Purdue Crew

Core Values

Below we List the Steps to Leaps pillars and the Core Values we focus on imparting throughout the Purdue Crew experience, explain Why they are important, describe How we attempt to impart these Core Values, and define What results we expect if we’re being effective in our mission and vision.

Grit/Persistence: Proactive Time Management is Imperative
- Proactive time management and the self-discipline to impose and stick to it is imperative to achieving success in any competitive environment.
  - Why? The amount of productive time spent working towards achieving a goal strongly influences whether that goal is achieved; therefore, time must be maximized in order to best ensure a positive outcome.
  - How? Athletes carefully plan their school, rowing, and other commitments well in advance, anticipating and avoiding conflicts whenever possible and communicating with their coaches of unavoidable conflicts beforehand, or else their spot both within their boat and on the team is in jeopardy.
  - What? Missed practice time and races are kept to a minimum, training is maximized, and rowing potential is reached.

Grit/Persistence: Purposeful Hard Work Pays Off
- Steady self-improvement towards achieving goals is the natural result of consistent hard work and focus over time.
  - Why? Leisure isn’t synonymous with happiness or fulfillment, and there aren’t shortcuts that can take the place of hard work and focus for anything worth pursuing in life.
  - How? Set reasonable individual and team goals for attendance, erg scores, race results, etc., focusing on the decisive roles hard work and focus play in the process of self-improvement.
  - What? Athletes continue to steadily improve technically and physically, achieve greater rowing success each season they row or cox, and make the mindful connection between consistent focus and hard work on self-improvement in all areas of life.

Grit/Persistence: Both Successes and Failures Happen, and Both Provide Wisdom
- Successes and failures are inevitable and shouldn’t be overstated, as neither lasts, but both present meaningful learning opportunities.
  - Why? It’s important to appreciate and celebrate our successes while also recognizing that disappointments are inevitable along the path towards self-improvement. It’s only by reflecting on and understanding the reasons behind each success and failure that we’re able to take ownership of them and learn from them.
  - How? Regularly reflect on the progress towards individual and team goals, understand the reasons for the successes and failures on the path towards achieving them, adjust the process and goals as necessary, and put both team and individual successes and failures in a broader perspective.
  - What? Setbacks during the course of a season are mourned but appreciated as learning tools and a natural part of competition and life, while successes are enjoyed and celebrated but not viewed as capstone life achievements.

Impact: Thriving Communities Care
- In a thriving community each person recognizes the importance of and commits to taking a vested interest in the well-being of other community members as well as their shared spaces and equipment.
  - Why? It’s easy to overlook and dismiss something that doesn’t directly affect us as being someone else’s responsibility, but it’s only by expanding our awareness and concern for others as well as to the spaces and equipment which we share together that we are able to foster the development of an entire community, thereby collectively achieving far more together than we ever would apart.
  - How? Ingrain into the daily routine of each athlete through both gentle and not-so-gentle reminders (as well as the occasional rambling soliloquy) that having a thriving Community/Team is contingent on maintaining a mindful awareness and empathy for one another, and having a proactive commitment to keeping our shared spaces clean and equipment cared for.
  - What? Athletes put Community/Team success before individual success, treat their teammates with the utmost respect and empathy, start noticing things that need doing and teammates that need supporting without needing to be told, and generally do the responsible and mature thing as a thoughtful habit.

Leadership: Thriving Communities Require Responsible Leadership
- Communities require responsible leadership to meet the unexpected challenges and fulfill the underappreciated tasks that are required to thrive.
  - Why? Any sophisticated group activity like collegiate rowing requires a lot of buy-in and responsible leadership and planning from a multitude of stakeholders to ensure team expectations and standards are met and exceeded.
  - How? Purdue Crew has thirteen executive board positions and a multitude of other leadership opportunities with real roles and responsibilities for our student-athletes to fill which are necessary for the proper functioning of the team, and which are mentored through a combination of student executive board members, coaches, Purdue RecWell staff, and Purdue Crew Alumni.
  - What? Purdue Crew athletes learn the need and value of taking leadership roles within their community, gain valuable leadership experience, and help the team exceeds expectation through continuing to build upon a successful past and present into an ever brighter future.

Well-Being: Physical Fitness is Fun!
- Physical activity can be enjoyable and is a necessary component of a balanced, healthy life.
  - Why? The rowing and cross-training that occur over the course of a rowing season encourages a lifelong love and appreciation for physical activity and fitness.
  - How? Include a variety of rowing pieces/workouts and a cross-training of biking, running, yoga, etc., into our training plan to minimize workout repetitiveness and tedium, help promote balanced muscle development and mitigate injury risk, as well as introduce athletes to a wide variety of physical activity and competitive disciplines they might stay active with later in life.
  - What? Rowers are excited to come to practice and enthusiastic about different workouts and cross-training activities, carrying a joie de vivre with them wherever they go.

Networks: Effective Communication is Required for Team Unity and Success
- Clear, honest, proactive, and respectful communication between all Purdue Crew Stakeholders is essential in building a cohesive and successful team.
  - Why? Effective communication ensures everyone is on the same page, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. It helps in resolving conflicts, clarifying expectations, and promoting mutual understanding.
  - How? Athletes and coaches actively engage in open and constructive dialogues. They listen attentively, express their thoughts clearly, and respect diverse perspectives. They maintain consistent communication channels and ensure that important information is shared timely and effectively.
  - What? Athletes develop stronger relationships with their teammates and coaches, leading to a more synchronized and efficient team. This collective understanding and trust translate into better performance and achievement of shared goals. Communication becomes not only a tool for effective teamwork but also a skill that benefits athletes in all aspects of their lives.

Networks: Competition is about Bettering Ourselves, Not Beating Others
- Competition isn’t about winning, it’s about appreciating and embracing the drive for greatness that compels us towards self-improvement and self-actualization.
  - Why? In our quest for success, competition motivates us to improve and strive ever closer to our potential, but the true value of competition is in its transformative process, not in who did or didn’t ‘win’.
  - How? Purdue Crew will regularly remind athletes of the broader perspective that win or lose, we need to recognize that our fellow competitors share similar hopes and dreams, and no matter who reaches their dreams at the end of the day or race, it’s only through our shared competition that we’re both empowered to achieve closer to our potential.
  - What? Athletes don’t dismiss their teammates or other teams due to poor results and displays appreciation and goodwill towards others, showing grace in both victory and defeat.