IsYour Child Planning to Swim in College?

cgs2011 · 10-25-2009, 07:46 AM

My D is planning to swim in college. She has just started to seriously research different D1 and D3 programs. If any of you have a S or D that swims or is in the research process too - What can you tell me about the following teams - coaches, work ethic of the team, practice schedule, camradarie, if men and women teams practice together, winter training, and anything else that may be of interest. Stuff that you really can't get a feel for by researching their websites. She will start some unofficial visits in the spring and hopefully, official ones after July 1. The schools currently on her short list to explore more thoroughly are Washington Univ in St. Louis, Davidson, Georgetown, Dartmouth, Hamilton, Williams, Trinity (San Antonio) Middlebury and Washington and Lee. Thanks for sharing your insights.

Youdon'tsay · 10-25-2009, 08:02 AM

cgs, did you post this in the athletic subforum? You might get more informed bites there.

CBBBlinker · 10-25-2009, 11:37 AM

A HS friend of D got into Georgetown due to her swimming times. I'm sure she's doing quite well academically, but don't believe she would have gotten in without the swimming coach pulling for her.

thumper1 · 10-25-2009, 09:06 PM

I would suggest that your daughter speak to her swim coach. More often than not, these coaches have information about schools that potentially might be interested in their students. It sounds like your daughter is a recruited athlete. If that is the case, might she not have a chance to meet other members of the swim teams sometime in the recruitment process?

aphoticmelody · 10-25-2009, 10:17 PM

Those are all questions that can be answered by going on a recruiting trip. Your daughter will have a chance to speak to the coaches and spend time with the team.

'rentof2 · 10-26-2009, 01:33 AM

I know that Williams is a very strong team in its conference (NESCAC) and Dartmouth is a weak team in its conference/league (Ivy).

Middlebury and Hamilton are also NESCAC teams. Middlebury does decently in that conference, Hamilton is one of the weaker teams.

If your daughter has the opportunity to spend a day and night with a team host (especially a weekend night) she can probably get a good feel for the social fit (or lack thereof), the coach should be able to answer any questions about training, practice schedule, etc.

BobbyCT · 10-26-2009, 10:03 AM

Kenyon College is a powerhouse in womens swimming. They have a great coach and their swimming facilities are incredible, especially for D3. The school has a great academic reputation, campus and facilities. It is well worth a visit.

speedo · 10-26-2009, 10:10 AM

my D is a college swimmer and I have been involved in that sport for many years. Your list is way too varied for a response. First, does she really want to swim. D1 requires a huge committment and these days D2 and 3 are not far behind. My D decided on the level first and then contacted coaches via the web to see who would be interested. Most coaches want times and SAT scores. We visited some of the schools where the coach was interested and went from there. You have to meet the coach to see if that school will work. And a word of advice. When it comes to recruiting visits, as a parent, say hello to the coach and then disappear. It is not about you.

paying3tuitions · 10-26-2009, 08:48 PM

THREAD RELOCATED> Moderators just moved this thread here from Parents Forum to help this new member gain informed replies from readers of this subforum.

ihs76 · 10-26-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

When it comes to recruiting visits, as a parent, say hello to the coach and then disappear. It is not about you.

That depends on how savvy your kid is. Mine tends to run pretty clueless and would have missed everything the coach was asking for (e.g. commitment to attend) if I hadn't been there. "He seemed pretty nice" would have been about the extent of what DS picked up.

OldbatesieDoc · 10-26-2009, 10:49 PM

I tried the middle approach: "Hello, nice to meet you, can we chat for a few minutes later on?' The visit goes on with S and the team, and at the end, the talk with the coach.It was an expectation at all the recruiting visits we made except Macalaster, but I'd say they weren't as focussed on athletics anyway.We listened more than spoke, but asking some direct questions will definitely get more info than leaving it all up in the air.

cgs2011 · 11-05-2009, 12:02 PM

Thanks to all for your input.

Speedo - she definitely wants to swim in college. She currently practices with her club about 20 hours/week (including drylands) and has a fairly rigorous class load so she is used to a high level of commitment to academics/athletics. She still loves it so it makes sense for her to continue. I will look to her club coaches for direction with the visits - and yes it is about her, not me. In my old age, I am learning that she is her own person and her opinions aren't always the same as mine

Quick question - as she was researching some websites, some D3 schools don't start practice until October and seem to end right after conference championships or NCAAs....seems like a long time without getting in the water - do teams generally practice (unoffically) all year? I know a number of college kids come home in May and start right back with club swimming and others don't. Thanks!

speedo · 11-05-2009, 04:08 PM

cgs2011

Most D3 teams start practice in early October, but many have captain's practices and dryland training starting in mid Sept. At many schools there is a break right before exams mid December and then a training trip in early January. Around here kids come back for Thanksgiving and train with their old club team. The Xmas break tends to be more of a shut down time especially for D3. Training intensifies after the training trip and that continues right up to Feb/March. It's basically a six month season. If your D wants to swim with her club team in the Summer that is up to her. Most D3 teams practice daily an have some limited dryland. I would say around 15 or 16 hours of training a week is average.

As for choosing a D3 school. Your D can check the swim team times and see how she would fit in. If her times are good and her scores and grades are in the school's mid range
it's likely the coach will be interested. D3 has improved so much there's tremendous competition between the schools for qualified apps. Remember though, at D3 there's no scholarships and it's at least supposed to be all need based and academic merit aid. So if you're looking for money, D3 may not be the way to go. Many D3 schools will encourage your D to go ED, the coach doesn't want to waste a "tip" on RD apps. So it is possible to "get into" some of the top LAC's through swimming if the coach really wants you. My D chose not to go that route, although she had a very tempting offer (Some schools will prequalify the athlete and give you a prospective fin aid package) My D make her choice based on the schools, the one she liked best, and the coach, someone she felt would work for her and would be committed to her. She could have gone to a higher level LAC and we could have saved a little money but she, and we are happy with her choice. I have had a lot of involvement in D3 swimming over the years so if you have any further questions you can pm me.