When you’re being recruited for swimming there are plenty of steps you can take to make the process easier. NCSA can help make sure that you do every little thing that you can to separate yourself from other men’s swimming recruits.
1. Develop your game plan and get evaluated by a third party. Recruiting for swimming is a little different than it is for bigger money sports like football or basketball. College swimming coaches don’t have the budgets to travel and see a lot of potential recruits in person, so they rely heavily on swim times and evaluations from a trusted source like NCSA. Because NCSA is a neutral third party, we provide honest answers about your skill level, which helps you set realistic goals.
2. Post your academic/athletic resume online. Having easy and organized access to your swim times, statistics, academic information and swimming videos makes a college swimming coach’s job much easier. NCSA has the largest digital platform available to high school athletes, making you visible to hundreds of swim coaches.
3. Create a winning highlight/skills video.
Because swimming is about turning in the best times, your statistics are what interest college swim coaches the most. But a highlight video can be a nice supplement and it can effectively illustrate your technique. The video should focus only on you and be taken from the side (you should also film from the front for the breaststroke and butterfly). Your highlight video should include footage of every event that you swim.
4. Contact at least 50 realistic swimming programs. There are nearly 450 colleges with swimming programs. Begin with a large list of potential schools to help ensure that the perfect fit rises to the top when the swimming recruiting process ends. Using NCSA’s digital space makes it extremely easy to get your information to dozens of prospective colleges. Realize that the majority of college swimming teams aren’t in Division I. More than 65% of collegiate swimmers compete at the Division II, Division III, NAIA or junior college level.
5. Realize that it’s not a four-year decision. It’s a 40-year decision. Selecting a college is one of the most important decisions of your life. Do your research and make an educated decision, not only as a swimming recruit, but also as a student athlete. Input from NCSA can help match you up with a school that’s an ideal fit for you during the four years that you are there.