Our son is a swimmer and we’ve just started talking to coaches about applying to BS for 9th grade. Most of the schools we’ve been at / in touch with don’t have year round swim teams and only the one swim season, but some do seem to send kids to collegiate level nonetheless… Does anyone know how they train? (Other than schools like Peddie which run their own club team and seems to be only for those who are aiming for collegiate level… this is probably not for us)
I would think swimmers need to train year round just to stay at varsity level, but some of the schools we’ve talked to so far said their swimmers do another sport like water polo or rowing during the non-swim seasons. Is this enough to stay in shape for swimming?
We live overseas so training with our home club is not an option during the school year. I feel like I am missing something… surely there must be a middle ground for good swimmers who don’t want to be in the pool at 6 am year round but would like to keep up with swimming in the off seasons?
I have no personal experience but I’d have your son ask the coaches what students at the school do if they would like to continue swimming/training in the off-season?
If by varsity you mean collegiate the answer is likely no. There are exceptions, usually found amongst sprinters, and there are always those few truly exceptional athletes.
For most, the ones that “make it” find a way to stay in the water. This involves very significant sacrifices in school life, IMO. Schools like to make it seem like its possible, but very kids manage it. Almost all the swimmers we know who chose those schools didn’t progress much. Several stopped swimming all together.
George School has a club that swims in its pool. Some swimmers, usually the most competitive ones, do that year round. Others are one season swimmers. Most of the latter row or run in the other seasons, I think. It looks like they do a pretty good job of meeting the needs of both ends of the spectrum (as well as everything in between). The pool is, of course, available to anyone who wants to swim without a coach. (That takes a special kind of dedication on a regular basis!)
I think Mercersberg has a good set-up for year round swimmers too.
It sounds like you have already found Peddie!
Your best bet is to find schools that interest you and to reach out directly to the coaches on this question as there are nuances - from whether the off season with a school-affiliated club team counts as a sport, requires exemption from a second sport, has options for a less gung-ho year-round swimmers, etc. To someone who does the sport, these can be really meaningful differences.
My son just graduated from an 8 school that doesn’t have formal year around swimming. He and other serious swimmers on the team did their own training in the morning during the off season and in season for doubles. They also worked with a local club team. He was recruited to swim at Swarthmore. It is a good fit for him because he wanted a smaller LAC. Had he not gone to BS and continued with his club team, he would have been a lot faster. His club peers have Jr. National’s, U.S. Open and/ or Olympic Trials cuts. Where he would have fallen in that continuum who knows. What he gave up for swimming, he gained in a strong academic environment. If swimming is a big driver, your swimmer should look at Bolles. Academics over swimming Andover, Exeter, Deerfield, Peddie, George are all strong academically and have strong swim teams.
My son did varsity row his freshman year, which did keep him conditioned for the long course season. However, he refused to give up his morning swims. This meant his hands never properly calloused, so they were bloody messes. He did varsity waterpolo his sophomore year because his swim pals were doing it. He gave that up because it messed with his stroke. He was able to do things like weight training and yoga for his mandatory extra curricular. But yes, both rowing and waterpolo do help keep you conditioned.
I’d throw Mercersburg in this mix too, but swimming at Peddie or Mercersburg is a distinctively better quality of life experience for a swimmer as the practice schedule is designed to accommodate the rest of the BS experience the same way other sports do. I agree that Bolles is not on the same tier academically (nor is the same type of BS IMO). Someone interested in Bolles might want to take a look at Baylor as well.
One important distinction between Peddie/Mercersburg is that the “school” takes you to USA Swimming meets and the coach excuses you from class. Navigating absences at the other schools can be quite challenging and the majority of swimmers will not compete at non-scholastic meets (all in winter) during the school year.
The issue with swimming only at the scholastic level is that you are only allowed to swim 2 individual events (some swimmers won’t even get that many), and most will always swim those same two at every meet. These are not always the athlete’s best events, but the ones that makes sense for the team as a whole. HS swimming is a game of points and strategy. The coach will use the team to maximize points.
Thank you all for the helpful responses! It seems to confirm what I suspected which is that it is probably difficult to reach one’s maximum swim potential (whatever that is) at a BS without a year round team without significantly impeding the BS experience…
Something to think about as we go through this process!
Sorry, I am honestly not sure what I was hoping for…
Initially, we started the BS search process because our son wanted to be in the US for high school (he was at summer camp at a US BS last yr and loved it), but I am only now realizing that going away to a BS without a year-round swim team will mean he is not getting the kind of training he gets now at his current club team at home.
I would love for our son to swim (and attend!) at a school like Peddie but I am not sure he has the talent to do so… I always thought swimming at the collegiate level was only for superstars… we’ll try to apply anyway!
Peddie, like Mercersburg, has all types of swimmers. A select few at the national level all the way down to swimmers who only swim for the school team (because they have found other passions while at school). While it is unlikely that a swimmer with no experience will be able to join the team, the only real criteria is willingness to show up to practice and give their best effort. Feel free to DM me if you have any specific questions about your situation.
Having a club available is helpful if your student is contemplating college athletics. Sometimes adding an extra meet or two in the offseason is needed to get some more times and qualify for more elite meets.
Phillips Academy (Andover) has an incredible coach (Fox) and a highly successful team. Many of the boys play water polo in the off season. There is a local club (Crimson Aquatics) that boarders can join.
St Georges (RI) has open swim in the off-season and a wide range of talent on the varsity team. There is a local club that day students train with but I’m not sure if any boarders have chosen to do so.
Feel free to pm me. My first child graduated from PA and now swims Division 1. My second swims at SG and is in it for fun- no interest in college swim.
Thanks so much! Indeed, as we talk to more schools, it does seem like those with strong swim teams have something available if a kid wants to swim year round, whether it’s a club team at the school pool, or transportation to a nearby club. A few schools we talked to don’t have this, but I think it’s because their swim program is not that big.
I guess the real issue is getting in somewhere… Fingers crossed!
St. George’s swim program is iffy. They can’t seem to keep swim coaches at least not the last two years. We are friends with a family there and their child is a swimmer.
I’d encourage you to take a look at Lawrenceville. Outside of a strong HS team and beautiful aquatic facility, they have a fast, decently popular club team, Whitewaters, which practices there as well. While every practice in the week is not at L’Ville, most practices are accessible, and it is possible to secure permissions and possible carpools with teammates.
I know a couple kids that do it, and it allows them to swim at the highest level (junior nats, futures, sectionals, etc.) while still boarding. Remember to speak to the coaches about feasability and permissions to make sure its allowed.
Fingers crossed!