To all those people that never fail to mention to use the search tool, I want to tell you I have tried my BEST to find the answers to my questions. However, I couldn’t find a thread addressing my questions.
So, here we go:
Do swimmers at BS have the opportunity to be in USA Swimming, or do they only swim for their school? Is it possible to qualify for the Junior Olympics, Zones, and beyond at BS?
Additionally, do swimmers only swim during the winter when they are in season, or are they allowed to use the pool year long? Are there coaches or is it just like an individual practice thing (when they are not in season)
For these questions, I know that all BS are different, but can you answer as a “most schools” blah blah. I just want to know the general answer.
Please do not jump on me and bite my face off if it happens that there was a thread out there with the answers. Please. I tried my best.
@mathman1201: I think that high schools in general are not a part of USA Swimming. All of the public/private high schools in my area are not a part of USA Swimming and the same goes for the ones in the bigger cities. I think maybe it’s more of a “high school sports team” rather than a “community swim team” if that makes sense. Not sure if “community swim team” is the right word, but I am assuming you know what I mean.
As for your initial question, the answer is not swim specific and could apply to most boarding schools. Boarding schools have the expectation that their students’ first priority is to the academics/co-curriculars at that school. That makes sense, of course, since one is involved in one or the other from ~ 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. M-F (not counting mandatory study hours). And then there are those boarding schools with Saturday classes. Some schools may have more flexibility when the sport is not in-season at the school.
In general, where accommodations are made, it is for a sport that the school does not offer, e.g. fencing, equestrian. To get a straight answer to what accommodations, if any, are made for the elite athlete, the question needs to be posed to the Athletic Director (not the coach) at the school in question.
Certainly there are opportunities outside of the boarding school environment for some co-curriculars. There are several students in my area, for example, that participate in either BYSO and BYPO (Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra). In general, though, I’ve found that many elite athletes are home-schooled because of all the scheduling and logistical challenges. Good luck.
