Sisters grad serves as university coxswain

Jordan Richerson said there are several key elements to being a good coxswain. One is lack of physical size, another is ability to yell "loud" and it helps to be "bossy."

The former Sisters High School valedictorian and two-sport Outlaws athlete was recently named head coxswain for Baylor University's crew teams.

And Richerson readily admits she fits all three prerequisites as a coxswain.

"Yeah, I know I fit all the requirements," quipped Richerson, a freshman. "I'm loud, I'm small and I admit to being bossy."

Richerson explains the requirements are pretty basic, but are keys to team rowing success. Baylor's crew team has fall and spring seasons and consists of men and women rowers and nine women cockswains.

"You have eight guys rowing, it's a long shell (200-pound rowing boat) and it's hard to hear, plus they can't see where they are going, so they really depend on me for leadership," said the 5-3, 115-pound Richerson, who noted that she sits in the stern (back of the boat) and that the rowers face her.

"Ultimately, they (coxswains) must show confidence and leadership and that's why the rowers need a loud coxswain," said Richerson, who played softball and ran cross-country during her four years at SHS.

"You must earn the confidence of the crew," she said.

Richerson said that confidence was earned early one morning while practicing on the Brazos River, which winds through Waco, Texas, home to Baylor.

"We practice early mornings, usually well before dawn," said the daughter of Quay and Dawn Richerson. "There are six bridges we must go under, and a few have very little clearance and we must navigate around the pillars. Remember, the rowers face the back of the boat, so they can't see the river. It's up to me to direct them safely.

"Knowing that the pillars break the boats, I was petrified," she said. It's the coxswain who steers the boat.

Richerson added that "rowers don't talk ... only the coxswain."

While the coxswain's words are loud, and terse, it isn't simply a rhythmic "row" or "stroke" or "get steady" or "way enough (stop)" or "all hands on."

"It's a team sport and everyone has to row perfectly together," said Richerson. "It's my job to make sure everyone gets their oar in the water at the same time. If someone gets off, I have to instruct them how and when to get back."

There's a lot more to it than simply being small, loud and bossy.

"It's important to be confident, personable and competitive," said Richerson. "We (coxswains) have to be able to relate to the boat and every rower. We have to be outgoing and bubbly."

She also has to know when to push her crew. She admitted to pushing them so hard during one race that they "puked."

While Richerson was busy adjusting to college life, she was rapidly digesting all she could about crew and being a coxswain. During fall, they beat Texas A&M at home, finished fourth at the Pumpkinhead Regatta in Austin and competed with 1,500 other teams on the Tennessee River in the granddaddy of crew events known as the Head of the Hooch Regatta.

With Jordan manning the stern and commands, her No. 1 crew team competed against Harvard, Duke and the University of North Carolina.

Though she contacted colleges with crew teams during her junior year at SHS, joining a crew team wasn't her first priority.

"I'm in the honors program and have an off-campus job, so I wasn't sure if I would have time for extracurricular activities," said Richerson, who has declared nursing as her major and political science as a minor. She's also managed time to participate in Baylor's Swing Dance Club.

"It's been challenging timewise. I don't really have time for many social things," she said. "It is certainly a different culture. Crew is up early, so we're in bed early while most college students are out and about. But I love it. Rowing is keeping me focused and teaching time management for sure."

Richerson says that while the crew gets a daily physical workout during its two-hour practices, she trains later in the day with four-mile runs.

"I try to stay fit," she said. "It's part of my daily routine to run four miles." She noted most of her "training" for crew is educating herself on the sport. "I just have to make sure I am mentally aware at all times. It's a long learning process.

"There is so much to learn about the sport and the people. The culture is so very different."

Richerson said team members come from all walks of life. Most of the rowers are tall and slender. Not all are former athletes.

"But some were very good high school athletes, but not collegiate-level athletes," said Richerson. "They all enjoy challenges and wanted something competitive. All have very good work ethics."

She obviously mastered coxswain 101 quickly as the 70-member team voted her head coxswain of the team's 10 boats. "It's an honor," she said. "I love being in a leadership position."

Jordan's perfectly matched coxswain traits have served her well, not just in the back of an 8-member, 60-foot long rowing shell, but in the classroom as well. A 4.125 GPA student at SHS, Richerson has yet to earn anything less than an A at Baylor. For the record, she is a lifelong straight-A student.

Following her graduation from SHS in 2010, Richerson attended Capernwray Bible School in northern England. She also had the opportunity to visit 12 countries, including Kenya for a church mission.

"It was a great experience. I now am able to focus on the bigger picture in life," she said. "It's helped me with my independence and confidence. I grew ten-fold while I was there. I learned a lot about myself without societal and parental pressure. It strengthened my faith and I grew as a person."

It goes without saying, there's a lot more to Baylor's head coxswain than just being small, loud and bossy.

"It's an honor being part of it all," said Richerson. "It's a lot of work and sacrifices, but I'm loving every minute of it."