College athletics provide opportunity for so many athletes to earn a college degree, play the sport they love, form lifelong friendships, and develop valuable character traits that they will carry with them in life including teamwork, discipline, commitment, and life balance. In addition, many of the aquatic athletes who come into their own and gain Olympic acclaim start as college athletes.
At Swimming World, we want to showcase swimmers, divers, water polo players, artistic (synchronized) swimmers, and more across all three college divisions throughout the U.S. To do so, we have started “College Takeovers” every Friday on our Instagram stories (@SwimmingWorldMag).
Friday, November 1 marked the beginning of our takeover series with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Caio Pumputis, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and current junior on the Georgia Tech swim team started the series. He took us through a typical day starting at 5:50 am with water and dryland workouts.
Georgia Tech swimmers at morning practice at the McAuley Aquatic Center on Nov. 1 Photo Courtesy: Caio Pumptis
The following week, another Brazil native, Luis Gustavo Borges, showed us how the Michigan Wolverines spend their days. Unlike Georgia Tech, Michigan started their day in the weight room and headed to the pool in the afternoon.
University of Michigan swimmers in the weight room during the Friday College Takeover on Nov. 8 Photo Courtesy: Luis Borges
Thus far the ACC and Big 10 have been featured but there are more conferences and teams coming up. On 11/15, Josh Wrobleski of the UConn Huskies will takeover followed by Lewis Clough, a native of England, from LSU on Friday, 11/22.
Looking ahead, Yale, Providence College, USC, Georgia, and University of Hawaii are on deck to do takeovers as well. We’re aiming to show current athletes, prospective athletes, and high school commits what these different programs look like through the eyes of those who experience it first-hand, as well as honor the hard work and dedication these athletes show every day.
The feedback we’re getting has been very positive. With our fans saying things like, “This is so cool!” and “What a great idea!” The takeovers have become a valuable resource in ways that we hadn’t necessarily planned as well.
“As an international swimmer, without much time to come on a recruiting visit, I had to pick my school based on word-of-mouth and social media,” said former LSU swimmer Joao Mescolote. “I believe that nowadays the more information a program has available online, the more beneficial it is for them as it becomes easier for athletes to make their decision. Sometimes even a 48-hour recruiting visit is not enough to show what the program and school really offer. Social media engagement is becoming a vital part of college programs as it gives a better overlook of what the program really is throughout the entire year in comparison to a short recruiting trip.”
For college athletes or coaches from aquatics teams interested in doing a takeover, please send an email to ashleighs@swimmingworld.com. Please include your school name, sport, and the names of athlete(s) who wish to participate.