Contributor Rick Paine is an expert on the college recruiting process. He is also the Director of Swimming at American College Connection (ACC). AAC is a Swimswam Partner.
Covid has certainly changed our lives, but it is especially difficult for young people who are just not used to being stuck at home for school and, in many cases, for swimmers and divers for training. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for an athlete or coach to prepare for meets only to have them cancelled or postponed.
The good thing is that college swimming and diving is not going anywhere. It has survived world wars, depressions, recessions and epidemics, and it is still standing.
In sports like swimming and diving there is no such thing as “maintaining” or just staying in one place. While you are “maintaining”, the athletes ahead of you are pulling away and the ones behind you are catching up. Very few of us have the ideal training situation during these times. Make the best of what you have available and keep moving forward.
I want you to think about all of the hard work and sacrifices you have made to become a recruitable student-athlete. There are not that many people in the world who can say they are recruited for college athletics. That same drive and determination will help you get through this temporary shutdown.
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