Teaching Fellow in Religion and Philosophy and Girls Crew Assistant Coach Aidan Spencer fell in love with rowing after picking up the sport at St. Paul’s School and walking onto Hobart and William Smith College’s team. Leading Girls Crew, he seeks to work with students and build community through rowing.
In his role, Spencer focuses on three priorities: safety, fun, and character. To him, rowing is a unique opportunity for athletes to learn and grow, lasting even after the season’s end.
“It’s a sport that takes place on the water, which inherently has some danger to it, so it’s really important that everyone remains safe. Number two is making sure it’s enjoyable—that it’s fun. I think it’s important to find fun in the right ways and in the right places. My responsibility is to help people find those moments of bravery, courage, and selflessness—things that can apply outside of the sport but are learned through it,” said Spencer.
Mena Parikh ’28 came into Andover as a novice coxswain and found herself learning the ropes quickly, in large part to Spencer’s one-on-one guidance and personal anecdotes.
“He very quickly taught me a lot from his own experience and from coaching over the past few years. He’s given me a lot of specific one-on-one feedback after spending time with me at practices, and that’s been really helpful and beneficial to my time as a coxswain so far,” said Parikh.
Building trust and being understanding are central to Spencer’s coaching philosophy. For him, establishing trust starts with empathy. Having been a student-athlete throughout both high school and college, Spencer understands the difficulty around living a balanced life at Andover.
“I build trust by being open and as understanding as I can. At Andover, life is so busy and everyone’s doing so much that I think any time an athlete says they need some kind of accommodation or they’re having a hard time, it’s important to take them at their word,” said Spencer.
Additionally, according to Siona Chan ’26, Spencer’s sense of humor and positivity has also made him one of the team’s most valued presences.
“My first impression was that he was very quiet but he’s very funny. I think a lot of people who don’t really talk with him would know that. Even when the weather’s bad or the current isn’t great or it’s just a cold day, he’s able to be that light—he makes everyone smile in the boat,” said Chan.
Beyond emotional support, Spencer also brings a sharp technical eye to every practice. Parikh noted how his attention to detail and focus on efficiency helped the team improve and move faster on the water.
“He pays close attention to technique and making sure everything is efficient. He’ll make the rowers do extra drills or refine things to help them preserve energy and perform their best at races,” said Parikh.
