The Space Coast Crew Women’s  Team is starting off the season with a new varsity coach. Coach Alex Coultrup  is from California and competed in the National U23 boat at worlds.

“She is very experienced and she loves rowing,” sophomore rower Emily Eastwood said. “She was on the U23 team which is amazing. She is very passionate over everything.”

Sophomore Meghan Litchfield had high praise for the new coach.

“[She] works extremely hard to make us better and gives rigorous workouts to help us improve,” Litchfield said. “She [is] very serious during practice.”

Eastwood, a third-year rower, has seen her share of coaches.

“I have had three previous coaches she is my fourth coach in three years,” Eastwood said.

Coach Alex is already establishing the fact that she is different from the team’s previous coach.

“Coach Alex is less of a friend and more of a coach,” Eastwood said. “She does not stay after practice to socialize with us, instead she is getting us to put in extra meters after practice. She is very good at keeping her cool when we have problems with equipment. While she is very independent, she seems to coach like our head coach from two years ago who is now the assistant women’s coach at FIT.”

Litchfield also is impressed.

“Alex is able to give us more input on how to fix the mistakes we may be making,” she said. “We do drills and exercises to get rid of any bad habits.”

Eastwood reflected on changes the new coach is making to the team.

“I think she will make the woman’s team learn what hard work really is and she will make us more eligible to row in college,” Eastwood said. “I think the experience she has from national team coaches and college coaches will help our boat speed improve.”

By Moriah Padgett