Like it or not, college recruiting is a business. One of the primary jobs of a college coach is to sign the best swimmers for the least amount of money. Yes they are looking for strong students and good people, but they also need to put together the fastest team within their scholarship limitations.
Most good recruiters treat recruiting as a business. The sooner you understand this the easier it will be for you to find the right school and swim team. You will also spend less time dealing with hurt feelings.
We try to teach our swimmers to not allow themselves to feel rejected when a college coach turns them down. It just means that school was not the right fit for them. It does help to understand that the “right fit” is just around the corner.
Believe it or not, coaches feel rejection too.
What do college coaches do at the end of the early signing period? They are either licking their chops over the talent they signed or they are licking their wounds over the talent they lost.
Very few coaches get everyone they recruit so many of them will have scholarship money available and they will be looking to spend it. The money doesn’t carry over to next year so they have to use it or lose it.
Some coaches will start contacting their “B” and “C” list of recruits to see if anyone is still available and some will be starting all over. Many of them contact American College Connection to see who we have left.
It is not easy for a coach to pick up the phone and rekindle a relationship with a recruit who they rejected. It is kind of like calling old prom dates who they turned down before the prom.
What does this mean for you?
You didn’t sign early so you are feeling unloved, rejected and starting to wonder if you will ever get a date to the prom.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start contacting coaches again. Coaches won’t be quite as picky the second time around and they will know exactly how much scholarship money they have to work with.
When you get rejected by a coach they may say something like this: “we really like you, but your times are not quite fast enough for us to offer you a scholarship”; however you hear: “we don’t like you because you are slow and ugly and your mother dresses you funny.”
You are shocked and can’t believe they can’t see your Olympic potential, your feelings are hurt and you don’t ever want to talk with that coach again.
Get over it!
If you get called by a coach who previously rejected you, suck it up and see what they have to offer. You have more power when it comes to negotiating and you just might find the right fit for academics and swimming.
Always sell the coaches on your potential.
Keep your eye on the big prize, “swimming in college”, swallow your pride and be open to the coaches who contact you.
