beRecruited Advice: Sports Recruiting Interview with Rick Curl

An Interview with Rick Curl

By Ryan Spoon, Published by USA-Swimming

The following is an in-depth interview with Rick Curl, the Head Coach of Curl-Burke Swim Club. Rick Curl and the Curl-Burke Swim Club are currently featured in Swimming World Magazine. He has coached several national champions, gold medalists, and world-record holders including Tom Dolan and Mike Barrowman. Curl- Burke is extremely proud of its emphasis on the student-athlete. In the past five years, an average graduating class of thirty-five swimmers have attended and swum for many of the nation’s most prestigious and highly regarded universities. Furthermore, over half of the graduates have received financial aid based upon academic and/or athletic excellence.

Ryan Spoon: What is your role in your swimmers’ recruiting process?

Rick Curl: Beginning the spring (April) of the year prior to their graduation, I meet with that class and talk to them about beginning to focus in on their choices and what they should be looking at in terms of colleges. They compile their academic profiles (comprised of GPA, SAT, ACT, and AP scores) any outstanding awards that they’ve achieved, and/or any outstanding activities that they’ve been involved in. I then file each swimmer’s profile, both academic and athletic, in a separate folder with his or her graduating class. I can now provide college coaches with pertinent and necessary information and statistics. That’s the first step.

They come back to me in the middle of May with a list of five to ten schools-preferably five. I tell them they can only go to one, so there’s no sense in making this list a mile long because in the end it just bogs them down and gets confusing. By July 1st I have contacted the coaches and programs appearing on such lists and provide a detailed academic and athletic profile of each interested swimmer. I review the academic, athletic, and social risks for each athlete and indicate any potential financial aid requirements. I then discuss and encourage my kids to sign early; because, if handled appropriately, the process can be complete by November.

RS: What do you advise your swimmers to look for in a college and in a swimming program?

RC: The first priority is certainly academics. In high school most kids have no idea what they want to be. If they truly do know that they want to be an architect, a doctor, or an interior designer, then they need to focus on schools with appropriate curriculums. For instance, I had a senior this year who wanted to be in hotel management. Well, Cornell has the best program in the country, so why not go there? And that’s where he’s going. However, at seventeen and eighteen, most kids have no idea what they want to do later in life-many will change their mind several times before graduating from college.

Swim program- I always think that the most important thing is not to swim in a program that is over your head. And, frankly, most of the kids who come out of our program should be in Division II or III if they want to swim in an NCAA Championship meet. That gives them a full experience. They can be a big fish in a small pond.

What’s the seriousness of the program? I think it should offer a serious training program that’s not over their heads. Hence, they can experience the fullness of being a college athlete, being on a travel team, scoring at the conference meet, swimming at NCAAs, and being a big player (or at least a player). But, NCAA’s is reserved only for the very, very, very talented. It’s very difficult to make Division I standards, so I’m all in favor of Division II and III if the school fits academically.

RS: What advice do you give your swimmers before taking recruiting trips?

RC: It’s very important. I say you know you’re looking at the school, but believe me, the swimmers, the coach, etc. are looking at you. Don’t misbehave. Socially- be on your very best behavior, and understand that you are being evaluated too. Ask a lot of questions; focus on the freshman class in particular because those are the swimmers you are going to be with for the next three years. Ask questions of the coach to get kind of a feel for his personality or her personality. Most importantly, be yourself. Keep your eyes wide open; envision yourself in this setting on a daily basis.

You’ll see the very best, so I think when you come back, or on the way back, write down the pros and the cons. What did you like? What did you not like? If that “didn’t like” list is anywhere near more than one or two items then that probably isn’t the school for you because you will see the very best-perhaps a “skewed” view of the school and program. After all, the recruiting trip is a program’s ultimate “sales pitch.”

RS: How do you advise a swimmer to market himself?

RC: I call college coaches for each one of my swimmers. I spend an enormous amount of time, energy, and money making these contacts. But I believe that it’s part of my role and responsibility, and I’ve seen great success so I’m pretty proud about what I do on behalf of my swimmers because it’s a family and they give to me and I give to them and that’s the way it works in my group. Basically, I am very frank and very honest with the coaches.

Furthermore, it is my responsibility and interest to help my athletes choose programs that meet their goals and needs. The NCAA system makes it very challenging for the serious, internationally focused swimmers to thrive! I encourage all my swimmers to choose an environment that will challenge them on a daily basis. Then, the chance for success is greatest.

I tell the swimmers that they need to sound intelligent when they talk on the phone, to have a list of questions in front of them, not to worry if a coach doesn’t call every week during the season, to be enthusiastic, to ask great questions and to put the coach on the line. I think that the smarter the swimmer comes across, the more impressed the coach is going to be. If they sit on the phone playing gameboy with the other hand while asking shallow questions, they will appear unimpressive.

I think that a college coach wants to know and to hear that a swimmer is coming with wide eyes saying “I want to be a big part of your team, I want to perform for your team, and I want to get better.” I think that every coach wants to have someone who is enthusiastic and has a great, positive attitude, that isn’t afraid to work hard and to try new things.

RS: What is the best piece of advice you offer your swimmers during their junior years?

RC: They have to be focused. Don’t take a huge load of classes and really focus on your swimming. The numbers that you put up in the pool are going to be the ones that the coaches look at. Your senior year isn’t even going to be considered because you will hopefully decide where you will go before November, and before November, there are no fast competitions. They also look at your GPA, so you have to keep that up. I don’t think that you need a ton of AP classes-you need good grades. A 4.0 is outstanding and attractive regardless of schedule or courses. So, junior year be focused, have your best swimming times, and excel and improve academically.