By Grace Hoffmann, Swimming World College Intern
Freezing outdoor pool water. Lanes packed full. Six-and-under kiddos roaming the pool deck. High hope of thunder and lightning.
As the summer is quickly approaching for college kids, decisions about the whereabouts of their training from May to August needs to be decided. Staying at college and training with the same college coach they’ve have had all year is extremely convenient. It also helps to keep the same type of training workout and to be able to see its result. However, the alternative, going home and swimming with a club team, is always an option too. Sometimes going home and swimming with the people that made you love swimming in the first place is a great refresher.
I couldn’t be more excited at the idea of being able to go home and practice with my club team. Christmas training with my club team was fun; a few extra weeks and summer training will up the fun factor even more. So maybe the pool is crowded and it’s freezing when you jump in, but being back with past teammates of all ages will create a sense of “home” and happiness that can aid in any swimmer’s success.
Going home for the summer and swimming with your club team will allow you to:
1.Reconnect with old teammates and coaches.
Photo Courtesy: Grace Hoffmann
The few weeks at Christmas aren’t enough to fully immerse yourself back into the club team ways. But, if you go home for the summer and go to all of the offered practices, you definitely can. Coming back home and training with your club team allows you to see all the faces you trained with in the past. All of the high school kids will want to hear all about college and how swimming is. Tell them! Also, if they’re juniors or seniors, help them with the recruiting process. Remember the older kids who helped you during the process. Going home and reconnecting with past teammates will make the hard practices less grueling and more enjoyable.
2. Meet new kids on the team.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien
With each new year comes a new set of kids on the team. Make an effort to get to know them. The summer is pretty long and you’ll be seeing them quite a lot. Don’t just talk to the kids you know. Meet the ones you don’t know and get to know them. They have probably heard your name in stories or from other teammates; make a good impression and befriend them. Remember that your club team isn’t the same as it was when you left. You’re now a new person on the team to all the new kids, they’ve been swimming there the whole year without you.
3. Compete on the same team as your rivals.
Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold/Aringo
It’s always fun when you come home and see other college swimmers, especially those you didn’t see or race during the year. Going home and swimming with other college kids allows you to compare notes and stories and hear about their past season. Yes, you can still be competitive and have some college rivalry, however, in the summer you’re on the same team. You’ll be on the same relays and wearing the the same cap with matching team logos. Enjoy being teammates again and having the opportunity to be able to come back to a club team that wants you and welcomes you back.
4. Give back to your club team.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien
Help out. Be a timer at home meets. Ask your club coach if you are needed for any other job at meets. Although you are on the team for the summer, and not there full time, you can still help your teammates, coach, and the club board and volunteers around you. Be a role model for the other kids. Show appreciation for all that you have gained through club swimming and being able to race on such an exceptional team.
So before the summer even starts, we want to say thank you, club teams. Thank you for welcoming us (college kids young and old) back with open arms over the winter. I know you will do the same in May. Thank you for yelling at us like we are still your own swimmer every day of the year. Thank you for reminding us how far we have come and the importance of sharing our love of swimming with others. Thank you for making a college lane when training starts to differ. Thank you for creating a team that feels like family and exists as a ‘home.’
Brock Bonetti
5. Live at home.
6. Pick out food at the store and it’s paid for.
7. Work out with Jake Kotz.