Meet Matthew Hauser: Associate coach for Cleveland Foundry Juniors

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Meet Matthew Hauser, who is the associate rowing coach for the Cleveland Foundry Juniors.
How long have you been coaching? 

Matthew Hauser: I have been coaching since the spring of 2017 as an intern for St. Edward High School’s program. I began coaching with CFJ in August of 2021

What is your background in this sport? 

Hauser: I started rowing in 2012 and continue to compete in competitions from time to time. In 2019 I began working as a USRowing Assistant Referee and am currently working to obtain the rank of Referee. Since 2017 when I interned at St. Edward High School, I have coached adults, university students, veterans, middle school and high school, and adaptive athletes across the United States

What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success? 

Hauser: As a coaching staff, what we do well is how we structure our workouts to have them ready short-term for their next regatta and long-term for their final race at the end of the season. The goal is to have them at their fastest and racing their best at the end of each season.

Please describe the most memorable games/tournaments/championships your team has won. 

Hauser: My most memorable moment was the reaction of the boys freshman 4 I coached in Tampa after their first race. Going into it, they thought it would be a bad experience. After they finished and returned from the water, they were ecstatic with how they did and excited to race again with the same group (we only had four freshmen) for the next regatta.

How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss? 

Hauser: For individual boats with disappointing finishes, the first thing is to let them know what they did well as a crew and then where they need to improve on for their next race or regatta. It helps them reinforce what they do well together and what areas they need to work on so they develop the areas of improvement without diminishing what they do well.

Describe your proudest coaching moment. 

Hauser: I would say any time I get thanked by an athlete for helping them out with a drill or questions on parts of their technique. It is a great feeling seeing them improve during practices and regattas. Even outside of coaching, I think we take for granted the work people do to help us out, and reaching out and saying thank you to them for committing whatever amount of time to help you is a great life lesson to recognize.

What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach? 

Hauser: The biggest life lesson I have learned from coaching is to leave each place you go to better than you found it. Unfortunately, in each place I previously coached, I could not stay because of coursework, COVID, and/or financially being unable. Wherever I go, I want to make sure that the team/organization gets put in the best position possible to succeed

What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach? 

Hauser: That is a great question. As a coach, I hope to give all of my athletes the best experience in rowing. Whether they stay in the sport for a season or stick with it for the rest of their lives, I want them to have a great experience.

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