It could be intimidating to go from high school to college and from club swimming to college swimming, but every swimmer goes through the process. Starting college swimming can be scary because it’s a whole new program, new coaches, and new training. No one really knows how to approach these changes in their lives. But not to worry, here are a few things to help you out:
Trust Your Training
When you come to college, everything is going to be different, including your training. Whether you are coming from long distance training or sprint training, your training in college will be different from what you’re use to in club swim. One way to prepare for this change is to trust your coach and trust your training. Get excited and stay excited, believe what your coach tells you because he/she knows best and knows what training will work for you.
Take Care Of Your Body
You are finally at a point in your life where you decide what you want, when you want, and where you want to eat, and your parents aren’t there to tell you any different. This is one of the biggest mistakes swimmers make when they come to college. If you don’t fuel your body with the correct foods and you don’t keep your body healthy, it will affect your training and your college career. Eat greens, proteins, good fats, and good carbs. This will keep you healthy and keep you energized for your many practices to come.
Stay On Top Of School
It gets difficult juggling school and swim, even more in college. But it gets even worse when you put work off until the last-minute, causing more stress than needed, and before you know it, catching up on the work needed to be done will be impossible. Always stay on top of your school work and put it before anything else. Whenever you have time, go to the library and study to get some homework done so you don’t have to worry about it later. And if you have the chance, get some work done a week in advance so when the due date comes around, you aren’t stressing about it. Also, be aware of the fact that you will be traveling a lot with your team, which can make doing your school work even more difficult. Get to know your professors and make them aware of your travel schedule the first week of school so they know whats going on and help you out and work with your schedule.
Have Fun But Stay Safe
Your college years are the best years of your life. Don’t forget to enjoy college and have fun. Don’t just hang out in your dorm room and miss out on all of the fun stuff that is happening on campus. Go to games, whether it’s a football game or a basketball game. Cheer on your school and have fun with your friends. But, don’t go to crazy. Stay safe and make sure your responsibilities as a student and a swimmer don’t fall short of you having fun.
Very good advice for swimmers
You’ve given helpful suggestions for all college students.