08/16/2026
Totally appreciate this message. Encouraging each paddler to take an inventory of what they bring to the boat (positive or not), make an honest assessment and review, and let go of what isn’t necessary. This is how we learn to trust each other.
I think this is one of the most important parts of crew training that we don't talk about enough....
And maybe it's because it's uncomfortable.
We're happy to talk technique
Fitness.
Race plans.
Strength.
But start talking about what's happening between people and suddenly it becomes personal.
Feelings of being singled out.
Feeling blamed.
They get defensive.
But here's the thing 👇🏾
It doesnt belong to one or two people.
When a crew dynamic isn't working THE CREW KNOWS
They feel it.
They navigate around it.
Everyone knows, even if nobody wants to say it.
And that's where we get stuck.
Because we look for the person who is causing the problem.
Whos difficult.
Whos negative.
Whos creating the tension.
But a crew is a system.
What happens between paddlers belongs to us all.
It doesn't mean everyone is equally responsible for every behaviour.
It means everyone has a role in what happens next.
It's pretty common for crews who look strong to implode under the weight of unmanaged emotions,
Assumptions, resentment and pressure.
Practically happens every Worlds Campaign....
I've experienced it myself.
So I know how EASY it is to get caught in it.
And how powerful it is when a crew can lean into it.
Not to blame.
Not to decide whos right.
But to understand what is happening and take responsibility for the part we each play in it.
This isn't soft stuff.
It is performance....
It's worth training too...
