<p>We're just starting our college search for my son, who I think is going to be a lower-level D1 prospect for swimming. (Yup, we know this isn't a big money sport). I know the sports commitment makes it difficult to get the studying and assignments in, let alone the partying. With all the schools to choose from we WERE focusing on cool cities and possibly, proximity to good snowboarding, but the more I read about how tough the balancing act is, I'm starting to wonder if we should pick someplace out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do so there won't be more temptations than their have to be. I hate to see him sacrifice some of the great experiences he could be having before he has an unreasonable boss, a mortgage, and kids in diapers... Anyone know athletes who regretted going D1 or contrariwise, wouldn't have it any other way?</p>
<p>My D was a 3 year starter in HS and opted out of continuing softball in college… and is very happy she did! Her thinking was much like yours, and as an engineering student she was concerned about the time commitment. So she opted instead to be an All-Star for her dorm with IM sports, and play club rugby, where she got to play and visit Europe with her team. And when she did study abroad, it was like going home, as she played on the overseas team’s “First Fifteen”, with kids she met while playing there earlier. </p>
<p>On the other hand, her engineering class also graduated a NFL draft pick, and I understand that her school has excellent tutors - at least for the revenue producing sports. So, you pays your money and you makes your choice. But IMHO, your kid shouldn’t have to “sacrifice some of the college experience”. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I teach at a D1 sports school, and I find that the students who are satisfied with their experience are those who love their sports. If your son doesn’t really love it, he shouldn’t play D1, since it is a huge time commitment.</p>
<p>Our son had some recruiting interest for lightweight crew. Very limited sport, the schools that liked him, he didn’t like back. He chose the school he loved and is now playing rugby, he keeps a single scull here at home that he tosses into the river when he’s home. It’s nice for him that he didn’t have to give rowing up entirely. It just isn’t his life.</p>
<p>A friend’s daughter chose to play soccer for a lower level D1 school. She had an average ACT score and struggled in high school to keep B/C grades. Her mother reports that the discipline of the college sport’s life, the tutors, and her teammates have kept her priorities clear. Her grades in college are B/A. Her friends and social life are her teammates and she continues to love to train and play her sport and has found a purpose in studying for her major. Your son will need to truly enjoy his coaching situation, teammates and practice/competing to continue swimming. Another friend’s daughter is in the same place as your son - lower level D1. She has decided not to swim because of the the time commitment. However, she is thinking about joining the Master’s swim team at her university of choice because it will allow her to still swim and compete, but on her own schedule.</p>
<p>ByeByeSavings - from our perspective with a S who is a DI athlete, it has been a great experience, but you absolutely do have to love your sport, so that it’s not a big sacrifice to give up some other activities you might have pursued instead. However, I think the answer to your question really varies a lot from sport to sport, school to school and coach to coach - it’s hard to generalize across all DI schools and coaches. You might want to repost in the Athletic Recruits forum - there are some experienced swim parents who regularly post there.</p>
<p>I work in the Honors Program of a D1 university. We have many athletes in Honors, especially swimmers. D1 swimming is a major time commitment but I have found that our swimmers are focused and have great time management skills. They do VERY well academically and most have ended up in top medical schools or Ph.D. programs. If your child loves swimming I would talk with the coach and the swimmers at the schools he is considering to get a feel for the academic support/success of the students. At the right school, you son can “have it all.”</p>
<p>As a D1 recruited athlete at a major football powerhouse, I dreamed of being a normal student after my freshman year. The 20-30 hrs a week for practice, film study, rehab, etc.during the season really took its toll mentally, physically, and academically. And the whole ‘free-ride’ is really a misconception when it comes to D1 sports, It takes a serious time commitment to compete at a high level. My fellow students on merit and financial aid had it made in my opinion. </p>
<p>With little promise of a professional career, I decided to give up my ‘full-ride’, and focus on academics. I received a few grants, and loans, went from a c student to all A’s and dean list. And finally on to a top 10 MBA program with full merit aid, truly a ‘free-ride’ IMO. </p>
<p>I was surprised to learn years later, that most of my teammates wished they had gone the same route. Wished they put the same effort and commitment into their studies, as they had into a sport. </p>
<p>The same advice I give my sons who are recruited athletes now…academics #1, #2- make time to do the things you LOVE to do. If you don’t love the preparation, the practice, or it becomes like work, then you should find a new hobby.</p>
<p>“Your son will need to truly enjoy his coaching situation, teammates and practice/competing to continue swimming.”</p>
<p>This is true. Son is a D1 swimmer, who regularly gripes that he doesn’t have a life, and yet is somehow unable to give up being a swimmer. The guys on the team have a saying – “If you’re enjoying practice, you’re doing it wrong.” If your son isn’t absolutely sure he wants what amounts to a serious part-time job along with college, but doesn’t want to give up swimming completely, he should seriously consider some of the lower-ranked D1 programs, as well as D3 schools. Our son was recruited by a D3 school, with a nice “academic” scholarship, where he would have been the star of the team without having to spend quite so much time in the pool and weight room. Ultimately, that wasn’t the best fit for him, but he has friends from his club swimming days who went that route and were very happy.</p>
<p>I know a lot of recruited swimmers that hated college swimming and quit. It was a combination of the particular intensity and rigor of the training (face down in the pool at 5am etc) and the lack of time for academics, labs etc.
Experiences vary, of course, but it IS a huge commitment. I probably know more D1 athletes that did NOT continue with their sport than did continue.</p>
<p>I don’t know enough about swimming to answer well. I can tell you though (and keep in mind I am not at a D 1 school) some sports are much more difficult than others due to travel and number of games. Football, for example, is almost always a Saturday game. Might be some classes missed for travel, but one game a week is the norm. Baseball and basketball? Good grief. Several games a week, travel time, 2 seasons for baseball . . . I think athletes in those sports might miss more class and have a tougher time keeping up. What’s a D1 swimming schedule look like?</p>
<p>As far as the Athletic hook into a top tier school, I have seen the D1 athlete miserable from day one- Water polo starts 2 weeks after HS graduation- and continues right through winter, no breaks- then off season tournaments. Seems except for the prestige of the school, all the water polo athlete does is spend almost all his/her time with 15-20 teammates. Training, weights, films, travel, and living together.Everything else offered at the “elite” school is pretty much missed by the athlete/student. I don’t even think they know it, and neither do the parents because they are still in the cloud of “recruited” athlete from the HS years. But, to all of the classmates from HS, it is clear the athlete is having a totally different experience than they all are. The athlete has signed up for a full time intense job, and when out of school, gets to dive into the real deal! No break for personal development. Just an observation.</p>
<p>I talked to a friend who is currently playing D1 lacrosse in college. He definitely would not be at the college if it were not for lacrosse. However, he said if he could do it all over again, he would haved declined the offer. I guess it really depends on the student though.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who wrote so far! We’re lucky that we’re looking at this while he is only a sophomore. I think we’ll look into a variety of schools and programs while the S does some soul searching and talks to as many student athletes as possible. Right now he insists he wants to go as far as he can as a swimmer but I’m not sure he can really appreciate the commitment he’d be making at this point.</p>
<p>There was a poster here on CC who has a son who was a top high school swimmer. He was going for top academic D1 schools as a recruit. He chose his school (an Ivy) and even got a Letter of Intent. He wound up quitting in pre-season shortly after arriving on campus. He hated the culture of the team (very heavy drug/alcohol use) and realized his college experience wasn’t going to be what he wanted. Needless to say, the coach and his parents were pretty upset.</p>
<p>My son was recruited to play D1 water polo but decided against playing in college at that level. He figured he wanted the time to concentrate on his engineering classes and all the associated labs. Three of his HS teammates did go on to D1 water polo programs and two dropped out. Not sure why one dropped but the other was to concentrate on his classes. Not sure if the third teammate is still playing or not.</p>
<p>If you LOVE your sport, it can be a great experience. But the practices and the travel make it such that most of what you do is your sport and your classes. IMHO, college is a great time to try new things and that is time limited for the D1 college athlete.</p>
<p>I played D3 ice hockey (many moons ago) and loved it. Sure, you had to really manage your time while in season. But I still had time to do things other than classes and my sport. Practices were in the evening which meant that I could not have a class the last period of the day. Travel during the week was usually local and the occasional longer trips on weekends. My grades actually improved in season as I didn’t always pay good attention to my time management out of season.</p>
<p>DS is a D3 athlete in a non revenue sport. Spends 12 hr/week in practice Oct-March and voluntary practice other times of the year. About 5 overnight trips and few day trips for meets. I think that’s about the most time I would want a kid in college spending at a sport unless they were tops in the nation caliber. He’s handing it fine but if it was much more, I think it would be difficult to manage pretty comfortably, and he would feel a lot of stress. As it is, it’s great for him to get exercise, have structure, and go to meets at a whole variety of schools.</p>
<p>D is a D1 athlete in her first year. The training is intense, it’s a big step up from high school for her, and she and others on her team have been struggling with minor injuries all year so far. It is indeed a big time commitment, and especially so when the athlete is injured and has to do alternate training, has to see the trainer for therapy before practice, and has to go for diagnostic tests and doctors’ appointments.</p>
<p>But, D LOVES it and I’ve never seen her happier! She adores her teammates and coaches, and that bond is what makes the sacrifice worthwhile for her. She definitely still has time for social events. She often goes to parties on weekends, has gone to many football games and other sporting events, has attended a couple of concerts and lectures, went to the beach, spends time with her new boyfriend, etc. She hasn’t gotten involved in any clubs or other organizations, though, and doesn’t plan to pledge a sorority due to time contraints. She does work a few hours a week too. Does she have a super GPA? No, but it’s not terrible either and this is not an easy school. She is applying for research opportunities and internships for the summer, since obviously there is no time during the term for that. </p>
<p>I don’t think everyone could manage this schedule–certainly not a perfectionist.</p>