Q&A: Get to Know the Alabama Rowing Staff
8/16/2018 12:38:00 PM | Rowing
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – On Tuesday, July 31, Alabama head rowing coach Glenn Putyrae announced his coaching staff. We caught up with the four coaches to get to know them a little better before the season gets underway.
What drew you to the sport of rowing?
Putyrae: "I was drawn to rowing by the team aspect of the sport and fell in love with it because of the racing component."
Gracie Barbara: "I chose to start rowing initially because it was the opposite season of lacrosse. I decided to stick with it because it was such a unique sport and consisted of a huge, diverse team at my high school. We traveled a lot and met so many great people. We also had a very good high school team, so winning competitions wasn't too bad either, haha."
Madison Keaty: "I started rowing to stay in shape for basketball season. After the first race, I was hooked. I loved competing, winning and being a part of a team."
James Mulcahy: "I grew up in a small city (Brockville, Ontario, Canada) which, oddly enough, has a very successful rowing club. It was common at my high school that freshmen would give rowing a try. The chance to be part of a successful team was the initial draw, but it was the coaches, friendships and lessons of hard work paying off that kept me coming back."
What's your favorite tv show/movie?
Putyrae: "My favorite shows are Seinfeld, LOST and Last Chance U and my favorite movies are Fletch, Patton and Stripes. I wish I had a more recent one."
Barbara: "My favorite show is House and my favorite movie is the Harry Potter series."
Keaty: "My favorite show is Scandal and my favorite movie is That Thing You Do."
Mulcahy: "My favorite show is Jeopardy and my favorite move is The Good, The Bad and the Ugly."
What was the best piece of advice any of your coaches ever gave you?
Putyrae: "Keep it simple."
Barbara: "The best advice I ever got was to be patient and trust in the training. We did a lot of hard workouts in college and it was easy to forget why we were putting in the work, but when we crossed the finish line at NCAAs, it was completely worth it."
Keaty: "I've got two that will always stick with me:
Coach Putyrae: 'You can't be so focused on the end result that you forget what you need to do to get there'. He really instilled the importance of daily, consistent hard work to achieve our goals, both on and off the water.
High school coach Caitlin McClain: 'You don't just do it for the team, you do it because you love winning. That's okay to say, and that's a good thing!' She helped me gain self-awareness and perspective that taught me a lot about myself as an athlete and as a person."
Mulcahy: "That one's easy – 'don't overthink things!'"
What's your favorite vacation spot?
Putyrae: "A beach almost anywhere, anywhere with my wife."
Barbara: "Rehobeth Beach in Delaware."
Keaty: "Anywhere my family is."
Mulcahy: "My wife and I try to visit a new spot each time we go on vacation. So that's either TBD or the world is big enough that we'll never stop exploring!"
What do you hope to instill to the Crimson Tide rowers?
Putyrae: "A sense of purpose and value of being a contributor to the success of the Crimson Tide."
Barbara: "I hope to build the confidence in these athletes, as both rowers and young women. When they accomplish a task, I want them to be proud of themselves and then feel the urge to keep improving, learning and working harder to become better athletes."
Keaty: "I hope to help the athletes test their limits, discover what they are truly capable of, and grow to be the best versions of themselves--athletically, mentally, and personally. I hope this will lead the team toward collective success on and off the water and take this program to the next level."
Mulcahy: "The most valuable thing, in my opinion, that any coach can instill in a young athlete is the realization of empowerment. That they, as both individuals and as part of a team, are capable of identifying, pursuing and achieving their own successes and learning from their failures, is something priceless that transcends just sports. If I can help any athlete or crews feel empowered to pursue their goals with confidence, then I feel I am contributing to their education and am helping us all represent what it means to be a Crimson Tide athlete."
For the most up-to-date information on Alabama Rowing, follow the team on Twitter (@AlabamaRow), Instagram (AlabamaRow) and Facebook.
