LT 097 | Dan Garbutt - Technique vs. Style in Rowing
This week's podcast guest is my friend and Women's Head Rowing Coach of Old Dominion University, Dan Garbutt. Dan and I are both South Jersey natives so it was a ton of fun for me to sit down and reconnect with him.
Dan Garbutt is a 2001 graduate of Princeton University. He began his collegiate career in 1998, winning the Freshman Award and being named a member of the United States National Team, while the Tigers captured the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Championship. He went on to earn three varsity letters in men's heavyweight crew as Princeton won three Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) Championships (1998, 1999, 2001). As a senior in 2001 he received All-Ivy League and All-American honors.
Dan has been the Head Coach of Old Dominion Rowing for the past six years and has led the program to new heights and success. Some of his accomplishments include:
- In the 2015-16 season, his sixth year at the helm, Garbutt guided the Lady Monarchs to a sixth-place finish at the Big 12 Championship in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The sixth-place finish was a two-spot improvement on the 2015 conference finish. The 2015-16 season also saw the 1V8 earn Big 12 Boat of the Week honors in late March after a dominant performance at the UNC Invite, which marked the first time an ODU boat earned that accolade.
- In his fifth year as head coach and is in his first season in the Big 12 Conference, the team saw a lot of success, as the Monarchs recorded 19 top-20 finishes, including 13 in the top-5. ODU also started a new tradition by dedicating the Varsity 8 and the Second Varsity 8 boats to President John Broderick and First Lady Kate Broderick.
- In the 2012-2013 season, the Lady Monarchs received their first ever votes in the CRCA/US Rowing Coaches Top 20 Poll. The seniors from this season, which were part of Garbutt's first recruiting class, ended their careers at Old Dominion without losing a single home meet.
- During the fall 2012 season, Old Dominion's Frosh/Novice Eight boat won the Commodore Cup at the Head of Schuylkill, as well as won gold medals at the Head of the Hooch. The Frosh/Novice Eight boat concluded the fall season with a third place finish at the Rivanna Romp. At the Head of the Schuylkill, ODU's Open Four boat placed third overall out of 38 total boats. At the Head of the Hooch, the Lady Monarchs Lightweight Four boat placed second.
- Along with the success on the water, Garbutt also helped open the $2.3 million ODU Rowing Center in the spring of 2011, representing a joint partnership project between the city of Norfolk and the University. A two-story, 13,000 square foot, boathouse facility that houses the Lady Monarchs rowing program just minutes away from ODU on the Lafayette River, is a state-of-the art facility that provides first class accommodations for the program that provides training year round as Garbutt continues to build the highly competitive Lady Monarch program .
3 Key Takeaways you will learn in this interview:
- The difference between technique and style in rowing.
- Evaluations and assessments you can do with your athletes
- The importance of customizing your training program to your athletes needs'
Interview Topics:
- Dan's background and roots as an athlete and coach
- His thoughts on rowing technique and some key differences of technique vs. style
- How he evaluates his rowers movement, mobility, strength and physiological capacity
- Lifeguard rowing and racing
- Why athletes tend to gravitate towards what they are good at
- Keys to athletic development
- and much more.
Show Notes:
