Athlete of the Week

Steve Cheng, JE '01 Men's Lightweight Coxswain Hometown: Toronto, Canada Favorite restaurant: Louis' Lunch, "at least four times a week." On the portrayal of rowing in The Skulls: "It was not a realistic portrayal: people don't jump out of boats during a race, and if a stroke ever showed up late to a race like Pacey did, we'd kill him. It wouldn't happen."

That may be one way to describe his job, but Cheng has a crucial role on what is arguably Yale's most successful team. After taking home the national championship last year and international honors at the Henley Royal Regatta this summer, the team most recently captured first place at the Head of the Charles Regatta. "Last year was a big breakthrough year for the team," Cheng said. "Winning the national championship was definitely the highlight of my four years at Yale—we really felt we were vindicating ourselves after three years of success at the regular-season level."

Such success in what Cheng calls "the ultimate team sport" relies on many elements, beyond brute strength, for which Cheng as coxswain is responsible. "My job is basically to direct, coach, motivate, steer, strategize, and execute a race plan, which is something that eight guys in the middle of a physically taxing effort can't do. It takes intensity of focus and an understanding of how the oarsmen think in order to succeed." Captain Andrew Morley, JE '01, noted Cheng's ability to gauge and direct the team's physical performance. "We know each other so well that he usually knows what I'm thinking and based on his facial expression I know what he's thinking," Morley said. "Also, his Canadian charm attracts hundreds of women to our races, and the crowd support really helps motivate us."

Judgments of Cheng's appeal aside, the question of crowd encouragement is a sore spot for him. "Crew is not a spectator sport, especially at Yale," Cheng said. This was particularly evident after the team's participation at the Henley over the summer. "At our last race, for the last 600 meters the crowd roar was so loud the oarsmen couldn't even hear me—it was like at the Superbowl where all the players run out to the crowd cheering."

The only thing Cheng relishes more than crowds is his homeland—"I am the biggest fan of all things Canadian—beer, music. The team knows how much I love the Tragically Hip, who is legendary in Canadian circles," he said.

Morley credited Cheng's success to the peculiars of his Canadian temperment: "Rather than commanding over the boat Steve is quintessentially Canadian in his attempts at consensus building. Even in success he feels that he hasn't done or achieved enough. This keeps the rest of us honest." Cheng himself emphasized that this is what makes him an anomaly for his position. "The perception seems to be that it takes a little Napoleon to be a coxswain," he said. "You have to be loud and assertive, but I think I am not the stereotype—I am one of the most shy, quiet and reserved guys on the team. It's ironic that I am the one that sits in there yelling and cursing all day." Photo by Katie Aldrich.

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