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Guilford College is a NCAA Division III school. The
biggest advantage is that swimming at Guilford College is an extension
of the institution's larger academic mission. Guilford is a small
college with small classes. It places a premium on academic achievement
coupled with athletic and co-curricular successes. Because there
is a cooperative relationship between academics and athletics,
the swimmer is fully integrated into the academic mainstream,
not set apart from it.
I am Steve Kaczmarek, the Guilford College Swimming Coach. I am
proud to announce that women's swimming has officially arrived
at Guilford and we are looking forward to entering our 4th year
of competition in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. I am excited
about making our team a top program and hope that you will join
us next year for the 2008-2009 season.
As a coach, I take into consideration swimmers' commitments to activities other than swimming. The result is an environment that minimizes daily conflicts while maximizing the student-athlete's opportunities for academic and athletic growth. This experience, encourages mentoring relationships between professors, coaches, and students that extend beyond simply attending classes. It can be argued that while the D-I or D-II athlete enjoys the benefits of a positive, mentoring relationship with her coach, the Guilford College student-athlete enjoys these relationships with the coach and professors alike.
Occasionally a student-athlete fails to investigate D-III because
she thinks a small school will be too expensive, or may fixate
on receiving an athletic scholarship from a D-I school. Guilford
College financial aid packages can be quite competitive, often
matching or exceeding state school scholarship offers. Most Guilford
student-athletes graduate in four years, lessening college expenses
and allowing students earlier entry into the workforce or graduate.
Collegiate swimming is an incredible experience. Self-confidence and discipline are not things that can be bought. They are earned through hard work and are best shared with teammates you care about. Selecting a college is not easy, but in the end, the important thing is to weigh all the factors and listen to your heart. If you take a good look at Guilford College, I feel sure you may want to consider it as a place where you can grow, learn and enjoy the sport of competitive swimming.
I am looking for swimmers who are good students, good athletes and good team players and would like to excel to championship levels and help our team score at the conference championships. Ask yourself, "Am I supportive, respectful and positive?" If the answer is yes, then I hope you will consider Guilford College. "What environment am I comfortable in both from a team and campus perspective?" Guilford swimming has the full support of the school and our team is like a family, your home away from home. The facilities will allow you to grow and excel. I am committed to your success as an athlete and student.
Guilford College is a Division III school and therefore you do not need to be cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse for a visit. You are welcome to visit and sign up for a tour and even attend a class to see if Guilford is for you. I would encourage you to consider Guilford College in beautiful Greensboro, NC as one of your choices of schools.
Guilford has many ways to help you pay for school as well. We do not give athletic scholarships (by rule of the NCAA for Division III). Many students obtain academic scholarships. In fact, most of Guilford's students are offered academic money. We do not have letters of intent, and any student may come to a DIII school even if they have signed a letter with a Division I school.
You would help us to score at the conference meet. DIII has its own national championship as well. The qualifying times for DIII are not as demanding as DI. The qualifying times can be found using the link at the top right of this page. We would like in the future to have a team competing on the national level. Could you be one of the students to help us do that? Training requirements at Guilford are a minimum of a one-hour practice per day. Most swimmers swim up to two hours a day, except on Fridays when have a one and a half hour morning practice. We do this so everyone will be able to commit to academics as well as swimming.
Please consider Guilford College as your place to particiapte in college swimming
Sincerely,
Steve Kaczmarek
Head Women's Swimming Coach
Wishing you success always
