A Coaches' Perspective: An Interview with the Head Coach at
Steele received NCAA Division II Coach of the Year honors for the third
time in 2001. He was also honored in 1998 and 2000.
What is the best advice you would give to a high
school swimmer hoping to compete in college?
Pick a program that will challenge and yet reward you. Financial aid is not a reason to pick a
school. Don’t go for the wrong
reason. Some of the right reasons are a
motivating coach, motivating team, challenging schedule, opportunity to swim at
the NCAA championships that uses achievable time standards, plenty of academic
opportunities in case you change majors which happens two-three times in a
career. The biggest is a drug/alcohol
pressure -free environment. Make certain
you can make the team since Gender Equity limits the size of men’s teams. We actually discourage some people because
the probably won’t make the 23 man team.
Sometimes we have 28 guys and they all MUST follow the guys on the
roster if they want to be involved.
How does a NCAA coach know when a recruit is a good
fit for his program and university?
The kids on the team will tell him following a campus visit. They’ll say “coach we need this guy because
he wants what we’re bustin’ our butts for and he’s a good person.
How does a swimmer know when a certain coach or
program is an excellent fit?
The kids on the team speak highly of him and he takes time to fully
explain academics, rules, guidelines, financial aid, team activities, training
trips, team bonding experiences, community support, etc…
What should recruits be most aware of during
recruit trips?
Wholesome social activities, team focus on worthy goals, cooperation,
academic appointments and assets of departments/support, computer services,
support services for learning disabled kids or academic problems, athletic
department success, and cooperation.
What would you tell a student choosing between a
Division I, II, and III school? Pick
the place where you can achieve times to get to the meet. It’s the greatest single motivation and
reward. Never having a chance is a
bummer. There are many schools that offer
a swimming program FIT and all the academics you could ever want.
What do you as a coach look for in a recruit?
1, Are they good people
2. Do they take drugs or drink?
3. Are they an academic risk?
4. Do they swim fast with cuts or a chance to make the cuts.
5.
Are they polite?
6.
Can they communicate with swimmers and me?
7.
Do they have worthy goals?
8.
Can we get them in school to STAY and offer their major?
9. Can their parents afford the school or can they
get aid elsewhere?