Postgraduate Swimmers Making Bigger Presence

By Jeff Commings

PHOENIX, Arizona, January 4. THE collegiate dual-meet season resumes this weekend, and chances are you'll see a few postgraduates on the deck, or even in the water.

Swimmers who have completed their collegiate eligibility are becoming more prominent on college campuses, thanks to more resources available to keep them financially stable while they train.

The plight of the postgraduate swimmer has improved greatly since the early 1990s, when Tom Jager and Matt Biondi were the most vocal proponents of professionalism in swimming. The two were instrumental in creating prize money at major meets and pushing for USA Swimming to offer stipends to those who did not fall under the NCAA umbrella.

"I think Matt and Tom, as well as Janet Evans and Jenny Thompson to a degree, were trailblazers," said National Team Coach Mark Schubert. "They were people that did a good job of making swimming their highest priority, but they were also smart enough to think of their careers afterwards."

Jager and Biondi also helped make the World Cup concept more popular in the United States, and swimmers such as Randall Bal and Natalie Coughlin have said they used the money earned on their trips late last year to pay for new homes or help with living expenses.

Schubert said many of the top athletes today, such as Michael Phelps and Coughlin, are continuing the ideals Jager and Biondi started.

"It's great to see them succeed financially and set a good example for the younger athletes that look up to them," Schubert said.

Just as there is not one type of collegiate swimmer, there is a growing diversity of postgrad swimmers. In the upper echelon are the swimmers who are winning prize money virtually every time they race, are eligible for stipends through USA Swimming and are popular enough to get lucrative sponsorship deals.

Fifth-year students are another group of postgrad swimmer, taking advantage of the final year of their scholarships to finish their degrees and pay the rent. However, in these final six months leading up to the Olympic Trials, most are taking the minimal course load requirements to qualify for the financial aid.

Then there are those who choose to stay with swimming simply because they are not ready to hang up their suits and enter the world of the working class.

"A little bit of it might be the syndrome of they don't want to go out and get a job yet," said University of Arizona Coach Frank Busch. "As harsh as that may sound, some just aren't ready to enter the real world."

Scott Usher, a 2004 Olympian, said he would not be able to support himself as he trains for Olympic Trials if he were not ranked among the top breaststrokers in the country. He recently signed a contract with TYR and receives monthly stipends from USA Swimming.

"Without the money, it would have been difficult," said Usher, who earned a degree in criminal justice from the University of Wyoming and is now training at Purdue University. "I would have had to have another sit-down to evaluate. I don't know if it would have been something feasible."

College coaches are also feeling the pressure of taking on postgrad swimmers. Because their paychecks are based on the success of their collegiate teams, they find themselves trying to keep a constant focus on the NCAA season without disregarding the needs of the postgrads, especially when it comes to finding quality meets. Some coaches remedy the situation by allowing their postgrads to swim exhibition races during college dual meets. But the World Cup meets and the upcoming USA Swimming Grand Prix are more attractive to postgrads because placing high at one of those meets can mean a hefty paycheck.

Busch said it hasn't been difficult keeping his focus balanced between the two groups. The postgrads at Arizona typically have the same training schedule as the NCAA swimmers and compete often during the dual-meet portion of the season.

"You have to keep both eyes on the target," he said. "You try to have your postgrads race just as much as your college swimmers. I try to make their seasons as parallel as possible."

Being a postgraduate swimmer often comes with a few stipulations. In accordance with NCAA rules, some work with their collegiate teammates as volunteer assistant coaches. Those with years of experience often give talks to the team that reinforce technique or improve confidence.

"The experience they can lend is so valuable to what you're trying to do," said Busch. "Sometimes, we have them stand up and talk about the key components of successful swimming. It doesn't get much better than that."

Usher works with the Purdue team as an assistant coach, and travels with the team to away meets. Though Usher's top priority is preparing for the Olympic Trials, he's contributed regularly during the collegiate season.

"What Scott brings to the team is great technical knowledge and experience," said Coach Dan Ross. "He's there to train, but in return I get a great person in the clubhouse to be with the guys, and they see a guy who's been at the level where they want to be."

In addition to Usher, Ross works with Giordan Pogioli and Carlene Takaki, both of whom recently finished their eligibility at Purdue. It's the first time Ross has seriously taken on a group of postgrads, and he said he's taken a lot of advice from renowned coaches such as Bob Bowman and Jon Urbanchek.

"This was a unique opportunity," Ross said. "I'm not sure if I'll do it again, but this situation was too good to pass up."

Even though there are more opportunities available to swimmers looking to continue their swimming careers into their mid-20s – and sometimes, into their 30s and 40s – Schubert said the money won't come if the swimmers aren't willing to earn it.

"The athletes make it successful by keeping in mind that their success as a postgrad is dependent on them swimming well and having good coaching, training hard, being smart and taking care of themselves," he said.

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