How College Club Swimming Offers a Different Path for Swimmers
For many swimmers who have grown up in the sport, there comes a time near the end of high school where you’re forced to make a decision: “Do I pursue swimming in college or do I retire?” The answer is often a difficult one to find for many athletes. Swimming in college is an opportunity that only some are offered and it holds many benefits. For others, it can mean stress, lots of time spent recruiting, and more limited options for higher education. But without collegiate swimming, that means you’re retired from the sport – maybe years before you were ready to.
However, there is another option for swimmers who find themselves at a crossroads: College Club Swimming.
Background
College Club Swimming, known as CCS, oversees more than 200 college club teams and nearly 10,000 swimmers nationwide–numbers that are quickly growing. From the University of Georgia to UCLA, these clubs give athletes of all levels the chance to continue competing in a fun, social environment–without pressures like recruiting or intense daily training.
In a recent interview with Swimming World Magazine, Dawson Hughes, CEO of U.S. Masters Swimming, said the CCS motto is “Swimming on Your Terms.” “Every club is unique, shaped by its traditions, training routines and school culture, creating a fun community,” Hughes said. “Our goal is that everyone in CCS has an opportunity to swim and stay connected to the sport.”
Run by swimmers and supported by U.S. Masters Swimming, CCS provides rules, event calendars, results and communication for its teams. The program was formally launched in 2016, when USMS volunteers recognized the need to stabilize the loosely organized network of clubs.
“It was clear the motivations and benefits students sought were closely aligned with USMS,” Hughes said. “With no central board and frequent office turnover, it was obvious how we could help.”
That partnership led to the creation of CCS, its first advisory board and the CCS National Championship. Hughes said the ultimate goal is for every college to have a CCS club, giving any student the chance to pursue or continue a passion for swimming.
Community and Enjoyment
With these values in mind, College Club Swimming offers something many swimming programs do: community. Especially at larger schools, it can be difficult for students to find a group where they truly fit in. CCS provides that space for many.
Cady Houck, a senior at the University of Florida and president of the Florida Club Swim Team, has been part of CCS since her freshman year. She started swimming competitively at age 7 before joining UF’s club program.
“I was unaware of how big Greek life is in the South,” Houck said. “After orientation, I realized I needed to find my niche – a club where I felt I belonged without the pressures of being in a sorority.”
Houck said she has since found some of her closest friends through club swimming. As president, she’s continued to help foster an environment that emphasizes both community and fun.
Danny Stemp, president of Arizona State University’s Club Swim team, said this was an important part of why he joined.
“I looked at the (ASU Swim Club) Instagram before I even knew I was going to ASU and it just looked so fun,” Stemp said. “Everyone was enjoying swimming…with how long most of these people have been doing it, they’re burned out, or they don’t want to keep practicing.”
Stemp said that the fun and social environment of club swimming is what keeps people connected to the sport.
Adaptability and Opportunity
The main pull of College Club Swimming is its adaptability. Unlike age-group clubs or varsity programs, CCS offers a competitive structure that adjusts for swimmers of different backgrounds and schedules.
Houck said one of the biggest benefits is how this structure can flip the dynamic of standard competitive swimming. “You can choose how hard you want to practice, when to take rest days, and how you want to compete,” she said. “Everything we do is built around your own drive, goals, and love for the sport.”
This flexibility allows swimmers to focus on things outside of swimming while still staying involved in the sport. “It really allows you to focus on your academics, while still doing a sport you love,” said Jeff Christophersen, Nationals Chair of Swim Club at ASU.
CCS also expands college options for high school athletes who may not want the demands of NCAA swimming. “If you’re going to swim D-I, D-II, D-III, you’re going to be more limited in the options of schools that you can choose,” said Christophersen. “I chose to come to ASU, which is a really great school…and I couldn’t have done that if I had wanted to swim at the competitive college level.”
Beyond the pool, CCS provides leadership opportunities through managing teams and hosting events. Christophersen said his role gave him valuable experience while helping organize last year’s National Championship meet.
The meet, considered CCS’s biggest event of the year, is typically held in late spring and requires qualifying times to attend. “I’ve always worked in aquatics,” Christophersen said. “To be able to be on the executive board…and working on the back end was really cool, and has helped me kind of develop my career.”
Growth
CCS has a bright future ahead of it. Christophersen said the organization is continuing to evolve, with new clubs forming each year.
“Especially with some of the recent NCAA issues that are going on, you have roster limits and teams that are getting cut, just because the colleges don’t have the money to support some of the non-revenue sports,” he said. “So College Club Swimming is definitely going to grow, and I think it’s going to look different in the future.”
The expansion is evident at the club level, as well. Arizona State’s team has surged since it began about four years ago. “(We had) like 15 people four years ago and now we have up to 150,” Stemp said. “This year, I’m expecting only more growth with how many people are already interested in the club.”
Final Thoughts
College Club Swimming has given many athletes a way to stay connected to the sport they love. With membership growing each year, CCS is poised to keep expanding its impact in the swimming community. As USMS CEO Dawson Hughes said, “We are expecting a big year.”
CCS Website: https://collegeclubswimming.com/
CCS FAQs: https://www.collegeclubswimming.com/about-ccs/FAQs
CCS Club Registration:https://collegeclubswimming.com/register/Club%20Registration
CCS Swimmer Registration: https://collegeclubswimming.com/register/Swimmer%20Registration
