"Athletes on this team quickly learn to “fly under the radar” just to avoid being publicly shamed. Price has a way of twisting anything, whether good or bad, into whatever narrative suits him. In midyear meetings, he dominates the conversation and barely allows you to speak, while the assistant coaches sit in silence, seeming just as afraid to say anything. Once he decides you are on his bad side, it feels like he will do whatever it takes to push you out. If you get injured, you are sent to the opposite end of the building and isolated from your teammates, as if taking care of your body is something to be punished. It begins to feel like a quiet shaming ritual for anyone who prioritizes their health. He says, “Do what is best for your body,” but the message underneath is clear. Suck it up and get back as quickly as possible. He knows how to manipulate with carefully chosen words and a smile on his face. On top of that, there is little coordination with the assistant coaches. One day he will tell you to follow a specific split, and the assistant coach will tell you something completely different. No matter which instruction you follow, you end up in trouble. It is a lose lose situation that keeps you constantly on edge. If you choose to join this team, be prepared to nod along and smile at everything he says, even when his words chip away at your confidence. It can feel like you will not survive here if you do not. Over time, that pressure erodes not only your self esteem and mental health, but also your love for the sport you once felt so passionate about. Rowing is a beautiful sport. Do it somewhere that allows you to grow and succeed without constantly worrying about whether you are on the coach’s good side."

"Justin is extremely knowledgeable in the sport and has turned athletes into elite rowers and coxswains. Being said his methods have created an absolutely terrible team culture and this past year over 16 girls have left the team. He often will say hurtful things to try and motivate athletes such as “when I look at you I see us losing Big Tens” or straight up telling injured girls they are simply “lazy.” Many girls struggle with mental health issues and are often penalized for taking a step back from the team. Injured athletes are totally separated from the team and are given little support. The entire coaching staff is not very approachable and most interactions are like a business transaction. Justin is responsible for creating his lineups for the top 2 eights, but the rest of the staff creates lineups and places rowers and coxswains purely off of opinion even if you won your seat race. When asking for answers athletes are told they lack in “competitive spirit” or something else dumb. If you’re looking for a warm and fuzzy environment with an open door policy this is not it. Went to a lot of sports psych when I was there."

"Justin turned RWR from absolute dog s*** to a respectable team. I will never disagree with his ability to do that. He talks in circles and knows how to beef up what he is saying to make it sound better when in actuality he is a professional at making most people on the team feel insignificant. Unless you are a v8 contributor your importance in his eyes diminishes. In my time on the team, he would speak about how he valued academics yet would berate you if you missed a team lift or had to leave 5 minutes early from practice for a lab or an internship opportunity. It’s truly disappointing to see the value he places on athletes from a mental health perspective and how much he devalues your physical health as well despite the number of resources the university has. "

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