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Take the time to read the following.

Extracts are from an article in the Australian Swimming Magazine Mar/April 1999 by Paula Ewing. (Reproduced with her consent.) which highlights the benefits gained from a College experience. 

No one can deny the importance of college to Americans. And no one can deny the importance of sport to American colleges. It is huge.

Apart from the spectacle and kudos associated with intercollegiate clashes, the most amazing aspect is the financial support directed towards college sport.

The National Collegiate Athletics Association is one organisation that governs college sport in America and boasts an annual budget of $300 million of which $200 million is distributed between universities across the country for sporting scholarships.

Hard to believe isn't it. But these extraordinary figures are a result of the culmination of gate takings at national events as well as the sale of television rights to sports such as college basketball. These rights were bought from the NCAA for $2 billion recently in a contract that will see them through to the new millennium.

While not everyone is gifted enough to obtain admission to universities on an academic basis, college hopefuls are provided with alternative avenues to pursue in their quest for admission. and these sporting scholarships are in the abundance in most universities across the country.

But the scholarships are not exclusive to American students. Many scholarships today are available to international athletes and students who have the credentials and desire to study overseas and are at a level in their sport that can Increase their chances of admission to universities and chances of being granted a scholarship.

An organisation who specialises in recruiting and placing athletes In the United States of America is College Prospects of America.

CPOA is the world's largest student marketing service with offices across the world including London, Mexico, Canada. South Africa and Australasia. With a head office in Ohio, CPOA's forte is establishing the link between athletes and coaches.

CPOA discovers who the athlete is, their sport and carefully compiles an objective portfolio that includes information such as academic qualifications, press clippings and coaches recommendations. This is then forwarded to hundreds of universities in the US who offer scholarships that would suit the sport and educational ambitions of the athlete-

Queensland based John Hocknull is the Managing Director of the Australasian office whose association with CPOA began about six years ago. An agent from the Atlanta office saw Hocknull's son playing golf in the US and realised the calibre of college-aged Australian athletes and benefit of getting more Australian athletes on American college scholarships.

The Atlanta agent contacted the CPOA Head Office whose president then contacted Hocknull with a proposal to set up the Australasian office incorporating Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.

With an understanding of Australian sport and university admissions and opportunities, Hocknull accepted the task and began the process.

"Australia is very, very good at looking after their elite," said Hocknull. "But athletes who are coming fourth, fifth and sixth in their particular sports often get neglected.

"There is a huge number of athletes who are one second away from the elite and they keep getting beaten by the same people at each meet."

But by accepting a scholarship in the US, athletes can use their sporting ability to get a degree - valued at around $US100,000 $AUD160,000).

On a 'full ride' athletes can get 100 per cent backing which includes education, training, accommodation, meals and travel.

"Athletes who are running fourth, fifth and sixth to Cathy Freeman and Melinda Gainsford-Taylor can look at a different pair of heels and get a degree," said Hocknull.

There are over 3600 universities in the US compared to 51 in Australia. Of those 3600, 1 700 offer scholarships or financial aid to assist athletes in 26 sports including golf, tennis, basketball, American football, ice hockey, water polo, fencing, field hockey, arts, gymnastics, lacrosse, rodeo, wrestling, music, rowing, skiing, soccer, baseball, softball, swimming, athletics, volleyball, baseball, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.

Hocknull's service costs around $1200 and begins when you register as a client and concludes when you graduate, and when compared to the costs associated with researching appropriate universities, preparing portfolios and eventually posting out applications, the value for money is undeniable.

Hocknull is in a position to know which universities offer which scholarships, what information coaches and administrators are looking for in applications and the universities that offer degrees suited to the applicant.

Added to that are the special airfares, unique insurance, specially designed overseas phone calls and guidance and knowledge of the American system. "A lot of time and money is spent splashing around in the dark, blundering through a minefield," said Hocknull "This way you get a bit of guidance to go left a bit here or swing right a bit there."

While there are a lot of people in Australia who are in the position to take advantage of these athletic opportunities, they often don't consider the option because of their academic background. According to Hocknull though, this should not act as a deterrent.

"Even though some people are less academic, they can still get in," said Hocknull.

"The academic requirements aren't enormous however athletes do have to fulfil the course requirements which are to pass."

"But it is their best interest to achieve their highest because the US is fantastic at rewarding success - what comes with it is kudos," Hocknull said.

In addition, the role of sport in American universities can provide athletes with an enormous psychological boost they would not receive if they competed at the same level in Australia.

"A triple jumper we sent across was training in the middle of the day at the college track," explained Hocknull, "and he had more people there watching him train than he'd ever had competing in Australia."

While Hocknull and CPOA can attempt to address everything associated with leaving home at 18 and moving to a new country to train and study, sometimes things just don't work out. Whether it be the university, the coach, the course or the athlete, an American College scholarship is not the best option for certain individuals.

"Ultimately the choice is theirs," said Hocknull. "But you never know unless you've tried it."

Gretchen Chambers was 17 when the thought of studying overseas on a scholarship first became a reality. Gretchen's father, Don, was reading the paper one Sunday afternoon in 1995 when he stumbled across an article which explored the possibilities of athletes travelling to the US to study.

"I had come to a cross road," said Chambers. "I knew that I needed to decide what my priorities were, i.e. swimming or school, and I had heard far too many stories about swimmers trying to do both at once and not being very successful at either."

Chambers was competing at national open and national age level but failing to make and impression on swimmers in the Susan O'Neill (100/200 butterfly and freestyle) and Hayley Lewis' (400/800 freestyle) class who were dominating their events then - and now! At the 1995 Australian Age Championships, Chambers placed fifth in the 17yrs 400m freestyle and 7th in the 200m freestyle finals.

What followed was a simple succession of events. Chambers contacted Hocknull at CPOA who forwarded relevant information to her. With this in front of her, it was time to decide whether to pursue the opportunity.

"There wasn't really much to discuss," said Chambers. "All the details were given to me on what to expect and the approximate costs for things I would have to pay for myself. "I knew that Australia couldn't offer me anything like this - except for the AIS perhaps- but there was so much more to gain by going overseas," said Chambers. And so the process began. Within weeks, Hocknull had forwarded Chambers' application out to over 500 universities and colleges. Chambers received interest forms and bio sheets from about 35 universities, which she completed and returned.

Twelve serious offers came back with six universities offering a 'full ride' or 100 per cent scholarship.

The Chambers family considered a number of factors before deciding which scholarship to accept including where the university was located, the role academic pursuits played in the eyes of the coach and the level of school support services available. Chambers' major concern however was the strength of the conference or region the universities competed in. "The pacific 10 has a tradition of being the fastest conference so when I was offered a scholarship in that region I was very pleased," said Chambers.

In August 1996, having accepted a position at Washington State University in Pullman, 18-year-old Chambers packed her suitcases and headed to the States to obtain a degree in psychology, with a minor in marketing, on a 'full ride' swimming scholarship.

Anna Hohmann was in a similar position in late 1995. Like Chambers, Hohmann was competing at open national level in the IM, butterfly and freestyle and ranked third in the age group backstroke. At the 1995 Australian Age Championships she placed 5th in the 17yrs loom backstroke, 4th in the 200m backstroke and 2nd in the 4x50m medley relay. Nearing the end of her secondary school studies, Hohmann wanted to combine her studies and swimming to help her obtain a degree and the thought of doing it in another country was even more enticing. Hohmann followed the same routine as Chambers and after contacting CPOA, filling out the countless questionnaires and waiting for the offers to come in Hohmann was offered scholarships at eight universities.

"CPOA was great," said Hohmann. "They really did a lot for me because I did not really know anything about coming to America, the universities and the areas. "I chose my university by advice from CPOA and also what the coaches told me about their university."

Four months later, Hohmann had accepted a 100 per cent scholarship at the Washington State University and began an accounting degree in January 1996. Three years down the road, Chambers and Hohmann are sharing the same accommodation and nearing the end of their American College education adventure.

But the past three years have enabled the two girls to mature and develop as both individuals and swimmers in the American system. - Chambers and Hohmann were both aware of the high standard of swimming in the US before they left Australian soil, but the fact didn't really hit home for Chambers until she attended her first Pac 10 Championships.

"Our team sat next to Stamford who has swimmers like Misty Hyman and Catherine Fox and other high calibre swimmers, so knew it was going to be a fast meet," said Chambers.

"I really didn't think that college swimming would be this competitive or this fast, let alone have the enormous financial support it does from the university."

Hohmann was also impressed at the level and standard of the US system.

" The level of swimming in the US is amazing. I am in the best conference so I have swum against a lot of Olympians," said Hohmann. "The depth is so amazing - Elli Overton (Cal Berkley) doesn't even win in our conference."

The high level is even more impressive considering the population comparison between Australia and America. For example, Australia's best are the best drawn from a population of 17 million people. This is the approximate population of Los Angeles alone with over 300 million people in America.

Training has been tough for the girls but has moulded them into smarter, more efficient swimmers, who are both swimming faster than they had in Australia.

According to Chambers, the focus is more on the mileage than technique, however a major facet of swimming that is drilled home to the team is that there is no need to swim faster or harder, the key is to swim smarter.

"I am now a firm believer in this method as I have watched my times improve with faster turns and dives," said Chambers. "We do a lot of yardage compared with my team at home and sometimes I am left wondering whether all that yardage is necessary."

From an education perspective, both Hohmann and Chambers been Impressed with the standard but feel there Is a different emphasis on components of the education curriculum.

Hohmann indicated the emphasis lies more on communication skills as well as text book learning, and as Chambers explained, the level of high school education in Australia is higher. however it appears to catch up somehow through University. "I can't speak for other universities, but WSU (the University of Washington State) wants you to get an 'A' in your classes, so they try and provide as many opportunities and services that can help you achieve it," said Chambers.

Even the thought of never having to worry about paying back university loans or trying to fit swimming and university together help scholarship holders achieve a certain level of academic success. Not to mention little perks like Gatorade, power bars and clean towels which are provided at every practice.

"It is just the little things like this that make swimming and studying easier," said Chambers.