MEET THE COACHES: MAEGAN NEIHART

Stanford Women’s Rowing Assistant Coach

The Rowing Association would like to give our Community the opportunity to get to know our coaches a bit better. Coaches play a central role in defining the essence of Stanford Rowing and leave their signature on different eras as much, if not more than the athletes. We are watching an exciting era of Women’s Rowing emerge, and the Assistant Coaches play a large role in that. For this edition of Boathouse of Champions, we got the chance to connect with Maegan Neihart, Assistant Coach of the Stanford Women’s Rowing Crew.

TRA: Tell us about your journey as a rower.

MN: I found rowing at the University of Oklahoma during my first week on campus, freshman year. There were some signs posted around campus for novice tryouts, which interested me, and then I was approached by a group of rowers asking me if I wanted to try rowing — they seemed like people I might want to be friends with, and I was still searching for my friend group, so I said yes. Tryouts was a funny experience because I was freaking out during all the testing, thinking I was going to get cut, but my friends would tell you I was crushing it. I ended up making the team and fell in love with the sport immediately — I loved how hard it was, physically and mentally, I loved how it added structure to my day, and I loved that it was a new challenge. It also helped that I had a badass novice class with an incredible coach, Emma Gresson, who pushed us really hard and showed us what was possible, both within ourselves and us as a group. That year I ended up making the varsity squad in the spring, then was selected for the V4+ for our conference championship, where we qualified for NCAA’s. That was such a fun year. That was the only year we qualified for NCAA’s, so over the next three years I learned a lot about pursuing something to the fullest without a guaranteed result at the end of it. Going through that taught me to enjoy the process, have fun with the people around me, and be relentless in the pursuit. As I became an upperclassman, I got the opportunity to lead some incredible underclassmen, which taught me how to lead by example and how to navigate highs and lows with a large group of women. College was a hugely formidable time in my life and I have rowing, my coaches, and my teammates to thank for that.

After college I rowed with ARION, a training group located in upstate New York, whose goal is to help elite athletes pursue national team and Olympic ambitions. It’s all small sculling boats, which I had only been in maybe 2 or 3 times, and I had taken about a year and a half break before starting there, so basically, I was horrible. I remember the first workout was (1:30 on / 1:00 rest / 3:30 on / 1:30 rest / 1:45 on) x 2 with 9’ rest in between. Lucky for me it was a timed workout because I was the slowest by at least 6—7 splits. I’m still a bit unsure how this happened, but within 6 weeks I was pretty close to on-pace with the rest of the group, regularly finishing among the top, but on the water, I was really uncomfortable in a 1x for probably the first 8 months. I’m so grateful my coach, Eric “Cat” Catalano, took a chance on me because my experience on this team and being coached by him changed my life. I fell in love with the sport again and watching myself transform from the worst athlete on the team to someone who could compete was incredibly rewarding.

TRA: When did you know you wanted to coach?

MN: Short answer, I’ve kind of always known. I’ve had a passion for helping people since I was a little kid. There was a Children’s Hospital across the street from my elementary school and kids from the hospital attended my school — starting in the first grade, every year I took on a classmate to read to, tutor, or just chat about life with. I loved connecting with and helping them and that experience drove my later aspirations to be a coach.

TRA: Tell us about your coaching journey.

MN: I started coaching rowing in 2019 at Saratoga Rowing Association in upstate New York, in part to give back to a community that was giving so much to my team, ARION, and myself (at the time being a part of that training group was zero-cost). I started out coaching during COVID where I taught novices how to row singles, which was challenging for obvious reasons and challenged my brain in ways that made me a better coach. Then, post COVID, I was the MODS (middle school) boys head coach and I couldn’t have loved coaching them more. They taught me patience and how to instill discipline, all the while making it fun and engaging. From there I moved to California to take a head coach position of the U15/16 girls at NorCal crew. That was my first time leading a group through a full season, start to finish, and it taught me lessons about what to prioritize versus what doesn’t actually matter as much as I thought. That year I also coached the Stanford Lightweights, which was my introduction to coaching at the collegiate level, so totally legitimized everything I was doing from recruiting to coaching boats to go fast over 2000m. I then took a position as the graduate assistant at the University of Michigan where I studied Kinesiology while coaching full-time. Following that I ended up here, where I am now, at Stanford. I just completed my second year and I have learned so much from the athletes and staff and just couldn’t be more grateful to be in this place with these people.

TRA: How would you characterize your coaching style?

MN: Back to my coach, Cat, he used to tell me that he is a lead with a banner from the front type of coach, instead of with a whip from the back. I think that characterizes my coaching style well. I'm not afraid to be direct and deliver information needed to make our athletes better, but I also strive to lead by example and inspire our athletes to be the best version of themselves. I believe that when we are all pursuing our best selves, with a team-first mentality, is when we’re working towards something special as a unit. The wolf is the pack and the pack is the wolf.

TRA: What brought you to Stanford? What attracted you to Stanford?

MN: I love that Stanford is the epitome of you get to do both — you get to pursue academics and athletics at the highest level imaginable. The people make the place, and I knew that I wanted to work with the athletes and alongside the staff here at Stanford — there is no better place to learn or be inspired. I learn something new every time we’re together, whether that’s in a launch on the water, walking around the erg room, or in the office.

TRA: What are your impressions of the program and Stanford more generally now that you’ve been here for a couple of years?

MN: We just do things differently here. We’re constantly thinking about not only the now, but 2-3 years down the line, and I think that forward-thinking is really special. Alongside this, we are so focused on the team as a whole — the team is our identity, and I think that’s so unique about this place.

TRA: One theme we hear a lot about is the strength of Stanford’s boathouse culture. How would you describe it? How does the team of coaches build it? How can you tell when you have it?

MN: Our boathouse culture just keeps getting better, and I think the effort from all 3 teams to make it something more evolved than what it’s been will help us go far as a collective. We often say, “one team, one dream” and that truly encapsulates the ethos of the Stanford boathouse. The coaches build it by making the intention known, but the athletes take it and make it their own. Culture is known when it’s felt, it’s an energy that you sense when you’re on the water, in the erg room, or simply passing each other in the boat bays — we want to see each other win.

TRA: We come to races and see a crowd of parents, friends, and athletes from other sports lining the shore. They’re all armed with cowbells and decked out in Stanford gear. What does that mean to the athletes and coaching staff?

MN: It means everything. The support gives life to what we’re doing. When the athletes hear their parents, friends, and cowbells in the middle of a race it adds a layer of excitement and intensity to what they’re doing. I love seeing everyone at races, sporting Stanford gear, it reminds me that I’m a part of something bigger than myself.

TRA: Tell us about the recruiting side of being a coach?

MN: Recruiting is so fun! It’s a ton of work and maybe takes up more of my job than the actual coaching does, depending on the time of year, but forming relationships with these athletes and bring together people that will end up being on the same team, striving towards a common goal, and will likely end up being each other’s bridesmaids, is just such a special position to be in. I love this team, and I love being able to add to the culture, and speed, with future trees.

TRA: If you’re recruiting a top rower who is also being recruited by other top schools, what’s your “come to Stanford Pitch?”

MN: I want recruits to be sold on the team and the experience of being a Stanford student-athlete. Here, you get to be surrounded by and inspired by the best of the best with incredible resources to match, to help you succeed. And guess what, the secret to being the best of the best is hard work, leaning into the people around you, and having fun along the way.

TRA: Which do you prefer: 2k or 6k erg test? Head Race or side-by-side?

MN: 2k test and side-by-side! I love the energy of having boats next to you from start to finish, and the grittiness it takes to get your bow ball out in front.

TRA: What do you like to do in your free time?

MN: I love to crossfit, run, read, go to the beach or on hikes with my dog, explore the food scene around the Bay with my roommate, or cook a meal for my friends.

TRA: What’s your favorite place to row outside of Redwood City?

MN: Saratoga Springs in the Fall, amidst the lush fall foliage, is such a gorgeous & peaceful place to row.