At The Thousand Podcast

In this episode, Kevin dives into the halfway point of the summer, and what has worked for him and his team of 12 high school rowers as they crush the erg, become more capable athletes, and embrace the pursuit of “undeniable fitness”. Key Takeaways: Athlete First, Rower Second - Why balanced, holistic training, with strength training being held at the same standard as rowing, creates more intentio...

In this episode, Kevin MacDermott, Head Coach for the 2026 D3 National Champion Trinity College Men’s Rowing Program, dives into their upcoming trip to Henley, the competitiveness of IRA Division 3 rowing, and the culture they have established at Trinity that has lead to their success with back to back IRA National Championships! Key Takeaways: Championship Success - Winning two consecutive nation...

In this episode, Kevin celebrates the milestone 100th episode of the At The Thousand Podcast, by breaking down advice from six past guests on the show. Tune in and hear what some of the best coaches in rowing have to say for aspiring college rowers! Key Takeaways: The 100th Episode - Hitting the century mark for the ATT Podcast, what’s to come, and why you need to stay tuned for the next 100. Tips...

In this episode, Luke Wilhelm, Head Coach for the Sacred Heart University Women’s Rowing Program, announces the beginnings of a new era for Sacred Heart Rowing, as they come off their highest finish in the conference for the women’s program, the inaugural season for lightweight women’s rowing, and the addition of a new IRA men’s rowing program, all to go along with a state of the art new boathouse...

In this episode, Delaney McGuire of Eastern Michigan University and Kevin dive into what rising juniors should expect on and after June 15th, why some recruits will not be immediately contacted, and how to manage expectations in the beginning of recruiting. Key Takeaways: What June 15th Means to Coaches - The importance of June 15th for both rising juniors and college coaches, and how coaches filt...

In this episode, Kevin dives into the upcoming start to recruiting on June 15th for rising juniors, what athletes and parents can do now to better prepare for the recruiting journey, and the importance of being proactive, while not getting overwhelmed, so you are best positioned for success. Key Takeaways: Start to Recruiting - Why June 15th is important, and how only a few athletes may have urgen...

In this episode, Beau Hoopman, Head Coach for the University of Wisconsin Men’s Rowing Program and 2004 Olympic Champion, dives into what makes Wisconsin rowing different, it’s 150 years of rowing success, recruiting walk-ons as the center of program, and what it takes to compete for an IRA Grand Final.  Key Takeaways: Wisconsin Training - Hard, purposeful training to build mental toughness, going...

In this episode, Kumari Lewis, Head Coach for the University of Alabama Women’s Rowing Program, dives into her first year leading Alabama, the transition from Ivy League success to the newfound resources of an SEC program, and the journey to insert another SEC power into the mix at the NCAA Championships. Key Takeaways: First Year Coach - The leap Kumari made from Philadelphia and Penn to joining...

In this episode, Gary Caldwell, retired Commissioner of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association for over 25 years, dives into the formation of the present day IRA, the current state of men’s college rowing, and how programs and coaches should approach the current landscape in college athletics. Key Takeaways: Formation of Current IRA - The start to the present day IRA, with the formation of the ass...

In this episode, Stacey Rippetoe, Head Coach for the Michigan State University Women’s Rowing Program, dives into her return to Michigan State, now as Head Coach, the competitiveness of the BIG 10 and what it takes to compete at that level, and MSU’s interest in finding recruits with and without prior rowing experience. Key Takeaways: Second Stint at MSU - Returning to Michigan State, and the proc...

In this episode, Kevin dives into why aspiring college rowers should consider starting broad in their college rowing recruiting journey, with a strong emphasis on discovery and comparison, and the negative consequences that can arise by narrowing your college search too early.  Key Takeaways: Narrowing Early - Why limiting your options early in the process can negatively impact your scope of what’...

In this episode, Kit Bennett, Executive Director and Head Coach for both Skyline Crew and the Washtenaw Rowing Center, dives deep into the trends he is seeing in scholastic rowing, both regionally and nationally, and the importance of fundraising for survival and to hit program pillars that drive athlete retention. Key Takeaways: Scholastic Rowing - The trends within scholastic rowing, from athlet...

In this episode, Mary Foster, Head Coach for the Boston University Women’s Lightweight Rowing Program, dives into everything women’s lightweight rowing, and what it takes to get recruiting and compete at a top lightweight rowing program. Key Takeaways: Evolution of Lightweight - The differences between IRA Lightweight and NCAA Openweight, how it started, and the recent growth of lightweight rowing...

In this episode, Kevin dives into the importance for rowers to continue erg and strength training throughout the spring season to maintain fitness and continue 2k progress, and how to add them both into your routine while also balancing the spring season.  Key Takeaways: Training Approach - Why a 1+2 or 2+2 erg and strength training approach, on top of practice, is crucial for maintaining fitness...

In this episode Lisa Lowe, Doctor of Physical Therapist and former competitive rower, dives into her specialty of helping rowers stay physically healthy and navigate the path back to the water after experiencing many of the common injuries in rowing. Key Takeaways: Managing Athletes Through Injury - The scale Lisa runs athletes through to help athletes assess the pain, and the degree of caution th...

In this episode, Paula Thoms, Head Coach for the Williams College Women’s Rowing Program, dives into her unique journey of moving from coaching D1 to D3, the advantages the D3 model as it relates to development of the student-athlete, and what is takes to succeed at a competitive academic school like Williams. Key Takeaways: Division 1 to Division 3 - Paula’s move from over a decade coaching Divis...

In this episode, Kevin dives into the three questions college rowing coaches are asking themselves as they assess the future value of an aspiring college rower, and whether or not they should invest in adding them to their program.  Key Takeaways: Workload of D1 Rowing - Why college coaches want to know if a high school rower can survive the significant increase in training volume and intensity. F...

In this episode David Schary, Mental Performance Consultant for rowers and Sports Psychology Professor at Winthrop University, dives deep into why athletes struggle mentally with 2k testing, how to train the brain for 2k performances, and actionable steps coaches and athletes can take to overcome mental barriers. Key Takeaways: Why Athletes Struggle on 2k - The two brains of 2k performance, and ho...

In this episode, Anna Jensen, 3-time NCAA Champion at Texas and 2x U23 World Champion, dives into her journey from standout swimmer and runner, to discovering rowing late, to being recruited to Texas, and ultimately taking her skills developed from being a multi-sport athlete into winning three NCAA Championships. Key Takeaways: Multi-Sport Athlete - How Anna’s background in swimming and running g...

In this episode, Delaney McGuire of Eastern Michigan University and Kevin dive into the different tiers within D1 rowing and how athletes should approach the college recruiting process, and how to best position yourself to maximize this winter season!  Key Takeaways: Different Calibers of D1 - Understanding the differences between the “haves” and “have nots” in Division 1 rowing, and how it affect...

In this episode, Kevin dives into all the work that goes into a 2K test, and why athletes often fall victim to seeking shortcuts that don’t exist. We are talking about the training, technique, mental resiliency, and time required to perform our best on a 2k.  Key Takeaways: 3 Pillars of Fitness - Why fitness is the most important piece to 2k testing, and the three key pillars athletes need to prio...

In this episode, Kevin dives into college recruiting and what college coaches are actually looking for in the recruiting process, purely from an athletic standpoint. These six attributes are used by coaches to evaluate the potential upside of a future college rower and how they may add value to their team’s program. Key Takeaways: 2k Scores for Recruiting - Why the 2k score is the standard, but al...

In this episode, Kevin closes out the year by sharing the top 5 episodes of 2025, and his approach for athletes on how to reframe handling adversity and learning how to move forward regardless of what obstacles are ahead. Key Takeaways: Top 5 Episodes - The top 5 most played episodes of 2025, and why these conversations are worth revisiting as you embrace the new year. Mindset Shift - “Accept that...

In this episode, Blake Gourley, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Founder of Rowing Strength, dives into the importance of strength training for rowers, tips for incorporating resistance training into your program, and misconceptions surrounding strength for performance. Key Takeaways: Why Rowers Need Strength Training - Blake’s four reasons rowers need to prioritize strength training in order t...

In this episode, Luke McGee, Head Coach for the Syracuse University Women’s Rowing Program, dives into his unique career as an athlete and coach of top men’s programs, including the US Men’s 8+, then taking those experiences with him to the women's rowing program at Syracuse, building a top NCAA program. Key Takeaways: Starting at Syracuse - Transitioning from coaching top men’s programs, incl...