention to these minor details, listening to the coach, doing what he implores, and then you're apt, if everybody's dedicated, and their thoughts are with their job, it's like building a boat. If you go woolgathering, building a boat, you're in trouble. 

 

Also, this dedication to rowing: I think it's very necessary nowadays to attain some manual art, because of the machines and, now, the push buttons. We don't get any sense of fulfillment in our work, unless it's fine craftsmanship. That's the only way to get a sense of fulfillment. And rowing is fine craftsmanship, if it’s a good crew. It's no easy task, but it's absolutely paying attention to every detail. Because it's only inches — maybe a couple of inches, a stroke, will win a race! You see how important it is? 

People have said to me many times, "Well, they say there's a lot of virtues to rowing. What are they?" Well, now, sometimes, it's pretty hard for an oarsman who's never been in a swinging boat to find out what the virtues are. But if he's a dedicated oarsman, this is what he gets.  

 

First of all, you should have harmony. And harmony is self-made. If you want to get rid of your enemy, make him a friend. Harmony: It's one of the fundamental musts in a crew squad. There mustn't be any friction anywhere. If there's a man in the boat you don't like, like him! Because you'll never win races if there is no harmony.  

 

The next virtue that must be had, of course, is balance. Balance. Balance eats up feet — or unbalance, I should say, eats up feet. Every time that waterline changes, you're stopping the boat. The boat is designed to cleave the water, teardrop, and part it, and go! But every time you row a little bit, it stops the speed. It costs you a few feet. That's balance. 

 

Then the last one is rhythm. If you don't have rhythm in there, you have no [inaudible]. There's only three: harmony, balance, and rhythm. They are the three things that stay with you your whole life! Without them, civilization is out of whack! That's why an oarsman, when he goes out in life, he can fight it! He can handle life, and that's what he gets from rowing: harmony, balance, and rhythm. Mark those words.

George Pocock's speech to the Varsity Boat Club, 1965

University of Washington

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