College

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Swimming—Getting Noticed by a College Recruiter

Looking to get recruited for a collegiate swimming program? Hoping to get some scholarship money, too? If these are your goals, chances are you’re a talented athlete with a proven performance record. That’s great, but keep in mind: there are hundreds of swimmers competing for every scholarship. It’s your job to differentiate yourself from the crowd and get the attention of a college coach or scout. SPIRE takes care of all these items and more for our student athlete’s college planning and placement. If you can’t make it to SPIRE, try these steps:

Start by:

  • Getting evaluated by a third party. College swim coaches and scouts have never had a lot of time or money to visit potential recruits in person, and now—given the restrictions on in-person recruiting currently in place at NCAA Division I and II universities—these decision-makers are increasingly relying on evaluations from trusted sources to piece together their lists of top recruits. Talk to your coach about how to go about getting this type of analysis in your geographic area.
  • Creating a highlight video. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a million. Put together the best highlight reel you can, including race footage of you during meets to help swimming coaches at prospective programs analyze your speed and technique. Your video should film you in every event you swim in, from the side with a high-quality camera trained on you so you fill the frame as much as possible. If you compete in breaststroke or butterfly events, have footage taken from the front as well.
  • Updating your online profile. A coach or scout can learn a lot about your motivation, responsibility and work ethic from your online profile. Keep it up to date with your latest academic information, including transcripts and standardized test scores. Make sure your athletic statistics—including event times and verified stats—are current.

Doing your homework is an important part of the process. Get on the Internet or go to the library and start building a list of schools whose academic and swimming programs appeal to you. Since most college swimming programs aren’t in Division I, include DII, DIII and NAIA schools on your list. Many prospective recruits contact as many as 50 schools.

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SPIRE Contact info:

Phone: (440) 466-1002

Email: [email protected]

Address: 5201 SPIRE Circle, Geneva, OH 44041

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