Crew Connection Podcast

Crew Connection

Dive into the world of rowing and college recruiting with Crew Connection! Hosted by Olympic gold medalist Sholto Carnegie and former Cal oarsman Jack Gosden Kaye, we bring you college recruiting tips, rowing stories, and tips to help you improve your rowing. Learn how to find the college that’s the perfect fit for you and take your rowing career to the next level with guidance from the best in the game! If you’re thinking about rowing in the U.S., our upcoming Talent ID Camps are a great place to start, full details here: https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/showcase

  1. 6 days ago

    Inside UCLA Rowing and What Coaches Look For

    In this episode, we're joined by Summit Gillespie, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at UCLA Women's Rowing, a coach who has worked both coasts and both sides of the sport, from the Yale heavyweight men to the UCLA women. Summit gives us a rare look inside what it like to build a programme, from the culture he and a new staff are creating at UCLA to what he's really looking for when he recruits. What to expect: The biggest differences between coaching the Yale men and the UCLA women, and what stays the same no matter who's in the boatThe culture and the vision the new UCLA staff are building, and what they want a recruit to feel the moment they walk into the boathouseWhat Summit looks for in a recruit, the kind of athlete and person who fits what UCLAThe recruiting timeline, and what he wishes every family understood before they send that first email to a college coach Our ID Camp is the hands-on version of everything Summit talks about, where athletes get seen https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/showcase Our free webinars walk families through the whole recruiting process. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/webinar Join our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

  2. 14 Jun

    Seb Benzecry: Princeton, Cambridge, and Building Layback Rowing

    In this episode, we're joined by Seb Benzecry, multiple Boat Race winner, Princeton graduate, and co-founder of Layback Rowing. Seb gives us a rare look inside his recruiting journey. What to expect: Seb's own recruiting journey, what he got right, what he would do differently, and what he wishes he'd had going through itHow the recruiting landscape is changing right nowWhat most US families misunderstand about what college rowing recruiting actually rewardsRowing at Cambridge as a postgraduate.What Layback is, why he started itOne piece of advice he'd give every young rower and their familyOur ID Camp are your opportunities to get seen by top U.S. recruiting coaches. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/showcase Our free webinars walk families through the whole recruiting process. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/webinar

  3. 27 May

    Inside Harvard Rowing: Coach Tom Siddall

    In this episode, we're joined by Tom Siddall, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Harvard Men's Heavyweight Rowing, one of the most storied programmes in American collegiate sport, and who recently won the Eastern Sprints. We sat down with Tom before his crew raced. Tom gives us a rare look inside what it takes to earn a seat at Harvard, from the standards they hold recruits to, to the coaching philosophy that drives HUBC. What to expect: What Harvard looks for in a recruit, erg benchmarks, academic standards, and the intangibles that matter mostThe recruiting timeline, when to reach out, what to say, and how to stand outThe culture inside the Harvard boathouse and what separates athletes who thrive from those who surviveHow Tom's experience coaching the U.S. Para Rowing squad shaped his coachingWhat athletic upside really looks like at 17 or 18, and why it matters more than peak numbersJoin our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

  4. 5 May

    Inside Rutgers Women's Rowing with Emma Luniewicz

    In this episode, we're joined by Emma Luniewicz, coach at Rutgers Women's Rowing, one of the fastest-rising programmes in the country. and Island Challenge Cup winners at Henley Royal Regatta last summer. Emma gives us a rare look inside what's built the Rutgers programme, from the culture and standards they hold their athletes to, to the physiology-first training system. What to expect: What's driven Rutgers' rise, and what the programme demands of its athletesHow Rutgers uses data to drive their training and why the numbers change how athletes think as much as how they trainWhat coaches are really looking for in recruits The recruiting timeline, when to reach out, what to say, and how to stand outThe traits Emma sees in athletes who make it at the top levelJoin our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates.https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

  5. 13 Apr

    D3 Rowing Demystified: Trinity’s Nate Clark on Building a National Championship Programme

    In this episode, we’re joined by Nate Clark, assistant coach at Trinity College, a programme that recently claimed its first ever D3 national championship. Nate has helped build a system that takes athletes wherever they’re starting from and develops them all the way to national champions. In this conversation, he breaks down: The real difference between D1 and D3 rowingHow Trinity develops athletes from all starting pointsWhat coaches are actually looking for beyond erg scoresWhat it takes to succeed in collegiate rowingIf you’re serious about rowing in the U.S., this episode gives you a clear, honest look at what rowing at D3 is really like. Join our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates: https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

  6. 1 Apr

    Yale Women’s Rowing: Balancing Elite Performance and Top Academics

    In this episode, we’re joined by Will Porter, Head Coach of Yale Women’s Rowing. Will has helped build one of the most successful women’s rowing programs in the country, winning last year’s national title in the Varsity 8, multiple Ivy League championships, Henley titles, and helping develop Olympians. All while coaching within one of the most academically rigorous institutions in the world. What to expect: Will’s reflections on last season and what made it so successfulHow Yale approaches culture, standards, and crew selectionThe traits Will sees in athletes who thrive at the highest levelCommon mistakes athletes make in the recruiting processWhat Yale looks for in recruits Join our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

  7. 24 Feb

    Inside Brown Rowing: Culture, Competition & Recruiting with Rufus Biggs

    Rufus breaks down how Brown is building as a program, the standards, the culture, and the internal competition that drives performance. We also dig into how Ivy League recruiting has evolved, what coaches actually learn from ID camps, and the key characteristics athletes need to communicate if they want to be recruited at the top level. What to expect: Brown’s culture and how internal competition is structuredWhat the Open Curriculum means for student-athletesThe traits and personality types that thrive at BrownGap years: when they help and what progress coaches expectHow the recruiting landscape has changed over the past five yearsWhy calls with coaches matter, and how to approach them wellIf you’re serious about Ivy League rowing, this episode offers direct insight into what coaches value and what athletes should focus on to give themselves the best chance.

  8. 4 Feb

    Inside Cal Rowing with Scott Frandsen

    In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Frandsen, Head Coach of California Berkeley men's rowing. Scott is a three-time Olympian and Olympic silver medalist. His recruiting story is a clear example of how sustained hard work, persistence, and a desire to compete can open doors at the very highest level of the sport. What to expect: Scott’s recruitment journey to CalThe biggest challenge transitioning from high school to collegiate rowingWhat Cal looks for in recruits beyond erg scoresThe legendary 1999–2000 Cal crew and what it takes to go undefeatedA leadership lesson Scott teaches his athletes every dayOne piece of advice for high-school athletes aiming for the top levelIf you’re serious about rowing in the U.S. this episode offers unfiltered insight from a head coach who’s seen every stage of the pathway. Join our mailing list for recruiting guides, webinars, and future episode updates. https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/mailinglist

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Dive into the world of rowing and college recruiting with Crew Connection! Hosted by Olympic gold medalist Sholto Carnegie and former Cal oarsman Jack Gosden Kaye, we bring you college recruiting tips, rowing stories, and tips to help you improve your rowing. Learn how to find the college that’s the perfect fit for you and take your rowing career to the next level with guidance from the best in the game! If you’re thinking about rowing in the U.S., our upcoming Talent ID Camps are a great place to start, full details here: https://www.crewconnection.co.uk/showcase

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