Hey all! I'm back...and with a tough decision

SWIM! I know that my grades were definitely much better the years I swam in college than the one year that I didn't. Infact when I came back for my senior year after much deciding on whether to come back- which I did- I had my best grades ever. And senior year I was taking several graduate level microbiolgy classes. Oh and I was swimming at a school in the UAA conference so I know what the course load is like. :)

Good to see you back on this discussion board; I enjoyed your posts. I'll chime in with the SWIM vote. Swim now, quit later if you need/want to....quitting now and swimming varsity later isn't an option. I agree with previous posts about needing to clarify your goals, and if swimming is one of them, follow up by meeting with the coach and preparing yourself physically and mentally for the season. Being on a varsity team and maintaining good grades is not impossible. Yes it's hard work - but again, be proactive. Have you got reading lists for next year's courses yet? Bought and perused the textbooks? School is like an athletic season - it's easier if you go in with a base fitness level. Good luck, I look forward to more posts from you!

I'll also agree with everyone else, swim! Worst case is, you quit the team partway through the season. If you don't try, you'll probably always wonder what would have happened if you had decided to swim.

You did ask us for our opinion and mine is basically that people use "I want to focus on academics" as an unwarranted excuse not to swim. Maybe U of C is the toughest school in the country, I don't know. But I do know many people have been able to balance academics and athletics at that institution and every other one in the U.S. that offers athletics. The bottom line is do you think you're up to it? We don't know you outside this board you so we can't answer that specifically. All we can do is offer you our personal experiences and hope that helps you decide.

With all due respect, the "you don't understand" excuse isn't going to carry a lot of weight. Remember you are talking to a group comprised mostly of parents and I'll bet we've all heard it a 1000 times from their own kids. Fact is we do understand. Many of the people on the board went to school, some difficult and some not as difficult. Lots of us also swam on a much higher level. We managed to go to school, graduate, have some sort of significant other, and a social life. We've become doctors, lawyers, teachers, soldiers, engineers, etc, etc and we've managed to continue to swim even when our daily lives make it almost impossible. All I'm trying to tell you is make up your mind that it's something you want to do badly enough to make it work. It's going to be hard but most things in life worth having come with a price. If you can't live with what it takes to be on the team then maybe it's time to move on to the next phase of your life and have no regrets.

Originally posted by Rob Copeland Didn’t your books get wet???? :D But I see the basic point... HMLee, I wasn't a swimmer in college (we didn't even have a swim team, but that aside...). In fact, I wasn't that much into any competitive sport until well into my 30s. I'm now in my 50s, trying to balance my running and swimming w/ the rest of my life. Here's what I've noticed: quality of life/work improves when I can stick w/ my training schedule. Granted, I'm not at your level, and my swimming doesn't comprise as much of my day as yours undoubtedly does... altho, swimming/running together seems to take a chunk of time... One story as an example: I had a deadline for a paper I was presenting at a conference and on the same day a crucial running workout (was training for a track 1500 and very much wanted the pieces to fall into place). Was going to bag the workout, thinking there would be no time to do that and finish the paper. But that nagging little voice that I get every so often when thoughts like that come up was telling me to do the workout no matter. I was doubtful but went ahead w/ the workout. AND came back from it all energized to finish the paper--which, in fact, I finished in time. Another time I wasn't sure if I had the time for a particular workout... but needed it psychologically so much! So I did it, wrote about it, and a friend read what I wrote, passed it along to another friend... and the piece of writing got published in a book! Following your body's wisdom often ends up helping your mind in unexpected ways. I can understand your anxiety about whether you'll have time for it all. I've felt the same way lots of times. I can't pretend I'm the best manager of time around by any means, but it helps when I can listen to the whole person I am... not only to the person with the academic/career goals and to the runner/ swimmer/ dreamer, I end up in a better place. If you're uncertain about the coach, as the others said, talk to him. He might have some ideas that will help you. Also, does your school have an academic support program for athletes? A lot of schools do, and sometimes they'll offer things like time management and other such workshops or counseling. Might be worth looking into. Good luck no matter what you decide! ... off to my wet books... :)

I'm a lawyer. I had an important trial yesterday. Thursday is a master's workout day. We swim from 6 -- 7:30 am. I almost bailed on the workout for some extra trial prep time, but went instead and got out 15 minutes early to make sure I got the office and court on time. Maybe it's the endorphin buzz, or just the early morning activity, but I am calmer, and I think consequently sharper, after a workout. The trial went just fine, and the 75 minutes of extra prep would not have made a difference one way or the other. You should be able to balance swimming and academics (even Harvard has a swim team, and a good one at that), and I believe the swimming will actually help your study habits.

Your college years are just the beginning! Life never gets easier, it just gets better. Decide what is important to you and carve out the time. Your college swimming is definitely worth it. I too went to CSU Chico (77-82) and swam. While I was nowhere near being a star those experiences were very important in making me the way I am now. I worked very very hard at practice those years and struggled to keep up but my teammates became very close to me. Now I know that I am capable of doing just about anything I want even if it takes hard work, and also I am a very team oriented masters swimmer. I swim on the same team as BillS and I look forward to practice mornings because I enjoy meeting and visiting with everyone on my team, I know that started with my close college teammates. Go for it!

SWIM!! BUT only swim if you are going to be 100% committed to the team, the season and most importantly, yourself. As far as studies.....I earned my best grades when I was "in season". My time was scheduled around workouts . We also had a mandatory team study hall once a week. As far as social life..... well I went to Cal State University, Chico so there wasn't a shortage of social life. The girls on my team got along really well so we partied together and we would party with the guys team also. Goodluck with your decision.

Life is opportunities and what you make of them, I agree with the thought that you have an opportunity you will never have again why waste it. As for the social life, how much do you really need? Again I agree with earlier posts, between work 40 hours, commuting 8 to 10 hours, parenting responsibilities such as homework, sports, vounteering for their sports and school activites, and those lovely household chores such as dinner laundry and oh yeah some time for the hubby, I would kill for hours on end in a pool. Instead it is a coordination of schedules the likes an army platoon would be envious of to get to the pool 3 x week, and sometimes skipping lunch to get a 40 minute quickie in - swimming that is. You can be a Master for years to come and balance the above and possibly more, so while you have the luxury to study and swim and play - go for it! ( I didn't hear you mention that you had to work to pay for college, so your way ahead of the time management game.) As for the personal stuff - if it ruined your GPA that much - time to take a hard look at what is constructive in your life and what isnt. Unless you are applying to graduate school, not too many employers want to know your GPA, as much as they want to know that you can balance your life and can follow through on commitments. I hope you swim but if you don't, I hope you use the time wisely, you will never have it again. Good Luck and God Bless