She wants them to get used to the huge crowds and intense media interest. The BBC broadcasts the event live on radio and television. This year there will be 26 cameras tracking the seven-kilometre race. Last year six million people watched in Britain alone. If you have a structure or plan to step into you can concentrate on that instead of worrying about things going wrong.
Barnes also believes in the power of positive team spirit.
She gets athletes to come up with a charter. Whether or not Oxford wins the boat race this year, members of the crew know it won't be for lack of trying. They have trained six days a week for the past seven months for this single race against Cambridge. They know that their physical and technical skill is at a peak. And, thanks to Kirsten Barnes, they are in top mental shape too.