Is College Club Swimming the Right Choice for Your Child?

Swimmers may not find time for extracurricular activities they’d like to try such as working at a campus radio station or internships.

I believe that if our kids want to swim in college, they can find a school that fits—and it can be a wonderful experience. I also understand that swimming on a college team is not for everyone. What if a university has an outstanding program for a student’s major, but doesn’t have a swim team? Or, a counselor tells a student that they shouldn’t choose a certain major because swimming will conflict with clinical work? Or, they aren’t fast enough to be recruited where they want to attend school—what then?

In reality, it’s not all sunshine and roses to be a student-athlete. It’s a lot of work and a huge time commitment. Traveling to meets can happen during midterms or group projects, making academics harder for student-athletes.