Smyte echoes Buhl's sentiments on winning too. Although Mills has prospered in competitions against other rowing squads, Smyte refuses to measure success in wins or losses. For Smyte, gauging success through wins is ultimately detrimental. It's a dangerous trap to get into. When it's comparative, you limit yourself.
Sparks also says that the best way to measure achievement is by personal improvement.
It is about working together as a team. The process of working together takes on artistic implications for senior coxswain Reba Knickerbocker. The eight rowers have to be completely connected. They have to be moving with each other. She also depends on other team members during a race.