As a swimming student-athlete you will be taken care off very well in the United States. Everything is designed to make sure you can perform to the best of your ability. The swimming pools are based on the Olympic size and the facilities are simply incredible, especially compared to the Dutch standard. The level of college swimming varies a lot, from the elite national level athletes to men and women athletes that perform in regional tournaments.
- Michael Phelps, University of Michigan & 23 Olympic gold medal-winner
In the United States, there are over 700 universities offering scholarships to athletes looking to combine swimming and study at an university. As a college swimmer, you will quickly realize there is a difference between being an athlete in the Netherlands compared to being an athlete in the United States. At a college or university, you are not only performing for yourself, but also for the university and the team.
On average, a college swimming team consists of 15 to 20 athletes which perform against athletes from other university. In swimming and diving, the scores of two disciplines are combined. The swimming season starts in September and ends in March. With the joint performances of the school the team can earn points. However, although you are performing for the school as a college swimmer, you can also qualify for the national tournament individually.
As a student-athlete you are absorbed in the sporting environment on a daily basis. You practice, travel and play games on an elite level. And in between all these sessions and games, you have access to the best facilities and specialists that make sure you maintain and improve your condition levels.
Besides the busy sports schedule, your study is demanding as well. As a student-athlete you will need great discipline for starters. Together with your academic advisors and coaches you will be developing your own schedule, which allows you to perform in the pool and in the classroom.
Your ambitions might differ from your teammates. Perhaps your ceiling is higher than those around you, while others are already satisfied with living the American way of life. Whatever your reason to go to the United States may be, we will make sure to find the right match, that fits your athletic and academic background.
To find the right match we look at your ambitions and capabilities, as well as what college coaches in the United States are searching for. On a daily basis we are in touch with coaches who are looking to add exciting talent to their roster. We rate universities based on their academic and athletic performance. During this complex process we are close to the action to make sure the right choices are made. Naturally, we will also be in close contact with you and your parents. Due to this diligent and concerned approach KingsTalent has built a strong reputation in the United States, which has led to us receiving more requests from coaches than we could ever live up to!
Have you made your choice? Then we will follow you closely in the USA. Not literally, of course, but we keep in close contact together and do not want to miss anything of your sporting achievements. In fact, if you want, we will report extensively on your adventures. The contacts with your home front also remain strong. Within a few days you will know whether you qualify for your life-changing experience.
