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The Daily OrangeRowing | Mansfield continues national trend of female coxswains
By Christopher James
Posted: 4/6/06, 11:24 PM EST Section: Sports
"It began in the late '70s, early '80s," Parker said. "There are just more women (who are) coxswain size then there are men."
W. Hart Perry, the National Rowing Foundation's executive director, said it was even earlier than that. He recalls a California team in the early '60s entering the Royal Henry Regatta in London by sending paperwork with just the initials of its female coxswain. That team was forced to switch to a male coxswain when they arrived, Perry said.
With women's rowing now an Olympic event, U.S. Rowing's rulebook says coxswains have to be the same gender as the rest of the boat. At the college level, though, women coxswains are everywhere. Nearly every team the Orange races against has at least one. Reischman said women made up the majority of coxswains when he was at Oregon State.
For Mansfield, it's been an opportunity to pick up a sport she never knew. The sophomore went from knowing virtually nothing to telling experienced rowers what to do in the heat of the race. Reischman believes she's met the challenge well.
"She's doing a fantastic job of learning the skills and getting better," Reischman said.
As for being a part of a men's team, it doesn't bother Mansfield. She fits right in as an athlete who is simply good at what she does.
"I'm an only child," Mansfield said. "I just have 40 brothers now."
W. Hart Perry, the National Rowing Foundation's executive director, said it was even earlier than that. He recalls a California team in the early '60s entering the Royal Henry Regatta in London by sending paperwork with just the initials of its female coxswain. That team was forced to switch to a male coxswain when they arrived, Perry said.
With women's rowing now an Olympic event, U.S. Rowing's rulebook says coxswains have to be the same gender as the rest of the boat. At the college level, though, women coxswains are everywhere. Nearly every team the Orange races against has at least one. Reischman said women made up the majority of coxswains when he was at Oregon State.
For Mansfield, it's been an opportunity to pick up a sport she never knew. The sophomore went from knowing virtually nothing to telling experienced rowers what to do in the heat of the race. Reischman believes she's met the challenge well.
"She's doing a fantastic job of learning the skills and getting better," Reischman said.
As for being a part of a men's team, it doesn't bother Mansfield. She fits right in as an athlete who is simply good at what she does.
"I'm an only child," Mansfield said. "I just have 40 brothers now."
