rsr coaches
Meet The RSR Coaching TEAM
HOLLY AUSTIN - "HONEYBADGER"
Be the Hunter.
Favorite RSR Lesson: Performance DOES NOT EQUAL Performer. Your erg time, squat number, SAT score, college admissions letter - these do not equal your value. You are deserving of love and joy just because. You do not have to PR to be "enough." You do not have to attend your top choice college to be happy.
Favorite Song to Erg to: Three 6 Mafia feat Tiesto "Feel It"
Favorite Happy Song: Todd Rundgren "Bang the Drum All Day"
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: Maximum Perceived Exertion DOES NOT EQUAL Maximum Exertion and it never will. Once you understand that the goals of training are to 1) push out the limits or extend your fitness so that your maximum exertion level is farther out on the scale and 2) push out your mental limit of your maximum perceived exertion level then you will see that it's all about your perception of the physiological sensations. Those sensations feel different if you are on target or off. They feel different if you are mentally tired or not. Once an athlete understands all of this - you start to see the door open where they are willing to take more risks and see the numbers as facts rather than emotional interpretations of their value. I still need to remind myself of this.
What Makes RSR Different? RSR focuses on building the internal capacity and "youth development" of our rowers. We use rowing as the medium by which we can teach these important and critical life skills. Yes, we want boats to go fast but we want them to go fast because there is an army of amazing young women who can do hard things - pushing themselves and each other to go that fast.
Learn more about Holly.
JACKIE KLEINHANS - "ORCA"
Favorite RSR Lesson: The brain is also a muscle and it can be trained. Training our brains in conjunction with our bodies helps us do hard things.
Favorite Song to Erg To: Survivor "Eye of the Tiger"
Favorite Happy Song: Pharrell Williams "Happy"
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: Food Macronutrients! Salad is a carb, peanut butter is a fat, and cheese counts as a protein! Also, I always eat healthier when I'm near Coach Holly, even virtually.
What Makes RSR Different: RSR combines physiology and mental training. The result is fast athletes who also have a fast mindset, a healthy mental relationship to their training, and the ability to overcome hard things (rowing related or not).
Learn more about Jackie.
manny valentin
Favorite RSR Lesson: My favorite RSR Lesson was sometime during Week 3 of the Summer program, when the race was far enough away that we couldn't be excited by it, but we had been at camp long enough for everyone to be tired. Coach Holly told everyone "This isn't going to feel good. Its going to feel awful. Do it anyway." And we went out and had a great practice. Afterwards, we had this lightbulb moment - That how you feel doesn't dictate what kind of practice you have that day. Your intent dictates what kind of practice you have. So regardless of the feeling, have an intent prior to each workout to getting better and you'll find yourself getting better.
Favorite Song to Erg to: "Dreams and Nightmares" by Meek Mill and "Ante Up" by M.O.P.
Favorite Happy Song: "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg and Pharell
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: Noise is a boat killer. And I don't mean literal noise, but distractions and things that don't matter. At camp - the distractions are minimal. Row, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. And while that might not be realistic for the rest of your year - you can minimize the noise and maximize the things that do matter. Less Social Media. More Mindfulness. Less TV/Video Games. More Nutrition and Stretching. Set an intent for the times outside of practice as much as you do for the time in practice.
What Makes RSR Different? You are going to be surrounded by people who are in pursuit of excellence. The environment is set for you to grow. The expectation is improvement. Your teammates are working toward excellence. The coaches are coaching the whole athlete - not just the ergs - but the physical, the mental, the nutrition, the time management... everything. To the plant, the watering pot may seem like a storm, but being watered is critical to being a strong plant. To you - there will be days you feel like you are drowning, but you aren't - you are being watered!
KATE BROWNSON - "LADY GLITTER SPARKLES"
Favorite RSR Lesson: I love to educate the athlete about different “mental roads” they have the opportunity to use when working with habits. I love the fact RSR informs the athlete the “old road (habit)” will still be present in your mind, you can see it but that doesn’t mean you need to take that road. The athlete can start to create a “new road (habit)” that helps support them towards their goals. Oh lordy, I love working with the athletes through this transition of how to build new roads/habits and giving them the tools to know they can control their thoughts. It gets me pumped up thinking about it!
Favorite Song to Erg to: Salt-N-Pepa "Push It"
Favorite Happy Song: Spice Girls "Who Do You Think You Are"
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: One of my favorite improvements for myself since working with RSR is the acknowledgement that I can be BRAVE but still acknowledge I have the emotion of “fear” in a situation. This thought has made me more empowered with my actions to do things that make me feel extremely uncomfortable. For example, last night instead of killing a spider I found in my kitchen with a shoe, I challenged myself to take it outside and let it live. I mean I frantically ran with it outside verbally saying to myself “I’M BRAVE! I’M BRAVE”. While my husband was probably thinking where’s the fire? I like how this improvement of mindset has helped me with small and large tasks that “life” brings.
What Makes RSR Different? When I look back on the person I was when I started rowing at 14yrs old compared to the person I am now 20yrs + years later, I am extremely proud of the qualities the sport of rowing has challenged me with to help me evolve into a humble, confident, self-compassionate, challenge seeking woman. What took me decades to learn for myself in my rowing career, RSR is teaching athletes at the beginning. I can’t imagine the even “stronger force” I would have been if I had the mindset I do now when I was at the beginning of my competitive rowing career at 14yrs old. The mindset to: except challenge, have self-compassion, be confident in my ability, to always keep learning and not succumbing to the thought of failure; took me 20+yrs of me figuring out. It is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING RSR puts a concentration on all of this in their training so athletes can be coached at this level while they are still young and growing.
Learn more about Kate.
KELSEY ANDERSON - "Rooster" “
Favorite RSR Lesson: A plant can only grow from the darkness of the soil. You have to go through the darkness in order to grow.
Favorite Song to Erg to: Mulan “I’ll make a man out of you”
Favorite Happy Song: Walk Off the Earth “Anthem”
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: One of the things that has stuck with me from RSR is having a brave mantra. Something to tell yourself to keep you going, even when the workout is hard or the challenge seems super daunting. I find myself using it often, whether it be having a difficult conversation with someone or when I am struggling on a run.
What Makes RSR Different? RSR is different because we focus more on helping people succeed in their own personal goals as well as their athletic goals. The coaching is meant to help them as an entire person, rather than just an athlete. It teaches the lessons I wish I had known before I was a college athlete, instead of just figuring them out on my own.
greta ohara - "Sunflower"
Favorite RSR Lesson: Taking a risk, attempting a challenge head on, and failing is better than shying away from a challenge and choosing the easier road. Failure is where we learn, grow, and get closer to becoming our best self, athlete or otherwise. Failure can be vulnerable and scary, but chasing it down with bravery is empowering and courageous!
Favorite Song to Erg to: KALEO "Glass House"
Favorite Happy Song: "Music for a Sushi Restaurant" by Harry Styles
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: You are not defined by one performance, race result, erg test, or moment. If we all had great days everyday, the journey would be boring. Learning to love the process and take ownership of successes and shortcomings make us better athletes and better people. Each of us brings something unique and special to the RSR community and with that, we have the ability to elevate one another. We are all capable of accomplishing difficult tasks and what better place to face your fears, than rowing at RSR!
What Makes RSR Different? Mental training is just as valued as physical training. This program provides the support, resources, and space to embrace the secret sauce of the sport of rowing - the mental game. What RSR offers around mental training, is everything I would have wanted as a competitive athlete, prior to competing in college. When you can train your brain to work through mental barriers and understand why they are there, you take a big step in increasing your ability to perform under pressure. The mental training tools you learn at RSR will live in your tool box forever and can be applied to any rowing or non-rowing experience.
CARLA NOWICKI - "Land LLAMA"
Favorite RSR Lesson: My favorite RSR lesson is the "what would you tell a friend with this problem" lesson. Positive self talk is a game changer.
Favorite Song to Erg to: Imagine Dragons “Whatever it takes”
Favorite Happy Song: Taylor Swift “22”
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: Every time I go to an RSR camp I can work on the same lessons (and new ones) and find new pieces of inspiration and directions. My favorite personal lesson I have learned from RSR is that no matter how much you master a subject, there is always other perspectives that you can learn from to help you grow even more into the subject or ability. Go into every day with an open mind and you will take in so much more.
What Makes RSR Different? RSR encourages you to dive deep into becoming more than just a good rower, it challenges rowers to find out what is inside of them that can uniquely take them to their best qualities as a person. The mental skills taught through RSR impact so far beyond just rowing, but help develop the abilities to communicate with and understand yourself. This basis is transitional to almost every part of your life and ability to grow.
Chris luff - "Stretch"
Favorite RSR Lesson: Shoulder Packing! I wish I had heard it as a youth athlete myself and it's taught really well.
Favorite Song to Erg to: The full Turn Off the Light album by Kim Petras
Favorite Happy Song: Attention by NewJeans
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: I find the motivation talk can be really beneficial and introspective. Asking yourself how you would best feel supported helps with motivation for your whole rowing career because after the talk you can search out your best performance environment.
What Makes RSR Different? I think the environment makes RSR different than other programs. Everyone has similar goals and are there to improve, coaches included.
Alana Holt- "Camaro"
Favorite RSR Lesson: My favorite RSR lesson is the “fly and fight” saying. It teaches athletes that you can push through hard times and pieces. I love teaching athletes that they can do more than they think they can.
Favorite Song to Erg to: "Rumble" by Skrillex
Favorite Happy Song:“Tainted Love” by Milky Chance
Favorite Personal Lesson from RSR: Something that has resonated with me from RSR is having a “B word” that you can remind yourself of when things are tough either during a piece, school exam or anything hard in your life. It can be a simple word that resonates a lot to you.
What Makes RSR Different? Everyone who is involved within the RSR community is wanting to get better within themselves and as a whole team. I really enjoy pushing athletes physically, but also mentally. RSR focuses a great deal on mental skills, time management, and overall improvement that not only helps in rowing, but in your life as a whole. It is truly inspiring to wake up every day during camp and be surrounded by athletes and coaches who strive for excellence.