By Sharon Robb
PEMBROKE PINES, July 2, 2020—-For 90 minutes, South Florida Aquatic Club former and current college swimmers shared their recruiting and college experiences with current club swimmers and parents.
A panel of ten covered a range of topics with SOFLO College Prep Advisor Natasha Moodie as moderator on the Zoom platform.
The panelists were Brittany Williford, Boston College post-grad; Kelley Heron, Michigan State rising junior; Heath Brames, University of Massachusetts rising junior; Mitch D’Arrigo, Florida post-grad and 2016 Italian Olympian; Miguel Cancel, Florida rising junior; Kathleen Golding, Florida rising sophomore; Marc Rojas, Indian River and Florida State alum; Abby Oyetunji, Howard University rising senior; Courtney Marx, Western Kentucky alum; and Hailey Jerew, Florida Gulf Coast rising sophomore.
Among panel topic highlights covered were:
1. The recruiting process.
Jerew: “It’s not only based on time, but the college coaches wanted to know more about me, not just about my swimming. I kept them up to date with my meets, but also what was going on in my life and at home.”
Marx: “My strength as a recruit was that I was a huge team player. I liked to work hard. I held myself accountable. I wasn’t afraid to fail. I knew swimming wasn’t the only thing colleges were looking for.”
Rojas: “I had a lot of grit. I really liked the grind of practice. I challenged myself and my teammates. Out of high school I wasn’t as fast as I knew I could be. I always looked forward to practice in college, getting better and having fun. Getting recruited was kind of like a job interview. And, of course, your college coach is going to ask your club coach about you.”
2. The decision making process:
Golding: “There were two main things I was looking at–academics and athletics. I wanted a school that emphasized academics. The location and size of the school were important. Have a list of things you want in a college but be open to ideas.”
Williford: “I was really looking for a strong school academically, one I could perform well in academics and had flexibility. I fell in love with the city and change of seasons.”
Oyetunji: “I didn’t plan on swimming in college and I thought I would stay in- state. I didn’t have an exact plan on what I wanted, I just wanted to go to college. Coach Chris put me in touch with Howard University and put it on my radar. I was 16 and a high school senior. I had to take a gap year which helped me think about colleges. I knew then I didn’t want to stay in state. It was good for me to have a change and not just because of swimming, which I also got to do.”
Brames: “I began my recruiting process my senior year. I knew I wanted to go out of the state. I made a list of 20-30 colleges and sent out a mass email. I took my first phone call in January from the University of Massachusetts. I took a recruiting trip and loved it there. I told the head coach ‘Hey, let’s do this.'”
D’Arrigo: “I came to the U.S. my senior year. I didn’t swim high school because I swam for Italy so I had no yard times. I wanted to go to UF but they wanted me to walk on. I committed to Virginia but they said I couldn’t go to junior worlds and then the head coach left. I ended up getting a scholarship to UF.”
Rojas: “It was my senior year of high school and I was freaking out. I felt I had so much potential but my times weren’t there. I had a few recruiting trips but they only offered book fees. Alia Atkinson suggested I go to Indian River. Two weeks before high school ended I committed. I didn’t have a scholarship but it wasn’t that much money. They were hard working kids like me and really fast. I did well my first year and contacted Florida State. They were interested and I fell in love with the place. Make sure you make sure the school is a right fit for you. My FSU teammates had a high drive and embraced the grind of practice. The school really spoke out to me.”
3. Advice you would give your younger self for recruiting trips:
Brames: “Don’t compare yourself too much to the other recruits or members of the team. I would get nervous and intimidated by their times. There shouldn’t be any reason to panic or get nervous.”
Rojas: “Do the best you can reaching out to coaches and different schools. Keep your options open. If you choose a school and you don’t like it, remember it’s not set in stone and it’s not the end of the world. It’s okay to make changes. Just be sure before the big decision.”
Marx: “Use your your resources. Don’t get overwhelmed with emails and questionnaires. There are a lot of steps and it’s a big process.”
Golding: “Recruiting trips are exhausting. Be prepared to be exhausted. You do a lot in a short amount of time. Keep that in mind. Bring a notebook to write down what you’re thinking and ask questions.”
Heron: “Recruiting trips can be a little awkward. You are talking to people you have never met before. What stressed me out was meeting with advisors. I recommend having questions ready that you want to ask.”
4. College application tips:
Cancel: “Focus on making sure you get your applications in before the deadline. I committed early so I only had to fill out the coalition app.”
Oyetunji: “Get them done early. You don’t know how many schools you want to apply to and the deadlines come up faster than you think. Plus, make sure your essays are really strong.”
Williford: “Your guidance counselor will help with recommendations. What will set you apart will be your essay on what makes you unique and how much of an asset you will be to them down the road.”
5. Best thing about being in college:
Brames: “All the freedom you have and being a lot more independent. You will have three to five hours of classes a day. But it’s also a double-edged sword. There is no one there to wake you up for 8 a.m. class.”
D’Arrigo: “Doing your own thing. You are free for the first time in your life. Being part of a team is fun and different. In Italy I was swimming for myself. In college, everything you are doing is for the team.”
Jerew: “When you’re a college athlete you can register for courses before the general population can to make sure you get the schedule you want to fit around practice and meets. Your books are taken care of, pre-packaged that you can pick up in the library. You also get the recognition of being an athlete.”
Heron: “There are a lot of pros to being a college athlete. Free tutoring for any class, an entire building only available to athletes to study and get tutoring. You have an advisor for each course you are taking and free tickets to football and basketball games.”
Rojas: “You are basically a celebrity in your school. It’s the first time you are in the outside world. You learn how to grow as an individual. You’re on the path of being an adult. Mom and Dad are not there holding your hand. There is no safe space out in the real world. You are going to have your ups and downs. I learned so much about myself and came out a completely different person. In college you have tutors and rehab facility if you are injured. You also learn how to be your own chef. You can’t have ramen and mac and cheese every day.”
Marx: “There are so many resources. There are tutors. The library is usually open 24 hours a day on campus. There are psychiatrists and mental health experts for students and athletes.”
D’Arrigo: “You are treated differently, you realize how much they care about you. The professors and coaches want you to do well. In Italy, it was either study or swim. You are lucky here in college that you can do both.”
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com
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