SAN DIEGO – Shortly after a strong showing at No. 20 UCLA, SDSU head women's rowing coach Bill Zack praised his squad for their performance, saying, "This can be a special team and we are excited to get back to training and working on getting even faster."
That was March 7th – five days later, all spring sports were suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 virus. Coach Zack would never get to see what this "special team" could accomplish.
GoAztecs.com caught up with Zack to discuss the unique circumstances surrounding their 2020 season and how him and his team have handled the fall out.
GoAztecs.com: What was the message to your team once the season was canceled?
Head coach Bill Zack: I had already told the team it was likely we wouldn't be able to finish the spring racing season. As soon as the spring sports championships were canceled by the NCAA, I encouraged the team to start making plans to go home. I knew that getting in a safe location with their family, with the possibility of travel restrictions looming, was the most important thing. That didn't give us any opportunity to even try to have closure for a lost season, but from a public health perspective it was the right thing to do.
GoAztecs.com: What were your impressions of the team before the season was called off?
Zack: We clearly had a very good team this year from top to bottom. I could tell by watching the team row in practice, especially the top crew, that we had some fast boats. Our scrimmages, particularly the city scrimmage [vs. UCSD & USD], showed that as well. Then we had very good races against pre-season No. 20 UCLA. A podium or better finish at the American Athletic Conference Championship was a reasonable goal.
GoAztecs.com: How are you staying in contact with your team?
Zack: I think my experience as a Coast Guard officer, dealing with things like hurricane relief operations, has me fairly well-prepared to provide a steady hand during trying times. We have one team meeting each week using Zoom. That gives me the opportunity to give them the most up-to-date news on a variety of topics. It is important that they get informed facts, not speculation or wishful thinking. I also talk to each student-athlete on the phone once per week and send out a lot of group emails. The team has been their typically awesome selves by helping each other out through their group text chat.
GoAztecs.com: What do you miss most about coaching and competing?
Zack: I really enjoy actual coaching in practices, being on Mission Bay and helping earnest athletes try to row better and faster. Competing is the payoff for all the hard work. I enjoy winning, but I get more out of watching them do well and enjoying their own success.
GoAztecs.com: What types of workouts are you recommending for your athletes while they are at home?
Zack: I have been steadfast that each person should train in a manner that best fits their individual situation, rather than standard teamwide workouts like we have when we are together. All our athletes understand basic exercise physiology from the training plans that we give out at the beginning of each semester. We've pointed them to certain webinars and online resources, but mostly they know what to do without being told. Strength coach James Chassin produced a great body weight training plan, employing movement patterns that they have been using in the weight room all year. Athletic trainer Madi Chavez has kept up with helping those who need maintenance exercises to stay injury-free. One of the athletes' favorite workouts is a core strength routine devised by sophomore rower Helen Bauer!
GoAztecs.com: Aside from skill, what types of intangibles do you look for in a recruit?
Zack: We definitely look for high school athletes who are academically oriented. The athletic department and our team really embrace the goal of getting a valuable degree and developing life skills along the way. I think the most important qualities in a student-athlete are self-motivation and discipline. Recruits who bring those qualities with them to the team always work out well.
GoAztecs.com: What is the biggest difference between recruiting domestically vs. internationally?
Zack: This might be a minority opinion, but I don't think there is that much a of a difference. A fast rower who gets good grades and is a good teammate possesses the same qualities no matter where they live. That was my experience observing athletes from other countries whenever I was involved with international teams, whether it was the Olympic team or the senior or junior world championship teams. The commonality is that good recruits are all similarly attracted to everything that is awesome about San Diego State and the athletic department. There are obvious procedural issues to deal with like NCAA requirements and time zone differences and student visas. But those issues are not important compared to finding student-athletes who are a good fit at SDSU.
GoAztecs.com: How do you effectively integrate international students into your program?
Zack: I was commanding officer of a station in Spain for two years, so I appreciate the challenge of living overseas. Our student-athlete academic support services staff, compliance staff, international admission, and the International Student Center combine to provide extremely comprehensive assistance to our international students. Student-Athlete Development Coordinator Danielle Kelly oversees a program where a veteran international student-athlete is paired with each freshman international student. Willie Judd, the team's academic advisor, and our department mentors and learning specialists and tutors are on the front foot with academic support. Our athletes help each other very well and they really enjoy getting to be friends and teammates of people from different countries and cultures.
GoAztecs.com: What is your favorite memory from your time at SDSU?
Zack: From a competitive results point of view, winning the Cal Cup at the San Diego Crew Classic was exciting. So was having all our boats medal at the WIRA Championships. How about Hannah Broadland winning a national championship and a bronze medal with Team USA at the World University Championship? But truly my favorite memories are watching so many individual successes by our rowing graduates: graduate school acceptances, awesome jobs, and thriving in their careers and lives.