A question about NCAA policies regarding taking a year...
Former Member
between high school and college as an athlete....If a swimmer was approached by a coach with the suggestion of waiting a year before going to college to try to make Olympic trials/improve swimming for better chances at going to a better college/swim program would this be a good thing? Have you ever heard of such a thing? I don't know anything about it and am trying to research it. Thanks.
I think a lot of these rules came about because schools were recruiting older (usually non-American) swimmers. Other coaches objected to having a 21 year old freshman with international meet experience still getting four years of eligibility.
As to redshirting, that's sort of a different deal. My reading on the original question was a case where a swimmer took a year off between HS and college. If someone DOES matriculate then, yes, you can redshirt a year. Athletes have five years to complete their four years of eligibility--but you've got to be enrolled as a full time student.
I think a lot of these rules came about because schools were recruiting older (usually non-American) swimmers. Other coaches objected to having a 21 year old freshman with international meet experience still getting four years of eligibility.
As to redshirting, that's sort of a different deal. My reading on the original question was a case where a swimmer took a year off between HS and college. If someone DOES matriculate then, yes, you can redshirt a year. Athletes have five years to complete their four years of eligibility--but you've got to be enrolled as a full time student.
