As another class leaves to end their collegiate swimming career, we begin to think about how much time we have left. We also think about what exactly we will miss most once our career has come to an end. It is something that can be difficult to think about, that just in a short amount of time you will no longer be a collegiate swimmer. The four years goes by extremely fast, so it is crucial to make most of the time you have as a collegiate swimmer.
I had the opportunity to ask collegiate swimmers from all over the United States the question: What will you miss most once your collegiate swimming career comes to an end?
“What I’ll miss most about swimming is the amazing family and community I’ve had for the last 16 years. My teammates are my best friends and I’ve spent almost every moment of everyday with the girls in my class. I’ll also miss the opportunity to race. Training for 3 or 4 months and then getting behind a block to see if you have what it takes is kind of crazy. It’s also what makes swimming such an amazing sport. ”
Erin Oeltjen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
“The teammates and your go to lane buddies since sometimes the only reason I go to practice sometimes is to see my friends and no one likes swimming alone.”
-Adriel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
“I will miss the family that i have with the swimmers on my team.”
-Trey Roggenstein,William Jewell College
The team aspect. Being apart of something so great, the friendships I made and the amount of support a team can give you.
-Karilyn Quon, Saint Francis University
“I’ll miss the team the most. There’s nothing that can replace being able to see your best friends everyday and knowing that they are always there to pick you up when you’re down. I’ll definitely miss having 30+ best friends less then 5 minutes away.”
-Sam Starke, University of Nebraska at Omaha
“I will miss being a part of team and always having something in common with so many people. And being able to talk to 30 different girls whenever I want.”
-Rachel Morow, University of Nebraska at Omaha
“I’ll miss the set schedule I have and the swim family.”
-Travis Colpitts, William Jewell College
“I’ll miss the rewarding feeling you get after you finish a killer practice. I will also the amount of food you get to eat and all the free apparel.”
Madison Heydinger, Georgia Southern University
“The sense of family working together for one goal.”
-Alex Martinez, Southern Illinois University