...to swim or not to swim?
As some of ya'll might remember, I wrote a small blog on my daily swimming activities as a college swimmer this past season. If not for my back injury, I'm sure it would have been much more exciting...but oh well.
Well the season ended a few months ago, and I've been largely a land lubber since. Now that I'm settled for the summer though, I'm getting back into the pool on a regular basis.
The question is... do I swim as a member of the varsity team next year?
I just can't really decide.
My coach quit at the end of the season to move with her husband to Rhode Island (where he became the new head soccer coach at the university of rhode island). The new coach of both the men's and women's program is the former assistant coach of the men's team, Jason.
He's a pretty nice guy, but since the men's and women's teams were seperate last year, I don't really know much about his coaching methods.
I've got it down to the pros and cons of swimming next year, but I still can't decide what would be best...
Pros: Great exercise - forces me to go swim even when I'm tired
Seeing my teammates again
A chance to actually compete
The ability to say I'm still a college swimmer...
Cons: Last year's practice schedule was brutal. If this year is the same...if it's the same this year it means:
Crunch on academics
No social life for 5-6 months
Constantly exhausted
..possible reinjury of my back (although unlikely)
I just don't know. I'm concerned about my academics. I really screwed up my spring quarter, for unrelated personal reasons, and as a result my GPA is in the toilet. Since I'm entering my junior year, pulling up my academics is of huge concern to me. Also, I'm going abroad in the spring...so if I had no time to spend with my real friends during the season I wouldn't see them at all during the year....
....But I don't want to be a quitter. I know I wouldn't abandon the sport...but....agh...
What do I do?
Quit if you want or Swim if you want, the decision is yours maybe???
Maybe the new coach may not want you... or maybe the new coach will want you,
Maybe the decision about you swimming Varsity will not be up to you, or Maybe it will...
If it were up to me I am with Rob SWIM!!!!SWIM!!!!
I'd like to add that if I did decide not to swim as varsity next year, I'd join the master's team instead. So it's not a question of swimming or not really, it's a question of swimming varsity or not.
I'd say try to swim. You already know the new coach, stop by the office and mention your concerns. Be clear about those pros and cons you listed. There may be a compromise that works for both of you, if not it'll make your decision easier if you have more concete information.
No social life for 5-6 months, what are your teammates doing? :confused:
Figure you'll spend 20 hours a week at the pool. Add 15 hours a week of classes on that and you're at 35 hours per week. Heck, most of us masters types spend much more time just working THEN we swim on top of that :)
Yeah, you'll be busy. All colleges are tough and time consuming. Plenty of people balance sports and academics and are very successful at it.
...also having no social life. My school is an exceptionally difficult one....
It really depends on if the practice schedule is going to be as brutal as it was last year, I think. That's what really killed it...
Originally posted by hmlee
but most other colleges are, academically, nowhere close to as difficult as the U of C.
So exactly how many of these "other colleges" have you attended?
My observation of my own kids is that swimming helped their study habits.
My suggestion is for you to contact Jason and go talk to him. Tell him about your reservations, size him up and see how he reacts, see what he has to say, and use that to help yourself decide what you want to do.
My observation of my own kids is that swimming helped their study habits.
My suggestion is for you to contact Jason and go talk to him. Tell him about your reservations, size him up and see how he reacts, see what he has to say, and use that to help yourself decide what you want to do.
