Need advice for a swimmer - what sport to add or transition to from swimming?

Volleyball is good for tall girls. Around here, all the freshmen make the school team. There are tons of summer vball camps.

If your D is looking to stay focused on an individual sport, I will put in an additional plug for Triathlon. With her swimming background, she is over the biggest hurdle. There is a significant effort within USA triathlon to get younger ages involved and clubs/competition have grown tremendously at the collegiate level. I have seen “talent identification” events going on for younger ages at some of the tris I do. In my opinion, the diversity of training across 3 disciplines is the best thing about triathlon. You don’t get burnt out on any one of the three.

@Sybylla She is Tall, 5"7 at 11.

Mine was 5’6" at 11. She be 18 in a week and she’s barely 5’7"

Volleyball here about 75 girls try out in the summer and 45 make a team for the fall. (15 each on V, JV, frosh)

Hi @RussianMom! I echo the others’ recommendations to considering rowing. Our D was an outstanding HS athlete in her sport, but not “D1 outstanding”. She could have potentially played at a lower division school, but she wanted a big university experience, and was fine playing at the club or intramural level. Her HS coach suggested she try rowing. The coach mentioned she gets contacted every year by our state flagship looking for athletes who will be attending the university, but not continuing in their HS sport. There are simply not enough HS girls rowing programs to fill all available spots on college teams. Rowing coaches are looking for hard working athletes they can teach to row. As a result, they rely heavily on the walk-on process. Our D went to a rowing camp the summer before she started college to see if it was a sport she would enjoy. She then went through the walk on process and has earned herself a spot on the team. It’s hard work, but she loves it. Her closest friends are her teammates. Being part of the rowing team has been a wonderful addition to her college experience. There are many former swimmers on the rowing team. Good luck to your D in whatever she finds enjoyment in! :slight_smile:

With possible shoulder issues, be a bit wary about water polo. Two of my niece/nephews that were swimmers switched to polo in HS and ended up with shoulder surgery. Not sure about how rowing would be as well. So talk to the doctors about that before deciding. Of course, kids I know that run or play soccer ended up with injuries as well.

My 9th grade swimmer is transitioning from a winter of swimming to spring water polo and said her shoulder was sore during the first week of practice. That may be because its so new to her but I’m taking note… Her love is still swimming but she needs to play a sport each season at school.

We have boy’s WP in the fall, Girl’s WP in the winter and B/G Swim in the spring.

Athletes can enroll in 6th period aquatics for the entire year even if they only do WP or swim. They are not forced to compete in both.

My freshman ran xc in the fall and is now swimming. She had no winter sport and alternated running and swimming in her off season.

Triathaloning is the new and upcoming college sport.

If she is tall, from what I have heard from my friends, she will have an advantage in rowing for sure! Pretty sure rowing is mostly leg strength as opposed to shoulders?? Her cardio endurance from swimming will also be an advantage.

Anyway, I have a colligate swimmer who wishes he would have done crew in HS like many of his friends did … seems to be more of a camaraderie sport than swimming and many many scholarships available to women in crew!

My son the HS swimmer-wrestler-baseball player switched to Ultimate Frisbee in college - and loved it.