Extracurriculars and Swimming

Leadership and Swimming

       If there is one thing that being on a team teaches you, it is how to rise up and be a leader. Nothing speaks louder than your actions. Outside the pool we may joke around about our training, but when we are together, whether it be in a practice or a meet, we stay focused on what we have learned and what we want to achieve.

        On the first day of college, our freshman class met as a whole and then we also got to meet the upperclassmen swimmers. Not only did this give us a support network of freshmen friends, but also older, more experienced students from whom we could rely on. I think that this is what helps make swimmers stand out at DePauw: we get a head-start on the very first day.

        From these experiences, I've been able to mature and earn my leadership roles around campus. Swimming prepared me to be president of my fraternity through teaching me management and event coordination skills. Swimming taught me to be a responsible athlete, and now I can transfer that into being a responsible adult.

- Brendan Flores, '12



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Service and Swimming

       As a freshman, I knew I would have to balance school and swimming. However, I had no idea how I would be able to fit in any extracurriculars; either my swimming would be cut short or I wouldn not be able to get as involved as I wanted to. Luckily, the opposite happened: the clubs and organizations on campus are very flexible with my swimming schedule.

        It is almost amazing how each swimmer can find different ways to fit other activities into their day. I can even find time to work in my 10-hour internship with ITAP every week. While everyone can get involved in different groups, we still come together for a greater cause. Every year, we organize a community service project where the team, as a whole, can participate in providing support for the community. After all, what can’t 30 strong young men accomplish? Not only do we get to give back, but we also get to bond with our teammates.

- Tyler Perfitt, '13