N.C. State ‘09 - Men's Swimming

Initially, I had no intentions to swim in college and only swam because it was fun and I enjoyed the competition. However, once I got to high school I realized I might be able to get more out of swimming then fun and competition, so I started to swim year round for a team outside of Richmond.  As time went on I outgrew my team and switched to a more competitive team and participated in many more meets. I had goals of swimming in college and needed to get the most out of each team I swam for and each meet I was involved in.  

By my junior year of high school I was talking to different friends I had made in the swim community.  Theses friends all swam in college and I immediately was interested in their programs.  Since I was not a national star I took it upon myself to make contact with as many schools as possible.  I emailed schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, and even the Southeastern Conference.  Surprisingly most returned my emails.  I had originally set up visits with Virginia Tech, University of Pittsburgh, North Carolina State University, University of South Carolina and University of Alabama.  I ended up only taking official visits to University of Pittsburgh and North Carolina State University though.  These were my top two schools so I decided signing early was important to me and I did not want to chance giving away a spot on these two schools teams if I did not sign early.      

I enjoyed both schools and the academic and athletic opportunities they offered, but my decision was easy.  I chose North Carolina State University because of the family environment.  I really liked the coaching staff and knew I would fit in with the close knit team.  It is very important to think about getting along with team when choosing a school since when you pick a school you really do pick a family.  I eat, live, and train with my teammates on a daily basis.  We don’t spend more than a couple hours apart ever in day so it’s important that you feel comfortable with the team.     

I am so glad I chose North Carolina State University.  The coaching staff and team have helped me to better myself as an athlete and a student.  I’ve made my best friends over my time here and I would not trade it for anything.  My teammates will always be there for me and I would do the same.  I’ll always be a part of this team and we will share more together than just competition. 

My Advice:

• Start the process as early as possible

• Do your research about the school from an academic and athletic standpoint

• Trust your gut

Good luck!

Jon

For more information check out the Active Recruiting 101 special section.