The deans insist that attendance slips be handed in immediately after the start of practice. Despite this fact, the trust among members of the team requires that the swimmer be responsible for explaining the reason for the absence. In swimming, the level of fitness required to perform well is very high. A sedentary Thanksgiving or Christmas vacation will set a swimmer back. If you don't plan to treat your body as your most important piece of athletic equipment, this is probably not the sport for you.
Fitness is hard to develop and easy to lose.
Talk to your coaches about your plans to stay in shape during school breaks. The same could be said for weekends here at Choate. Staying up far past curfew will make it difficult for your body to bounce back by Monday. Dedication is also required in Choate's never ending effort to turn this sport, which many see as an individual activity, into a team sport. It is important to be supportive of your teammates, to strive always to present a positive outlook and to help further the sportsmanship goals of the Choate program.