Swimmer's Guide to the Recruiting Process

🏊‍♀️ College Swimming Recruiting Tips

Recruiting is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make memories and connect with coaches, schools, and future teammates that you might not meet otherwise. The most important thing? Have fun through the process!

This guide outlines tips to help make the recruiting experience smoother and more enjoyable.

📅 Before and After June 15

Expressing Interest Early

• Email coaches of schools you're interested in. While they can’t respond about recruiting before June 15 (per NCAA rules), it shows you’re on their radar.

• Pro Tip: Use email tracking software to see if your message was opened.

• CC assistant coaches, as they often lead recruiting efforts.

You might receive a response like:

“Thank you for your email! NCAA rules prevent us from talking recruiting before June 15, but we appreciate your interest and will be in touch when allowed.”

Fill Out Recruiting Questionnaires

• Go to the university’s athletics website > Swimming & Diving page > look for a “Recruits” or “Questionnaire” tab.

• Fill out the form accurately with:

  • Best times

  • Academic info

  • Future goals

Example:

Oakland University Swimming & Diving Questionnaire → Teamworks Compliance + Recruiting

Create a Swimcloud Profile

• Swimcloud.com is a helpful tool for coaches to view your times and rankings.

• Basic profiles are free; premium features (like sending transcripts/emails) require a subscription.

• This also helps define your graduating class and event rankings.

🧠 Be Prepared Before June 15

Know what you're looking for in a school:

• Swimming & academic priorities

• Preferred team culture

• Weather, location, conference, size, and more

Be ready to answer:

• How did you start swimming?

• What's your family like? What do your parents do?

• What are your hobbies or extracurriculars?

• What are your goals (in and out of the pool)?

• What big meets are you targeting?

• What major are you considering (or general career goals)?

Be ready to share:

• Your weekly training schedule

• Next year’s school classes

📲 June 15 – Communication Opens!

• Don’t stress! This is a fun and exciting step in the process.

• Save contacts as they reach out (e.g., “Coach Molly – Oakland”).

• Not all coaches will reach out immediately — some want to avoid overwhelming you. That’s okay!

• If you receive a message, schedule a meeting — even if you’re unsure about the school.

NCAA Reminder:

Coaches cannot meet with you in person until August 1. You can meet virtually, by phone, or via other platforms in the meantime. At swim meets, a smile and wave are okay — but no recruiting conversations yet!

🗒️ After June 15 – Meetings Begin

Tips for Meetings:

• Come prepared with questions.

• Write notes during/after calls: coach names, schools, team values, etc.

• Save your notes — they’re useful if coaches change roles later.

• Don’t judge only by name or division — great fits come from unexpected places!

• Be flexible with meeting times and punctual (respect their time).

• Use a digital calendar (like Google Calendar) with reminders.

• Watch time zones! Confirm meeting times clearly.

🏫 August 1 – In-Person Visits Begin

Per NCAA rules:

Starting August 1 before your junior year, you may begin official and unofficial visits and meet with coaches in person.

• Official visits: school covers some/all expenses. Limited to one per school.

• Unofficial visits: you cover your expenses.

A note on timing:

• Coaches may wait to offer an official visit until after several conversations.

• Even after a visit, offers may come days or weeks later — every school is different.

❓ Sample Questions to Ask Coaches

Here are questions that show thoughtfulness and genuine interest:

About the Team

• What is the team culture like?

• What are the team’s core values?

• What’s your long-term vision for the program?

About Coaching

• Why did you choose to coach here?

• What’s been a highlight of your coaching career?

• What does a typical practice week look like?

Get to Know Them

• What do you love most about your team?

• What are some fun team traditions?

• What are your favorite things about the school?

Dive Deeper (Follow-ups)

• Travel meets?

• Roster size?

• Academic support and expectations?

• Housing and campus life?

• Average GPA/SAT for admission?

• Financial aid options?

💬 Final Thoughts

• Be yourself — coaches want to get to know you, not a script.

• Thank coaches for their time at the end of every meeting.

• Stay organized and take notes.

• Don’t hesitate to ask your club coach for help along the way!