Netflix’s Crew Girl premiered today, and it made waves as the first young adult series to feature rowing. It features everything you’d want in a young adult sports drama: messy team dynamics, an angsty love triangle, and a coach who actually cares about his team. I watch several sports dramas, and while some coaches are talented, few genuinely care about their players’ well-being. I can only think of Coach Taylor from Friday Night Lights or Coach Baker from All American.
Coach Hayden (Thomas Cadrot) was different, too. He wanted to win a championship, partly because his job was on the line, but he also cared about the team and wanted to instill work ethic and teamwork. I admired that he listened to Teagan and gave her the opportunity to try something new in the boat. He seemed to have a unique rapport with each teammate and used that to his advantage. It also helped that Crew Girl fleshed out Coach Hayden’s personal life, including him dating Teagan’s mom and how their daughters handled it.
There is so much more Crew Girl could do with his character, so he’d better return if the series gets renewed. The team wouldn’t be the same without him.
Warning: Crew Girl season 1 spoilers ahead!
Why Coach Hayden needs to return for his team
There aren’t many coaches like Matt Hayden. While he wanted a championship trophy to keep his job, he didn’t want to use Richard Regis’ prestige to guarantee the team a victory. The team needed to earn it by building teamwork and developing skills. He fought for them when they messed up because he believed his team worked better together than individually.
It impressed me that after all the guys refused to race without Teagan, he let her race. He knew his job might be on the line, but he also knew they wouldn’t win without her. More importantly, he knew she was the glue that kept the team together, and he had told the guys to follow her. It took character to own his own words, stand by his team, and take one for them.
Coach Hayden cared about each of them, and it showed. I think he related the most to Cam with his work ethic, and he wanted Cam in the stroke seat, but he was afraid to cross the Regis family. I gave him credit for apologizing because, again, that took guts. The team needs him because he genuinely cares about them, but he’ll push them to be their best.
Exploring the one who got away
While Crew Girl was a teen drama, it also explored adult relationships, including building a possible romance between Coach Matt Hayden and Teagan’s mom, Ella (Jessica Paré). I liked that they showed his life beyond being a coach and hers beyond being a single mom. There was such a rich history there since they both grew up in Eagles Cove, and even if they tried to deny it, they both still had feelings for one another.
It made for messy drama because he was Teagan’s coach, and his daughter, Madison, was overprotective of his dating choices. Life with teenage girls always brought its share of waves. However, they probably could have weathered those, but then Ella’s husband returned, and she didn’t want to involve Matt with her dysfunctional family. I think he could have handled it since she doesn’t love David anymore.
Both Ella and Matt deserved a second chance, and hopefully, they’ll get a chance to work through the mess together.
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