Varsity Swimming Opportunities
A pivotal piece of the Long Term Athlete Development Strategy (LTAD) is College/University swimming. Kamloops Classic Swimming coaches encourage KCS swimmers to consider continuing their swimming careers through to university. Becoming a student-athlete is an experience not to be missed and there are many different opportunities for swimmers of varying levels. The following is a list of resources for the Canadian and American college/university systems which may help you get started. Pacific Sport also runs workshops on post-high school athlete opportunities throughout the year.
In 2020, Kamloops Classic Swimming developed a comprehensive KCS Recruiting Handbook, for swimmers Grade 9 through 12. The Handbook serves to support those swimmers entering into the Canadian and US recruiting process and contains advice on what to do when and what questions to ask. Please contact the office at admin@swimkamloops.com if interested in receiving a copy.
Guide to Canadian University Swimming Programs
"Swimming Canada and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) organization and coaches proudly launch this 2012 version of the Guide to Canadian University Swimming Programs. This is a tool developed to support the Canada first initiative to inform, excite and retain top swimmers in Canada.
“Our goal is to ensure that our Canadian swimmer have the necessary tools in hand while they are making the decision on where they will pursue their high-performance and academic endeavors” states Pierre Lafontaine, CEO/National Coach for Swimming Canada. “This interactive online guide will ensure that our athletes have a full understanding of the benefits that the Canadian University Swim program has to offer."
Included in this Canada first online guide to CIS swimming programs is detailed information on University Programs, a guide to asking the right questions, an outline of scholarships and funding available in Canada, links to informative sites as well as information on the strengths of individual programs, facilities and services available to high performance university athletes." Excerpt from Swimming Canada https://www.swimming.ca/canadafirst
SwimOntario PowerPoint on Canadian Swimming HERE
NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete
The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete offers instructional guidelines for high school student-athletes who wish to pursue athletics at the collegiate level. Every student-athlete and parent needs a copy of this guide. Click Here
The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete contains information on the following:
- Amateurism-Eligibility Requirements
- Academic-Eligibility Requirements
- Recruiting Rules for Division I, II, and III
- Core Courses, GPA, Tests, and Special Conditions
- NCAA Eligibility Center
- Questions to Ask as You Consider Colleges
- Information for Parents and Guardians
- Details for High School Counselors and Athletics Administrators
- International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility
**Simon Fraser University is the only Canadian member of the NCAA**
**Preparation for qualifying for certain US programs can begin as early as the Spring of Grade 10 as many programs will have certain course requirements. Often they will want SAT/ACT results in the fall of Grade 11. This gives you time to write SAT's again in the spring if needed.
Additional information:
Berecruited : create a free profile to connect with coaches and learning about schools
SwimCloud.com Best resource on the web for keeping track of NCAA swimming
- Add yourself to the SwimCloud.com recruiting database and find out where you rank among N.American swimmers!
Articles of Interest (please note that most of these articles are dated and may no longer be accurate)
The Role of Parents in the Recruiting Process
Average Athletic Scholarships for Schools Sponsoring Swimming
How New NCAA Rules are Changing Scholarship Offers
When Do I Start the US Recruiting Process?
How To Make Sense of the US College Recruiting Process - Never Assume.
U.S. Junior College and NAIA Information
For eligibility information at the Junior College and NAIA levels visit the links below:
Additional Resources
For those swimmers wishing to continue to compete in Canadian Senior National Championships or Olympic Trials during their university swimming career, joining the NCAA could affect your LCM competitiveness if all training is short-course yards. Depending on the coach and your standing in the program however, you may be given the opportunity to train/taper for Canadian meets.