What does that little person at the back of the boat, shouting instructions at the other rowers even do?
It’s a question you hear time and time again asked by those unfamiliar with the sport of rowing, but the role of a coxswain can be a gruelling and crippling.
While the title of the coxswain is also used in the Royal Navy and US Coast Guard, for argument’s sake, this article will delve into the world of rowing.
What coxswains should know about income protection insurance
Responsible for navigating and encouraging the rowers, from the outside the role of a coxswain looks all too simple, but the highly technical task continues to sideline athletes and burden them financially.
Whether it’s being crammed in a confined space or a harsh boat collision, some injuries may be unpreventable but the financial toll doesn’t have to be. Even with their high susceptibility to injuries, coxswains can secure up to 75 per cent of their gross income with a simple income protection claim, if they look in the right places.
Amongst all the regulations and background checks involved with income protection insurance, it is far too easy to be duped and left high and dry when its time to make that claim, so it is imperative to read the fine print and make sure the policy is applicable to industry as intensive as rowing.
When you should claim?
The niggling nature of coxswain injuries often means there is no short-term fix and as tempting as it may be to cash in on that income protection insurance, it may pay to wait.
Most income protection insurers prevent policyholders from claiming on the same injury more than once, which means if that injury to your left hip returns a second time, chances are you won’t be covered. So before that paperwork is filed, coxswains should consider how long they think they might be out of action.
Even if a claim is made immediately after an injury, it is the decision of the insurer to determine when they will payout, which means you could be waiting anywhere between 14 days to 6 months.
Is it worth it?
Look no further than Margaret Krusing of Iowa University, without income protection, the young coxswain ended up in a messy three-year lawsuit after she suffered a debilitating leg injury. While she was eventually compensated, at such a young age, income protection insurance would have been far more affordable.
Yes, the wrong policies can become expensive, but sporting injuries can also take a long-term psychological toll, as seen with Ms Krusing herself who claimed her rowing injuries have since caused intense emotional trauma.