Knight Talk with Catie Watt '11 from Women's Swimming!

For this week's "Knight Talk", I interviewed my fellow teammate and friend Catie Watt. This weekend, the swim team competed in our last home meet of the season. For us senior swimmers, it was our "Senior Meet" and our last time racing at the St. Mike's pool. We've had a great season and we are looking forward to swimming fast at Championships in two weeks. :)

1. How long have you been swimming?

I have been swimming competitively since I was 8 years old, and I have been on the SMC swim team since freshman year!

2. What is the hardest thing about participating in a sport in college?

The hardest part about participating in a sport in college is definitely balancing both academics and the sport. Since we practice two hours a day every day with additional meets on the weekends, it can take up a lot of time so it's important to make sure you keep a good balance with both academics and athletics and make sure you manage your time really well.

3. What has been your favorite memory with the swim team?

My favorite memories with the swim team have been the training trips we have been on every year. My Freshman and Sophomore year, we went to Florida. My Junior year, we went to Puerto Rico and my Senior year, we went to Washington D.C. While the training trips are hard work, its so fun to be in a exotic location with your teammates working hard, exploring the sights and traveling somewhere outside of Vermont. The training trips are also a great time for the team to bond during the hardest part of our season.

4. What is your favorite race?

My favorite race is the 200 free. I love sprinting events and I especially love the 200 free because it's not a super short event but it's not considered a distance event either. It's the perfect amount of laps of sprinting!

5. Do you find it hard to balance academics and athletics?

Sometimes I do find it hard,especially when I have a lot of work, but swimming has taught me to manage my time really well. If I know I have a lot of work coming up, I get started on it early so I am still able to attend practices and get all of the work done. Our coach is very understanding though about making sure academics come first, so if you have to miss a practice or a meet because of class or school, it is not a problem.

6. How has being a senior differed from being a newbie on the team?

Being a senior, I have had four years of experience being on the swim team and I know the routine now. I also know what it takes and what needs to get done to swim better. Since this is my last year of swimming, I know I want to do my best and preform well in each meet, so I know I need to work hard in each practice to do my best.

7. Do you have any advice for students wondering if they should try out for a sport?

If you currently play a sport in high school and are interested or thinking about playing in college, I would definitely e-mail the coach of the sport that you want to play. Even if you aren't entirely sure if you want to play, the coach can let you know how the sport runs, what you need to do and give you more advice. Also, when you come to visit, if you can catch a game/ meet and watch the current team, you can also some insight on what the team is like.