The men's crew team encountered rough waters for much of last season, struggling with a senior-laden squad that failed to live up to its expectations.
A change in strategy may be just what the Jumbos need.
This fall, Tufts, led by co-captains senior Matt Diffey and junior Nahvid Etedali, has taken a new approach to practice that so far seems to have paid dividends, though it's meant a lot more work.
The new regimen has included enlisting Dr. Dana Stearns (LA '86) to help the team with conditioning, as well as a heavy emphasis on the use of rowing machines.
"This year we're doing our conditioning primarily on the erg, and it's been worth it because it's made us much more technically sound rowers," Etedali said. "When we're on the water, we can focus on our technique."
"We've really changed our approach," coach Jay Britt said. "Guys have really taken responsibility for their conditioning on land, and so far it's worked out pretty well."
Although this year's team has only three seniors in Diffey, Fahd Abdus-Sabur and Jake Mandel, the squad's experienced sophomore and junior classes boast four rowers apiece.
"Though we're a small team in numbers, I think we have a good amount of experience," Britt said. "Some guys who are now upperclassmen are pretty seasoned from last year. We had some good races last year and others that we learned from."
The smaller size of this year's team has also played into Britt's season strategy, which differs from those of years past. While last fall, the team had enough oarsmen to row two eight-man boats, this year, Britt has placed some of his best rowers in a four-man boat and plans to race them there all fall.
"We'll gain more experience rowing a four than an eight because it requires more rowing skill," Britt said. "Developing the program is not just about wins and losses, but about technical rowing skill."
The Achilles' heel of this year's crew could be the fact that none of the three coxswains on the roster has any prior racing experience. After the departure of last spring's varsity coxswain, Faith Davis, three new coxswains in freshman Josh Aschheim and sophomores Callie Kolbe and Peter Moore were recruited this fall.
"The first day was pretty overwhelming," Aschheim said. "It was like learning a new language, but by now I think I have most of the syntax down. There's definitely still plenty of room for improvement."
"All of three of them are really into it," Diffey added. "They're not just along for the ride; they really want to improve. We're all just trying to help them get up to speed as fast as possible."
The fall will certainly be an adjusting period for new and veteran members of the team alike. But while the Jumbos are honing their technical skills and acclimating themselves to the new boat arrangement in preparation for the spring season, winning may not always be the team's first priority.
"We're not rebuilding, but I would call this a growth year," Britt said. "I'm a little bit old-school, in the sense that I like to use these head races in the fall as a warm-up for the spring season. We want to be competitive this fall and row well, and if we can get a W, that will be more than the gravy on top."
The team's first race of just four this fall will be the Textile River Regatta, held this Sunday in Lowell, Mass. The regatta will feature both college and club crews, and it should prove to be a tough test for the Jumbo squad.
In keeping with Britt's changes to the configuration this season, Tufts will have the opportunity to race both a four- and an eight-man boat. And after intensifying their training, the Jumbos are hoping to improve on their marks from the event last year, when they took third place in the Novice 8, seventh in the Open 8, and 17th in the Club 8.
