By Natalia Kaczor, Swimming World College Intern
Age group swimming covers a vast age range of swimmers. From the young 8-and-under swimmers to the 18-year-old swimmers looking to further their careers in college swimming, swimmers are swimmers. We all understand the commitment the sport requires: seven or more practices a week, drylands, travel meets, and much more. We dedicate our lives to swimming, and some people may think we are crazy for doing so.
Some of us get to the point where we spend more than 15 years of our lives swimming. The rewards are not all necessarily physical– we make new friends, grow as leaders, learn how to be tough and overcome adversity. These can be the most rewarding to us once we leave the swimming world and enter the real world. So, to help younger swimmers learn the same things we college swimmers have discovered over the years, I’ve decided to compile the best pieces of advice for younger swimmers from college student-athletes.
Here’s what the wise collegiates had to say…
On supporting your teammates:
Photo Courtesy: Bob Davis
“Support your teammates and give them positive and constructive pieces of advice. No matter if it’s a practice or a meet that you’re competing in alongside them, they are always your teammates. Your job is to appreciate them and to make sure they feel that way. Be supportive of them no matter what. A simple ‘you got this’, ‘good luck’, or ‘awesome job’ can make a huge difference in their confidence and performance as a swimmer, teammate, and person.”
Klaudia Nagrabska, Manhattan College Swimming
On standing up to pressure:
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien
“Don’t get caught up in the pressure from your coach or parents, the looming expectations of college, or your own doubts. Enjoy the people around you. And never undermine the achievements you have, especially if you’ve done all you can to reach them. ”
Matt Quinney, Ithaca College Swimming
On having a positive attitude:
Photo Courtesy: Annie Grevers
“My advice from a college swimmer to a club swimmer is to always have fun and keep a positive attitude. A positive attitude is everything and will 100 percent make a difference in an entire meet or session. In club, it can be easy to fall into the negatives everyone dishes out, but if you work to rise above items just have fun you’ll be very happy with the results.”
Colleen Humel, San Jose State University Swimming
On having fun:
Photo Courtesy: Melissa Lundie/Arena
“Just keep trying to have fun, in the end that’s all that really matters– work hard but enjoy what you’re doing.”
Jared Lubarsky, Marywood University Swimming
“The most important thing to always remember in swimming is to have fun. You will definitely get more out of the sport if you have fun.”
Kaitlin Travers, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Swimming
On continuing to swim in college:
Photo Courtesy: David Wegiel
“College swimming is the best decision I have ever made. The friends you make from college swimming not only understand the day to day struggle but they become lifelong friends. I can’t image going through college without these girls. ”
McKenzie Johnson, Assumption College Swimming
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
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