MEET THE COACHES: MOLLY HAMRICK

Alben Family Associate Head Women’s Rowing Coach

The Rowing Association would like to give our Community the opportunity to get to know our coaches a bit better. Coaches play a central role in defining the essence of Stanford Rowing and leaving their signature on different eras as much, if not more, than the athletes. We are watching an exciting era of WROW emerge, and the Associate Coaches play a large role in that. For this edition of Boathouse of Champions, we got the chance to connect with Molly Hamrick, The Alben Family Associate Head Women’s Rowing Coach.

TRA: Molly– Thanks for connecting with us on this. Can you start by telling us how you ended up coaching at Stanford?

MH: I began coaching part–time in 2015 with the Brookline High School Varsity Girls while living and training as an Olympic hopeful in Cambridge, MA (fun fact – lightweight assistant Antonella Kugler is one of my first athletes!). In 2017, I stepped away from full–time training to work with the Under–19 scullers at Community Rowing in Boston, and decided that I wanted to try my hand at collegiate coaching. I started as the volunteer assistant for the women at my alma mater, Princeton, working under Lori Dauphiny. I held that role for two years, but was ready for a change (and a paycheck) by summer 2019. In coaching, you’re at the mercy of the job market, so I never allowed myself to have a “dream job” because there are a finite number of assistant positions at each institution and roles only open every few years, but if I had to have one, it was Stanford. They were the only school who I felt was “beating us” at recruiting – if we lost an athlete with Princeton, it was to Stanford. I had learned a ton in my first two years and was aware that I had so much more to learn and was hungry to do so. I had a feeling that I’d be able to learn a lot from Kelsie and Derek at Stanford, and the values aligned with mine – I loved working with academically–driven individuals who wanted to go fast. Stanford seemed to check those boxes.

That June, the lightweight assistant coach job opened up. I contacted Kate Bertko (who also happens to be a huge role model of mine) about the position, who told me to “just wait a few more hours.” Not long after, the openweights posted a position, and I reached out to Kelsie Chaudoin, applied, got on the phone with Derek, and had an offer from him a day or two later. I had never been to Stanford or Palo Alto, but accepted the job site–unseen. I knew it was the right fit for me and couldn’t wait to get started.

TRA: What’s the best part of being a Rowing Coach?

MH: I have the best job in the world and there is nobody who can convince me otherwise. I have nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to do what I do; it’s incredibly fulfilling to have a life where my career and passion are interwoven (and I feel especially lucky that I have a partner who is also a rowing nerd and understands what I do). Primarily, I find it incredibly inspiring to get to work alongside people – referring to both my colleagues and my athletes – who care deeply about the people around them and this common mission we’re all working towards, and are willing to work hard for one another. They are some of the most caring, hardworking, clever, humble, and hilarious people I’ve ever met, and I’ve become a better person by working alongside them. They find the joy in the difficult and the mundane and create such a positive atmosphere. It’s both contagious and inspiring!

I also get to witness the personal growth of these athlete in ways that will positively affect them through the rest of their lives, which is exceptionally rewarding. Female empowerment is a huge priority of mine, and helping these women find their voices, feel celebrated for who they are exactly as they show up, and develop skills that will prepare them for whatever they want to do after Stanford (rowing or otherwise), are my top priorities. Our staff talks all the time about the growth of the athletes – and rarely we’re referring to erg scores, here. It’s usually in reference to confidence, ability to be a team player, a leader, their time management, etc. And with that growth comes the results that the athletes care about (the erg scores, the boat placements, and the wins), and having the front row seat of their success and the joy that brings them is just the most special.

It’s not too bad that I get to bring my dogs to work, either.

TRA: Many attribute the recent success of the women’s program to boathouse culture as much as a solid training program. How would you describe the current positive boathouse culture? How does the team of coaches build that? How can you tell when you have it?

MH: Culture is paramount. We (coaches) try to be thoughtful about everything we do, and we put as much effort – if not more, sometimes – into developing a positive and effective team culture as we do training plan. For the women’s rowing team, our culture can be boiled down to embracing hard work (and finding athletes who consider “hard” and “fun” synonymous), finding joy in the process, being a great teammate, and not taking ourselves too seriously. Don’t get me wrong, we take the work seriously. We hold ourselves and one another to a high standard, but we also don’t let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. They understand when to be serious and when to be silly. We try to cultivate an environment where the athletes look forward to coming to the boathouse every day, and that they’re leaving practice feeling good about themselves. That doesn’t mean every day is the best day ever – there will certainly be great days and frustrating days – but we try to help the athletes develop a skillset where they can move through each day effectively and have teammates who will help lift them up and shake off the bad days (and maybe make a meme or two at the coaches’ expense to keep things light).

Primarily, we influence culture by acting in a way that we hope sets good example. For me, that means expressing gratitude, leading with love and kindness, and holding myself to a high standard, among other behaviors. Derek goes above and beyond to make sure that each and every person understands their value on the team – largely by making sure everyone has racing opportunities throughout the season. We preach a “we before me” mentality, meaning that it’s about the strength of the entire program before it’s about any one person. We also make sure to demonstrate this through our behavior, not just talking the talk. Most other programs only travel to races with their NCAA squad, but we take everyone to every spring race. That includes NCAAs – win or lose, the entire roster gets to be there and experience the racing and results, because everyone is responsible for how those boats finish, not just the 23 women who get to go down the course.

Honestly, though, the athletes drive the culture. This is their thing, and I think that’s important. We are here to help them achieve their goals, not the other way around. They have ownership over how they want this team to look and feel, and they take pride in who we are as a team. They play an active role in teaching the first years what it means to be on SWC. Coaches meet with our “team leaders” (one representative from each class) every other week, where we have an honest and open dialogue about recent and upcoming events, which allows us to always have our fingers on the pulse and provide guidance when needed. Of course, we’re here for the athletes. We try to create a coach–athlete culture where they feel genuinely cared about and respected and are comfortable coming to us about whatever – whether that’s video review or personal issues or wanting to share a class project they’ve just finished in the PRL. When it comes to problem–solving, we try to lean into having the older athletes step up as leaders and help their younger teammates navigate their Stanford experience. If we see somebody struggling with time management, for example, we’ll pull aside a junior or senior who faced similar obstacles in their first year or two but is now crushing it and ask that person to check in on that teammate.

I’ve heard someone describe managing team culture as trying to maintain your point during a race. It’s normal to drift one way or the other with wake or wind or if one side is catching before the other, but if we keep our heads up, we can make small, methodical corrections with the rudder or pressure to keep ourselves straight without disrupting our course. A team with a positive culture does not have an absence of challenges, it’s one where the athletes care enough to want to upkeep the culture, feel comfortable seeking coaches for guidance, and feel empowered and equipped with the skillset to problem–solve when something arises. When the athletes care about the quality of our culture just like they care about one another as individuals, then I know we’ve got a good thing going.

TRA: Former rowers know the feeling of backing into the start line before a big race. The dead time before crews are polled . . . The combination of adrenaline and butterflies. What does it feel like watching a boat you’ve coached back into the start?

MH: Oh gosh, the rowers and parents all know how nervous I get before racing. I want to be clear, it has nothing to do with a lack of confidence in them – I have so much confidence in their abilities as racers and competitors – but I hate waiting and not having anything productive I can do in that moment. The girls and their parents joke around with me because they know my heart rate leading up to races will consistently sit around 115–130 (not an exaggeration) while I’m just standing there. They’ve sniped photos and videos of me pacing nervously before and during racing. It’s something I’m working on, but I genuinely do appreciate that they make light of it! The nerves are part of the fun of it all, and I consider it a privilege to do something that I care so much about.

TRA: Similarly, regatta atmosphere often has an overly serious tone around pre–race and boat launch. WROW appears to be loose, enjoying themselves, genuinely happy to be there around pre–race. How does that happen?

MH: These girls are all about hype. They are loud on the water, they are loud in the erg room, and they celebrate any opportunity they have to get out there and throw down. They love to compete, they love to race, and we love that they have so much energy around it. It’s hard to beat a team that’s having fun.

TRA: We come to WROW races and see a crowd of parents, friends, and athletes from other sports lining the shore. They’re all armed with cowbells and decked out in Stanford gear. What does that mean to the athletes and coaching staff?

MH: Our parents are the best. We wouldn’t be where we are without their support – they are willing to do anything and everything to help us out and also help these girls feel celebrated and supported. I love the hype – this year it’s the cowbells, last year it was Katelin Gildersleeve’s dad on his bike at the starting line of every single Stanford race (breaking the tense, starting line silence with a “GO STANFORD!”).

I know our athletes love to feel seen and supported, so any and all supporters – parents, siblings, friends, professors – who show up for them mean the world. I’m hopeful that we can continue to build this culture, especially surrounding our annual events like Big Row! Redwood Shores has to be one of the best spectator venues in the US, and having Stanford fans line the bridge and the shore is just the best display of community (and the energy you need going through the 1k). It’d be great to turn that into a weekend event, one that alumni have on their calendar annually and that parents and families make sure to be around for each year. I think we’re on the right track!

TRA: As an Associate Head Coach, you do a lot of recruiting. Tell us about that?

MH: Recruiting is probably about 80% of my job. Overall, I really enjoy it, and my experiences with athletes and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. I’d estimate that we talk to about 300 athletes per year, some as just one–off correspondences and others several conversations, visits, Zooms, all culminating with a commitment to Stanford (hopefully!). The entire process for an athlete, start to finish, takes an average of 4–5 months, from first contact to commitment. Everyone is different, but what’s really rewarding is when we talk to an athlete who just “has it.” Everyone I talk to is special and has something to offer, of course, but sometimes I’ll meet a kid who I can just so clearly envision here at Stanford and who I’m confident will get along well with our team. I tell the team that it’s like we get to hand–pick their future best friends. It’s really rewarding to meet these athletes and then, once they’re here, see them get along with one another so well! I know how important these relationships will be for the rest of their lives, and we don’t take this responsibility lightly. We work hard to bring people who will be the right athletic, academic, cultural, and social fits, who will be great teammates, and who will row and be contributors to our team for all four years.

TRA: If you’re recruiting a top rower who is also being recruited by other top schools, what’s your "Come to Stanford Pitch?”

MH: Of course, I talk about how the student–athlete experience is unparalleled. We’re consistently one of the top academic institutions in the world AND one of the top athletic departments in the country, and we have a robust network of resources and support systems to back that up. Really, though, I just try to get top–tier recruits to meet our team and experience our team culture as quickly as I can. I think what we have is very special and unique, especially for a high–performing team, and that is often what seals the deal. Our team is so warm and welcoming, and they do a great job of making their potential future teammates feel like they belong. On a daily basis, they also demonstrate that it’s possible to work hard, care deeply about a goal, and still find the fun and lightness in the process. They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and support system. I talk to the recruits about how “the people make the place,” and we have the best people.

TRA: Coaching rowing is very personal. Your personal life has had rowing in it for some time now, and the trajectory looks like that’s going to continue. Are you able to leave it on the water? Or leave it at the boathouse?

MH: Haha – not really, no. I mean, I am engaged to one of the coaches on the men’s staff. But our relationship with the sport is not unhealthy, either. Niles and I don’t obsess over work at home, we leave the stressful parts of work at work, and we do make sure to take time away from rowing/stay involved in other activities and be respectful when the other person doesn’t want to talk shop at any given moment. We really enjoy camping and backpacking, and we get outside with the dogs on a regular basis.

But we also love rowing, and we love learning. Niles loves exercise science and physiology; I love culture–building and recruiting. If my athletes read this, they’re going to make fun of me, but he and I will sit on the couch together with our telemetry computers and compare our teams’ data sets, learning from one another. We’ll listen to podcasts about coaching philosophy. We’re getting married in August and probably 75% of our guestlist (if not more) have some connection to rowing. So, a big part of our lives outside of work is rowing, but we are alright with that.

TRA: A couple of years into Stanford coaching, the Alben Family made a donation to endow your position. Tell us what that was like?

MH: It's impossible to properly express my gratitude for the support and generosity of the Alben family. I feel unbelievably lucky that I get to do what I do every day, and to have the support and belief of alumni leaves me without words. I love what I do and care deeply about the women that come through this program, and it’s so inspiring to know that they’re going to continue to be a part of such a strong and supportive community – in that of The Rowing Association – once they graduate. It’s the support (not just fiscal, but also in time, energy, and beyond) of our strong and ever–strengthening community that make it possible for us to do what we do and continue to raise the bar. It’s unbelievably inspiring to remember that we have an entire village behind us.

TRA: Molly– Thank you for spending this time with us and thank you do for everything you do for Stanford Rowing!