A Coaches' Perspective: An Interview With
an Assistant Coach at
An interview with Jason Turcotte, the
Assistant Women’s Swimming Coach at
What is the best advice you would give to a high
school swimmer hoping to compete in college?
Start your search early, call early and often
and get all the information you can.
How does a NCAA coach know when a recruit is a good
fit for his program and university?
Don’t really know until the recruit visits,
meets the team and you get to see them all together. We like people who we think will improve,
that have three or more events to contribute.
We love IM’ers, as they might struggle or peak
in one discipline, but have other avenues to improvement.
How does a swimmer know when a certain coach or
program is an excellent fit?
We present what our team and training philosophy is about, and let them
decide. Our advice would be to not rule
out a team that does not train the same way your club does. Maybe a change will be helpful; plus you
can’t do the exact same things at 20 that you did at 14 years old.
What should recruits be most aware of during
recruit trips?
Try
to get a sense what the school and program are about on an every day basis, not
just from a recruiting weekend. What
seems staged, and what is real? Ask
questions of everyone you meet on your trip.
Also,
you represent your team/club, coach, and family on this trip. Don’t forget.
What would you tell a student choosing between a
Division I, II, and III school?
What are your expectations in college, and
are they realistic?? Do not let your ego
get in the way of making a good decision for you.
What do you as a coach look for in a recruit?
We look for: