Where can I swim professionally after college?

How can I get more interest in college swimming coaches? Or am I just not good enough to swim in college?

• I really want to swim in college. I am a 16 year old male, and my junior year is coming to a close. I have had little, if any interest from coaches, mostly from schools that I am not very interested in attending or schools that I could not attend because my desired major is not offered there. My best times are as follows: 200 Free: 2:04.71 100 Free: 56:45 50 Free: 25.94 500 Free: 5:48.29 200 IM: 2:27.00 I realize that my times are not the greatest. I began swimming in November of 2008 (My freshman year) and have drastically improved since then (my best times that year were 2:27, 1:16, 30.16, and 6:57, respectively). Realistically, I would like to be able to swim at a DIII school. How can I find ways to generate more interest among coaches?

• Answer:

  At this point, no college coach is going to be interested in you. You should know that D1 and D2 are allowed to give athletic scholarships. D3 does not offer scholarships. This means that, although you may walk on to any team (if there is room), you may do so. At both the D2 and D3 level, may athletes walk on. I'd suggest you do a couple of things beside working at tremendous drops in time. First, write or call coaches at schools you'd like to attend. Keep in mind that a college coach has drastic limitations on contacting you until you've applied to the school. A coach may not call you, your parents, your friends or even your dog more than once per week (until you've applied). The coach may not text you are chat with you online at any site. However, you may make as many contacts as you wish. There are websites on which you may register (for example, "berecruited.com") for no charge to you. Another, as I recall, is ncac.com. One thing you must do before a coach can recruit you is register with the NCAA. Go to "ncaa.com" ... look at the bottom of the screen for "eligibility center". The NCAA charges $65 - $70 to register. The site asks a lot of questions so as to determine that you are 100% an amateur. If any question asks anything about taking anything related to swimming (even a t-shirt for helping or a free meal) answer in a form that means you got nothing. But, you must register before you can be recruited. If you don't already swim with a year round team, I'd highly suggest you do so, so as to get your times down. Be sure the coach is going to help you with your stroke mechanics. To check and see how you compare to Div I, II and III swimmers, go to the following USA Swimming web site: usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx On the top bar, click on "Times & Teams" ... you'll get a drop down menu. Click on NCAA INFORMATION: then click on: Division I or Division II. Then click on EVENT RANK. On the EVENT RANK screen screen, look for Cut/Standard. Click on Cut/Standard and you'll get a drop down menu. Choose NS (no standard) and that way you'll get all of the swimmers best times, not only those who made the A or B cut standard for the National Championships. You'll figure out the rest.