College questions

Parent and Swimmer look at these questions together. You may have already asked some of these questions of the coach. Talk about other questions that are not here that you want the answers to. When you go on a visit find out as much as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and write down the answer. You will be coming into contact with different people, some of these questions can be asked of more than one of them. These are some questions you can ask different people when looking at a school. Some of these will only be answered if you go visit the school. Keep track of what different schools have to say. Remember you will be spending the next four or five years at this institution, it needs to be a place that you feel comfortable.

Things to think about before you begin:

1. What part of the country do you want to go to school in?

2. What kind of climate?

3. What size of school? What size of city?

4. What division do you want to or can you compete at? Be realistic!!

Visits to Campus

You can go on 5 official visits. That means they pay to bring you on campus. This is the best way to find out about the program and team.

Some very important rules you need to know:

1. A college coach may contact you starting July 1 of the year between your Junior and Senior year.

2. They may call only once a week. If your parents talk to them for more than just finding out you aren’t there it counts as a call. They may call within the same day however and talk to you and that is ok.

3. On visits they can’t give you anything (caps, shirts).

4. On visits you can’t workout with the team.

University information:

1. Does this university have my major?

2. How many students are at this university?

3. Is it in a part of the country that I want to spend 4 to 5 years in?

Scholarship information: to ask coach

1. What times do I need to have to be considered for a scholarship? Are there other sources of financial aid I should be looking into?

2. With a partial scholarship what are my out of pocket expenses?

3. If I don’t get a scholarship for my freshman year what are the chances that I might be awarded one for my sophomore year? How do I improve my chances?

4. What is the process for annual scholarship renewal (they cannot “guarantee” a 4 or 5 year scholarship)? What is needed to get 5^th year aid? How can a scholarship be taken away?

5. Can the amount of my scholarship be increased or decreased through my years at this school?

6. What happens if I am offered a non-athletic scholarship as well?

7. What kinds of grants, etc. are available and how do you get the information on them?

Team and Practice information: to ask coach

1. How many are on the team? How many travel?

2. Is the team Co-ed? If so, do men and women train together? If not, what is the relationship between the two? Do they travel together? Are the conference meets together? How many coaches are there? What coach will I be working mostly with?

3. What is the training like during all phases of the season?

Yardage? Types of training?

4. What is the practice schedule for a typical week, including water and dryland (strength training) workouts?

How many hours a week?

Example workout?

5. How long is the season?

6. What are the attendance requirements? Are they different for scholarship and non-scholarship swimmers?

7. What events do you see me swimming in dual meets?

8. Will I be traveling with the team? What is the travel schedule, how may days of school will be missed?

9. How does the team travel to away meets? Who drives?

10. Do my times fit into to the team? Are you recruiting others with similar times?

11. Is there a Christmas training trip? Am I required to go? How is paid for? How much? Do you train over Thanksgiving?

12. Is there a strength training coach that works specifically with the swim team?

13. Is there a trainer assigned to the swim team like the basketball team or is there a different one at every meet?

14. Do you have a spring training program? How much time do I have off after my last meet and spring training? What are summer training expectations? How many stay on campus to take classes and train over the summer months?

15. Is there any possibility that the swim team will be dropped from the athletic department? (It has happened!) Of what value is the swim program to the athletic department?

Academic information: to ask coach

1. Do you practice or compete during final exams?

2. Are there tutors available? To both scholarship and non-scholarship athletes?

3. Is there an Athletic Academic Counseling department? What is my access to it?

4. What is the team’s GPA and graduation rate? What is the graduation rate for the whole school and for the whole athletic department?

5. Is there a study hall available or is it required? Required hours?

6. Can I contact any of the current members of the team? (specifically those that swim my events)

Academic information: to ask Academic counseling

1. Are there professors that a student-athlete should avoid?

2. How can I take advantage of your counseling?

3. Can I come to you with non-academic problems?

4. How many credits do you recommend that I take?

Academic information: to ask department of study

1. What are the program requirements?

2. What type of course work will I be doing?

3. Are there other student-athletes in this program?

4. What is the policy for taking tests when I am gone on team travel?

5. How can I get notes of missed classes?

6. Does this university have a graduate program to fit my interest?

7. Do I have to graduate in 4 years?

8. Can I do this course of study and swim? When are most of the classes?

9. When do I have to declare a major?

Team information: to ask swimmers on the team

1. Is the coach consistent and fair? (Ask upper classman for this)

2. Does the coach play favorites?

3. Does the coaching staff work well together?

4. Is there an alcohol problem on this team?

5. What parts of town should I stay away from?

6. Do you like it on the team? Do the swimmers get along?

Questions to ask yourself:

1. If the coach left, would I stay?

2. Would you choose this school if you were not a swimmer?

3. Are you choosing the appropriate level for yourself as far as athletics and academics are concerned?

4. Do you think the staff and program fits your needs?

5. Do you socially fit in with this group of swimmers? Look particularly at the Freshmen and Sophomores.

6. Are you looking for a metropolitan area or smaller area for your college?

7. If the program is dropped what would I do?

8. How do you tell a coach that you aren’t interested? Let the coach know as soon as you have made a decision.

What Do Coaches Look For?

An article by USA Swimming

Spring is here. The college season is almost over. Coaches are wrapping up their recruiting classes and the whole of the college swimming community gets a bit of a breather.

But still the machine marches on. In fact in the recruiting business there’s little time for letup, a fact that was obvious to anyone attending Juniors or Y-Nationals last month. What are they looking for? When do they begin looking? What does it take to get a scholarship?

Most recruits and parents would love to pick the brains of those coaches up in the stands, and in reality most coaches (those without a rapidly-approaching tee time) are happy to help. But face it, going up and asking can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to ask.

Well, never fear. We’ve done the legwork for you and today we begin a series – “Twelve Things Every Recruit Wants to Know…But is Afraid to Ask.” You’ll hear, from coaches themselves, whether it is better to sign in the Spring or Fall; what to expect on a recruiting visit; why coaches might not renew a scholarship; dealing with negative recruiting and more. In the coming weeks, we will try to untangle web of dreams, unknowns, misperceptions, and worries that make up the recruiting experience.

Today we ask what seems obvious.

Question 1 – What does a coach look for in recruiting?

“Everything,” explains Southern Methodist’s Eddie Sinnott, “is important or can be when assessing someone’s potential to perform at the NCAA Division I level.”

OK, but seriously, everything? Hawaii’s Vic Wales said as much but offers a bit of an outline– “Grades, potential, club team, family, and history,

Of course don’t forget the one big thing – speed. College swimming, is by its very nature, competitive and faster swimmers win races. Almost every coach we asked included times as the first, but by no means most important criterion.

How Fast Are You?

Susan Teeter, head coach of the Mid-Major National Dual Meet Champion Princeton Tigers explained, “I personally look for someone who can contribute time wise first on paper, then I look for the quality of the person as a human being to my program.”

But best times aren’t the only criterion.

“Certainly times are important especially if performed in major championships under pressure,” explains Gregg Troy, head coach at Florida. “Coaches recommendations are also very key.....after that there are many variables: grades, character, future improvement.”

Joe Plane, the interim head coach at Pacific echoed the role of club and high school coach, “If they say someone is no where near their potential or is a new year round swimmer, that will have an effect on how we view someone.”

When Denver’s Brian Schrader talks with coaches, his ears perk up when coaches describe a swimmer as their “the hardest worker”, “a team player”, “most improved”, their best student, or someone they enjoyed coaching.

Even the role of times can vary among schools.

According to one coach, teams “higher up the food chain” can be the most selective, while other programs, those at the bottom of their conference or smaller schools hoping to compete among the elite, might look ignore potential black marks. “You don’t want to, but the realities of the job dictate that you have to win. The better the program the more you can pick and choose your risks.”

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading universities and swimming programs, Stanford would seem pretty high up that ‘food chain’ and when asked, Stanford’s Ted Knapp didn’t even mention times – “talent and attitude” is what the Cardinal looks for in their recruits.

Finding the ‘Fit’

Of course when dealing with scholarships, you’re talking an investment and a finite amount of scholarship money. Coaches must invest wisely. So not surprisingly, every coach, no matter where they are on the food chain, looks beyond times. Every coach wants fast swimmers, but they also want good students, hard workers, and team players.

“Talent, work ethic and mental toughness,” play into the mind of Kansas’ Clark Campbell while UC-San Diego’s Scott McGihon explains that “Commitment level, ability to engage in conversation intelligently, and passion for sport as well as academic prowess” are his key factors. Many coaches will watch the body language at meets. Are they smiling? Outgoing? Do they possess a, “killer race instinct, good sportsmanship and character.” If you want to swim at Pitt, you’d better because in addition to talent that’s what Chuck Knoles is looking for.

Add to that an, “unselfish team approach.” That’s on Ohio State’s Bill Dorrenkott’s list along with several coaches looking for that elusive “fit.”

“On a trip coaches will look to see if a recruit will mesh with the team and coaching philosophy” explains Brooks Teal of NC State. Count Tennessee’s John Trembley as one coach who asks his swimmers for on about a recruit’s social interaction and “how they would integrate into the team setting.”

“Obviously,” says Indianapolis’ always-direct Gary Kinkead, “a coach will not want someone who they, or the current swimmers on the team, think will not fit in with the team concept.”

What is potential?

Think of a coach as both private investigator and talent scout. If a coach back home says a swimmer is, nowhere near their potential or is a new year round swimmer,” that can be a plus sign according to Plane. Swimmers from a small club without doubles or weight facilities can be seen as having untapped potential.

On the other hand, that same recruit – when faced with the prospect of 20-30 hours of training each week – might be in over their head. “If they come from a great club,” explains another coach, “then usually issues regarding training are not likely to be a problem.”

Of course, there could be other training issues that are a problem. Some clubs, it appears, have a bad reputation for burnout. “We won’t actively recruit from a few clubs,” explained one coach.

That’s where coaches go from P.I. to talent scout.

Growth patterns and “information about their gene pool” are on Trembley’s indicators of potential. Good stroke mechanics count, so too does a swimmer’s training history, injury history, and physical maturity. SMU’s Sinnott even takes in a recruit’s hand and foot size. Dorrenkott looks for swimmers with, “a steep rate of improvement” while a lack of improvement, might cause coaches to ask – in the words of Kinkead – “what the problem was.”

Good Grades

Of course, there’s the issue of academics. Swimmers aren’t just in college to swim – they’re there to get an education. Grades can be a big factor – both good and bad. In the era of the Academic Progress Rate (APR) teams face the prospect of losing scholarships if swimmers are not graduating on time. An ineligible swimmer is a waste of scholarship money. An ineligible walk-on is likely to be a former swimmer.

On the other end of the spectrum, good students are more likely to earn academic scholarships. These frequently don’t count against a team’s scholarship cap. There are many times more academic than athletic scholarship dollars. In fact, according to the New York Times, the average athletic scholarship amount is less than $8,800. In swimming, the figure is closer to $4,800 for men, and $6,700 for women. Whatever the case, kids who can earn academic scholarships make life easier for a coach trying to build a successful team.

YOU

One final consideration is the role you – the student-athlete takes. Are you being aggressive? Sincere? Or are you just sitting on your butt waiting for coaches to come knocking? Coaches like recruits that are actively engaged (but not pushy) in the recruiting process. “There are too many recruits,” explains Rick Walker from Southern Illinois, “and too little time to waste – either theirs or ours.” Coaches want recruits who are prepared, informed, and straightforward.

Now that you have an idea of what coaches are looking for – the next question is when?

We’ll cover that and more about what YOU can do in the weeks ahead.

Division 1 Program Cuts Investigation: Preparing for the Worst (Part 1 of 2)

By Jacob Kittilstad

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, August 7. When an athletic department’s budget needs to be balanced collegiate swimming programs are often placed on the chopping block. If teams, however, became proactive in securing economic stability outside of what is offered to them by their athletic department, there would be a much better chance of surviving a wave of cuts, Frank Comfort said.

“The easy way for an athletic department to free up money is to cut a sport like swimming. The creative way to find money is to fundraise for the team and take the program out of ever being placed in that position,” said Comfort.

When Comfort coached at North Carolina, he put kept heavy emphasis on the need to endow his program’s scholarships and fundraise for his team’s special projects. He said it was important to always consider collecting contributions a long term project.

“It’s not a two week scramble for cash,” Comfort said. “For the process to be effective you don’t pour 40 hours into one week of fundraising. You put in two hours or more each week over years.”

Comfort said, as a coach, he would send out newsletters and emails to North Carolina alumni but it was mostly to engage the team’s former athletes with the current program as opposed to constantly requesting support. However, the topic of fundraising was occasionally raised, he said.

“I don’t expect to get money from people younger than 35 years of age. Maybe it’s even 45 now because people are having kids later,” Comfort said. “But we would still send out the information to the ‘under-thirties’ just to keep them informed about North Carolina.”

Mickey Wender, head coach of Men’s and Women’s swimming at The United States Military Academy at West Point, said it is important to try to have as many of the program’s former athletes as possible give back on a yearly basis.

“We even encourage our recent graduates to donate at least a dollar a year,” Wender said. “We’re trying to create a culture of giving back that will help our program in the future.”

Wally Morton, head coach of Men’s and Women’s swimming at Cleveland State, said if relationships are formed, reformed or maintained between a swimming program its alumni or other potential donors, a team’s fiscally driven goals still have the ability to thrive even during a harsh economic climate.

“We have a goal to maintain the quality of our facility and our latest goal was to buy a modern display board,” Morton said. “Just recently we’ve reached our goal. Even in this economy we collected one hundred thousand dollars in donations from people with whom we’ve kept relationships.”

Morton said the Cleveland State men’s program is about 50% endowed while the women’s program is just beginning the fundraising process because it is only his third year as their coach. Comfort, who shared that North Carolina had 41 endowed scholarships for it’s combined men’s and women’s program, said endowing part or all of a program is an effective way of dissuading an athletic department from cutting a sport.

“Put yourself in the shoes of an administrator. If you’re looking to make a cut and you’re looking at two of your non-revenue sports and one program has 41 endowed scholarships and the other has, let’s say, three…what direction do you think your decision would go?” Comfort said.

Re-involving Alumni in the Team

At The Ohio State University, Bill Wadley, head coach of men’s swimming, said he spends a lot of his time focusing on the quality of his athletes’ swimming experiences.

“I want my kids to have so many opportunities provided to them because they were on this team that they’ll be ashamed if they don’t give back when they’re older to help give other kids those same opportunities,” Wadley said.

Wadley, whose team already has 15 endowed scholarships, said his goal is to endow every travel position in his program. To accomplish this he said he hopes to continue involving more Ohio State’s swimming alumni in the fundraising process as he has in the past.

“Every program can do this. It doesn’t matter how small the college is or what your record is,” Wadley said. “When alumni get older and you ask them ‘What did your experience on the team mean for you?’…the question can bring tears to their eyes it was that important to them.”

At Cleveland State, Morton said, to him, it is important to put up, at the pool, a picture of every single person who participated in the program thereby forever linking the alumni, at least photographically, to the team.

“Even the slowest guys get there pictures up and a lot of the time the slowest guys on the team are the one who appreciate the whole experience the most,” Morton said. “And then later on in the future, they’re the ones who contribute the most money because they never took participating for granted.”

Comfort said although athletic departments may enjoy getting letters and phone calls from former student-athlete about how important their experiences were to them, decisions are most often driven by dollars and cents.

“When the term ‘loyal alum’ is used, don’t be conned. It’s all about the money and the donations people make,” Comfort said.

Team Action Outside of the Pool

Bob Groseph, who will soon become Interim Executive Director of the College Swim Coaches Association of America, said he thinks a lot of the members of the college swimming community hold the false belief that having a team is a right and not a privilege.

“I think a lot of people are taking it for granted,” Groseph said. “Coaches should be telling their swimmers about the alumni who donate…get the athletes involved and tell them how someday it will be them who should be donating. The giving spirit unfortunately nowadays has to be taught.”

Wender, who was the head coach for the University of Washington’s swimming programs from ’88-’06, said after the college teams near cut in the year 2000 he became incredibly proactive in fundraising as well as finding imaginative ways to find money.

“The Starbucks Corporation was the third largest in Seattle and we put together a proposal for them to fund our summer program. We created Starbucks Aquatics and they would give what they could during the summer and college seasons,” Wender said. “Nearly every community has businesses and corporations that may be willing to contribute. Swimming is such a healthy and clean sport that it’s something really attractive for a corporation to support.”

Morton said, outside of the realm of donations and fundraising, it is imperative for a team to have a good rapport with college administrators outside of the athletic department.

“A team needs to have a strong relationship with the University President,” Morton said. “In the 90s, cuts were happening here at Cleveland State and the athletic director wanted to drop our program. The president said ‘no way’ because we had always been very close with him.”

“After that, I haven’t taken anything for granted. Our program is solid right now but every coach should take it year by year,” Morton continued. “I mean, I feel good about the program…I wouldn’t be raising all the money if I didn’t. But, that being said, I’m on my 36^th one-year contract.”

Comfort offered additional advice, other than using economic persuasion, on how to avoid a program cut such as consistently keeping athletes out of trouble, keeping athletes graduating, cooperating with the athletic department and having athletes on the All-American lists.

“It’s also important for coaches to attend other University functions,” Comfort said. “Head coaches should be at the football and basketball games. The athletic director may not notice every time they’re there but over a few years, he’ll definitely notice the coach’s dedication to the school.”

Comfort added, “Some coaches can’t seem to see further than the pool.”

Role of the Head Coach

Wadley says there are many aspects to his job at Ohio State other than coaching including recruiting, developing, endowing and fundraising.

“I believe you have to be just as passionate about fundraising as you are at recruiting,” Wadley said. “The school is putting a huge investment forward…there’s a lot of money being spent…and coaches need to understand that. If the athletic department is willing to invest in us the coaches, the coaches must be willing to invest in the school.”

Groseph said fundraising should be a major priority for division 1 head coaches and both collection projects and contribution goals should be given considerable effort by the coaching staff.

“As a head coach I personally found out that when you get involved in it, it’s surprising how many people want to help you out,” Groseph said. “It’s part of your job…ensuring the longevity and productivity of your organization.”

Frank Comfort said in the late 90s, each coach at North Carolina was encouraged to raise 1 million dollars from his or her alumni to be used as a team endowment. He met this goal before he retired in 2007 and learned about the position a head coach should take in asking for donations.

“I’m not saying, if you’re a head coach, you have to turn in your stopwatch and become a fundraiser full time but it is my belief that if a head coach is not intimately involved in a project, it will fail,” Comfort said.

Nort Thornton, former men’s head coach at the University of California, Berkeley, said when he worked to endow his program he was fortunate to have supportive alumni willing to contribute to his cause. He conceded, however, initially he wanted no part of the fundraising process.

“It’s never been under the job description on my contract and at first I resented it because it took time away from coaching,” Thornton said. “But now I believe it’s necessary to find people who will support the team and it’s the job of the head coach to kind of ‘sell it’ to them.”

Thornton continued, “And you know what? The more involved I got and the more time I spent getting to know our alumni, the more fun it was for me.”

Thornton said although campaigning for funds is energy consuming, it does not have to dominate the time of a head coach.

“You always have to keep it in the back of your mind. Opportunities present themselves at different times and you just have to be prepared when the right situation comes around,” Thornton said.

Division 1 Program Cuts Investigation: Affecting Students and Schools (Part 2 of 2)

By Jacob Kittilstad

(To read part one of this story visit this link: <Part One>)

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, August 10. Evan Bernier, a former member of the University of Washington’s swim team, said he never thought the program would be cut after having what he described as a “stellar season”. However, he said he was a little nervous when he received an email from his coaches requesting a meeting with the entire team to speak with the athletic director.

“We all had this eerie feeling. Especially because the A.D. did not want to walk into the room until it was confirmed all of us swimmers were there,” Bernier said. “The speech given to us lasted about two minutes with the first line being ‘Due to budget constraints we’ll have to cut the team…’ Immediately there were, like, three girls crying and some of the men slammed their fists on the table. The rest of the meeting was a blur.”

Every one of Bernier’s teammates was affected by cut, some more drastically than others, Bernier said.

“I have two roommates who were sophomores. One was struggling to find a new place for himself to swim but he eventually made the decision to go to Cal,” Bernier said. “The other, his swimming career is over now. He didn’t really have any other choices and the decision to retire was pretty much forced upon him.”

Bill Wadley, head coach of the men’s swim team at the Ohio State University, said when a swimming program is cut the athletes may begin to feel dispassionate towards the sport but almost always become detached from their college and its athletic department.

“When a young person chooses a school, they don’t choose it to leave it,” Wadley said. “I think it really demoralizes them…makes them feel like they were hung out to dry by their college.”

Steve Miller, a member of the Rutgers University men’s swim team when it was dropped, said he wouldn’t have even considered going to the school had he known the program was going to be discontinued.

“I would’ve crossed them right off my list,” Miller said. “I mean, as time has passed I’ve realized I had some great experiences and met great people there but when I transferred, I left Rutgers with a really bitter taste in my mouth.”

Chuck Warner, head coach of Rutgers’ men’s team during the cut, said the affect it had on his athletes was devastating to watch.

“You know, the kids grow up playing sports because the sports have rules that even the playing field for all participants. But when adults come in and just take away the opportunity without proper planning, without deep thought and with little notice…the process can be pretty horrifying,” Warner said.

Administering Difficulties

When a program is cut the intentions of the college’s administration are often heavily questioned and criticized by the athletes, alumni and coaching staff. At Rutgers University, the reaction was no different.

“These decisions rest on the good or bad intentions of the administration,” said Warner. “I don’t think Rutgers wanted to keep the program. The egos were there and when we were trying to reinstate the program, we just couldn’t because I think some of the administrators didn’t want to feel like their initial decision could possibly be wrong.”

Bob Groseph, soon-to-be Interim Executive Director of the College Swim Coaches Association of America, said getting angry with the college’s administration is the most common response to a program cut.

“The fact of the matter is most of the time the administrators are making the decision reluctantly,” Groseph said. “It’s probably a bad idea to irritate them because it’s important to remember they’re the ones who usually have the ability to reinstate the program.”

Whitney Hite, head coach of the University of Washington’s swim team during its most recent cut, said he was left confused by his athletic department’s decision.

“I wasn’t sure what was wanted. We were nationally competitive. The team didn’t get into trouble. Our team G.P.A. was high and consistent,” Hite said.

When the University of Washington’s athletic department was asked how the swimming program could be reinstated, the ultimatum delivered to Hite was the team would be able to return after fundraising 40 million dollars, Hite said.

“That’s endowing every scholarship and getting a new facility,” Hite said. “Sometimes when you ask a question and you get an answer…there’s more to it than only the answer.”

Mickey Wender, who admits he knows little about the cut despite being Washington’s head coach from ’88--06, said he feels very strongly any program cut is avoidable from an administrative perspective.

“Swimming is a very inexpensive and cost effective program at any University. The benefits of sponsoring a team far outweigh the cost,” Wender said. “In my opinion there is never a good reason for an administration to eliminate a college swimming program.”

Universal Affects on the University

When a program is cut, the affects of that decision on a college are much deeper than what may have been expected by the administration, Wadley said.

“In the short term, dropping a program will help in balancing the budget. But, I think that in the long run the school’s going to lose more money than it’s going to gain from the cut,” said Wadley.

Swimmers who experienced a cut may appreciate their experience but, in the end, they will most likely harbor negativity towards the college, Wadley said.

“I’m going to guess that down the road, they might be reluctant to give back to the school,” Wadley said. “…and who knows? There could be the next Bill Gates on that team and he just slipped away.”

Wally Morton, men’s and women’s head coach at Cleveland State, said he believes a college’s fundraising ability is immensely damaged when a swim program is dropped.

“Sometimes the greatest support for the University comes from older swimmers. I think it’s because swimmers understand how to set long term goals and there’s just a high rate of swimmers finding success later on in life,” Morton said.

Miller, who transferred to the University of Minnesota after Rutgers University discontinued their program, said his decision as to where he will contribute money later in life was drastically affected after the cut.

“I would never give any money to Rutgers and I really hope to donate money to the University of Minnesota,” Miller said. “I really feel that the U of M is my alma mater and I will support them over Rutgers any day of the week.”

Silver Lining: A Chance to Make the Sport Stronger

Every time a program is dropped it is not the end of the world but it should be a wake-up call for other coaches to get there house in order, Groseph said.

“The fact is there are programs being cut all the time. Sometimes we get excited about it and some might say ‘Oh, the dominoes are starting to fall’ but on the other hand there are three or four programs that have been added in the last year,” said Groseph.

Additionally, often the teams nearly dropped but reinstated end up stronger and more stable because of the alliances they formed during the program restoration process, Groseph said.

Simon Percy, associate head coach for the men’s team at Arizona State University, said ASU’s program did no fundraising prior to getting cut in 2008 but “through necessity, the program learned and found a way to bring the program back.”

New Head Coach for ASU, Dorsey Tierney-Walker, said at the beginning the fundraising effort was very grassroots but eventually grew to a surprisingly substantial endeavor.

“At first the object was to reinstate the program but after that was accomplished we moved on to establishing even deeper relationships with our alumni and community,” Tierney-Walker said. “Now we’re heading towards the endowment of the entire program.”

Percy said their key action was the formation of an alumni board whose goal was to raised or contribute ten thousand dollars per year and donate it to the team’s non-profit organization which was created after ASU’s program was dropped.

“It was a very powerful message to our athletic department and our board is still very active today,” Percy said. “Although, the truth is that when UCLA’s program was cut in ’93, these measures should’ve been taken immediately after that warning sign.”

Tierney-Walker emphasized the need to be proactive when it comes to program conservation.

“I feel we are better off than a lot of programs out there because we already have a support organization in place,” Tierney-Walker said. “And look, we were cut and we got lucky. The time to save a program is not when it’s been dropped…it’s long before that.”

Coaches Describe Club to College Transition

By Jacob Kittilstad

A critical time in swimmers careers are when the athletes make the transition from club swimming to college swimming. The change in training and surroundings takes swimmers out of a comfort zones but many club coaches say they are confident their athletes will succeed.

Nick Rudich, head coach of the Parkway Swim Club, said he believes swimmers are able to maintain or improve their level of performance if the move is handled properly.

“There’s a period of development for freshman swimmers when, for the first time, they’re on their own and they’re really becoming an adult,” Rudich said. “Although, at first, swimmers may find it difficult to feel comfortable at their new team, many are so excited just to be at college that it helps offset the negative effects of the switch.”

The swimmers’ periods of excitement help college coaches by giving them time to get to know their swimmers better, Rudich said.

“I get really excited when my swimmers go to train for a college coach…I feel we’ve succeeded,” Rudich said. “It’s hard to send them off, don’t get me wrong, because after you’ve had them for five years they almost feel like your own children.”

In most cases, high school aged swimmers experience a much more intimate, family-like relationship with their club coach than with their college coach, said Dr. Nancy Cullen, sports psychologist for the University of Minnesota.

“In college swimming, it seems the swimmer-coach relationship is kept on a much more professional level,” said Cullen.

Wrestling with Transition

The change in team atmosphere from club swimming to college swimming is enormous for all athletes from six star recruits to the walk-ons, said Pete Malone, head coach and general manager for the Kansas City Blazers Swim Team. He said he believes the opportunity to train for a new coach teaches college life lessons (such as “how to work for a new boss”) but he sometimes questions college coaches’ motives for new swimmers.

“The swimmers wrestle with that transition but it’s the nature of the college lifestyle and the college coaches’ goals, you know what I’m saying?” Malone said. “Sometimes coaches focus on the athlete’s performance and how it fits into their own, personal goals instead of just the athlete’s development, you understand me?”

Ray Benecki, head coach of the FISH swim club, said if a college coach looks at his or her swimmers in the context of times alone, it may be difficult for a coach-swimmer relationship to be formed if an athlete is not performing to the coach’s expectations.

“It depends on a coach’s ethics: if someone is struggling, will the coach disregard that person and get someone to replace that athlete?” Benecki said. “Developing relationships is hard and if the team’s just a swim factory, more and more freshman keep coming in, pushing that athlete further from the coach’s mind.”

“It’s not right but sometimes it’s what a coach can get away with.”

Dr. Cullen said some college athletes face challenges because their new coaches are coaching to the team as a group and not to the athletes individually.

“The situation might be the first time an athlete is not receiving special attention from their coach,” Cullen said. “Also, sometimes coaches are reluctant to change their coaching methods for a single athlete.”

Coach Malone said college coaching is not an easier job than club coaching, but coaching at the collegiate level can be made easier if the coach isn’t “doing all the work”.

“I think they have an easier job in that they’re getting their athletes at a higher level, but college coaches serve a different purpose and they have to deal with different issues, does that make sense?,” Malone said. “But, I think college coaches should work on individually developing their athletes more.”

Tough Choices for High Profile Athletes

When an athlete of high school age is competitively thriving at a world-class level in a training structure devised by his or her club coach, the choice whether or not to participate in NCAA swimming becomes more complex. Benecki, who is Kate Zeigler’s coach, said it is unknown to him what would have happened had Zeigler begun training with a college program before the Beijing Olympic Games.

“I can’t speculate how Kate would have done if she had started swimming with a new coach when she went to college, but I feel it would’ve been foolish to risk her training,” Benecki said.

When Zeigler began attending George Mason University her training with Benecki continued uninterrupted. Because she had decided not to compete in the NCAA, she had more freedom to focus on her personal goals, Benecki said.

“She doesn’t have eligibility issues to worry about because she’s a pro,” Benecki said. “She had a very light academic workload of six and then three credits leading up to the Olympics.”

To be eligible for competition at a Division 1 college, a student-athlete must be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time program of studies leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree that cannot be less than 12 semester or quarter hours (credits), according to operating bylaw 14.1.8.2 of the 2008-09 NCAA Division 1 Manual.

Kathy Aspaas, coach to one of swimming’s rising stars, Dagny Knutson, said Knutson is weighing her options. Knutson may have the chance to sign endorsement deals but she is also considering her college recruitment options.

“I just want whatever is best for Dagny,” Aspaas said. “What worries her is that it’s going so well training here with her dryland coach and me that she’s not sure what will happen if she changes her routine.”

Aspaas added that she feels “change is good” and “there’s not only one right way to do things”. She said she believes other coaches can bring out good things in Knutson and, currently, Knutson is at a training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo. with Coach Bob Bowman.

At the University of Florida, men’s and women’s swimming head coach Gregg Troy said, in the past, he has had the experience of attempting to recruit athletes who decided to reschedule college and continue training with their club coaches.

“In a dynamic where an athlete is competing at an international level, that athlete must be confident with the situation he or she is in,” Troy said. “If the athlete is not going to be comfortable with the new situation and he or she thinks it will negatively affect athletic performance, it’s definitely the right decision to stay home with what’s working for them.”

Bill Rose, Head Coach and CEO of Mission Viejo Nadadores Swimming, said he has had many swimmers decide to wait a year or two before entering college for various reasons such as continuing preparation for an important, upcoming meet or improving swimming ability. Athletes who have extended their training with Coach Rose before entering college include Justin Mortimer, Chad La Tourette, and Larsen Jensen.

“They really wanted to hone in on one hundred percent training,” said Rose. “As we all know, in college, there’s a lot of stuff going on to distract you from training.”

Head coach of swimming at Indiana University Ray Looze said he believes the lifestyle changes are so vast for all college freshmen, athlete or otherwise, that it is a good idea for any swimmer who lacks self-reliance and responsibility qualities to take a year off after graduating high school and sharpen those skills.

Looze said he feels after an athlete has developed these traits, he or she will have a much better chance succeeding in college. He did, however, concede it takes a lot of effort to restrain himself from pressuring a fast athlete to join his program.

“It’s hard for any coach to walk away from talent,” said Looze. “It’s as if the times usurp any other issues the swimmer might have. And if you don’t recruit the swimmer, someone else will. Believe me, someone else will.”

Frustration in Letting Go

When a strong bond is created between a club coach and swimmer, it’s only natural for a coach to feel some stress about losing an athlete to a college program. Coach Malone, who has had a top 8 finisher from his team in every Olympics since 1980, said he has struggled with these feelings.

“Yeah, I’ve faced frustration. The pain and agony doesn’t hurt as much today but back in the 1980s when I was a younger coach, yeah, it hurt. I had problems with the egos…mine and others…but I was wrong, you hear me?”

Malone said it’s important for coaches’ egos not to get in the way of the goals of the athlete and when a swimmer leaves for college, all involved parties should realize the club coach become a ‘mentor coach’ while the college coach turns into the ‘primary coach’.

“I figured out I was wrong. It doesn’t mean I’ve mastered it but I’m at least controlling it,” Malone said. “For coaches like Pete Malone, we’re here to coach kids during their development.”

Coach Rose said he has mixed emotions when he sends a swimmer to college and he related the feelings to when his sons left home.

“You send them off, maybe they came back, maybe they didn’t. It’s a really tough thing,” Rose said. “Back in the day for swimming, that wasn’t the case. You sent them off and they’d come back. Colleges didn’t have summer programs.”

Rose explained that in the 1980s, many gifted club coaches became college coaches. The new breed of college coach didn’t want to lose control of their most talented athletes’ training during the summer so they began offering training programs during the summer season.

“Now you send them off to college and you don’t see them anymore. They pretend to train with you when they come back on vacation but they always just tell you their coach is starting their rest or taper,” Rose said.

Coach Rose admits that when he sends his swimmers off to train for a college program, he covets their new coaches for everyday being able to see the athletes he had grown so close to.

“Whether it’s frustration, jealousy, envy or what…yes, I feel it. You develop a relationship with these swimmers and it’s hard to see them go,” Rose said.

“I wish we were back in the seventies when we knew our kids were coming back for the summer and no one had to think twice about it but…life goes on.”

Club Outlook on College Swimming

Coaches Benecki, Malone, Aspaas and Rose all said there was no one more familiar with their training group’s swimming than themselves. In addition, they confident their swimmers will adjust and hopefully thrive with their college swimming programs.

Germantown Academy Coach Dick Shoulberg said a successful college career begins with the college selecting process. Shoulberg said he believes all club coaches should have a working knowledge of college programs so they are able to offer advice on schools to their athletes.

“If the coach’s track record is all over the place I might tell a swimmer that the University might not be the best fit but I don’t think I’ve ever told a kid ‘You cannot go to that University’,” said Shoulberg.

Furthermore, Shoulberg said athletes have a good chance at improving in college because their programs generally have more resources, such as pool space and pool availability, at their disposals than club coaches. Coach Troy affirms this belief with examples from his program.

“At a D1 school like the University of Florida, we have a full-time strength coach, a nutritionist, excellent pool hours and pool space, and a dedicated staff devoted to our swimmers,” said Coach Troy. “We also have academic support for our athletes including advisors and tutors.”

Coach Rose said he has prepared his swimmers to be able to adjust to any kind of training but, when the transition involves such a large social element, the adjustment takes time.

“People might get upset in the first six months and it’s usually because they’re homesick and they sometimes blame it on the coach,” Rose said. “But typically after six months they’ve made enough social connections to feel comfortable in their new surroundings.”

Coach Looze said club coaches need not worry about their athletes performance level dropping off because, in general, swimmers get better at a program like Indiana’s because they are designed to improve all levels of swimmer: making the average fast and the fast faster.

“We maintain regular communications with club coaches to ensure our swimmers continue to advance with their swimming,” Looze said. “We really want to continue the development they began with their club coaches.”

Coach Rudich said he has formed relationships between his Parkway Swim Club and college programs with similar values in hopes of creating an easier transition into college life.

“And I always tell the college coaches that if they see one of my athletes struggling with something, I will be available to communicate and help remedy the problem,” Rudich said.

Coach Shoulberg said he just hopes his athletes choose to swim for colleges that have proven success and that his athletes are able to blend into their programs.

“There is a great core of young college coaches in the US and I hope my kids are prepared to swim for them,” Shoulberg said.