Swim camps can be a great way for athletes to receive coaching and feedback from some of the best coaches and athletes in the world. Ranging from beginner level to elite, we've rounded up the top swim camps in each region. 

Most swimming camps will cater to any skill level, and help any athlete improve their technique as long as they are able to swim 50 yards, or in some cases meters, of every stroke. We recommend any of these camps for athletes looking to improve and make friends in the swimming community. It's also great to make a connection with a program's coach if you have a desire to swim there, as it shows your interest and dedication to improving. But, swim camps are not a necessary piece of the recruiting process, given most university swim programs do not choose to host camps, and they offer very short-term exposure to a limited group of coaches.

Instead, their primary service is to help swimmers become more mindful in their technique, learn new drills and quicken skills, and find out what coaching styles, strategies, and structures work best for you as an athlete. They're a great opportunity for swimmers to get one-on-one instruction from high-level coaches they may not have access to normally.

Related: Rate your Coaches, Facilities, and Campus Visits

Northeast

Division I: Pitt Swimming Camps
One of Swimming World Magazine's 2021 Featured Camps, the Pitt Program offers two stroke and training camps and one elite training camp each summer. University of Pittsburgh's Head Coach and 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist John Hargis leads all of the programs, alongside additional members of the Pittsburgh coaching staff. 

The camps cover the newest stroke techniques, nutrition, goal setting, and individual stroke critiques, while also preparing athletes for college swimming. Pitt's program is great for athletes looking for a program with a low camper-to-staff ratio.

Division III: Maryland Nike Swim Camp at Johns Hopkins University
Nike holds multiple swim camps at accredited schools around the country, typically changing the location and coaching staff annually. For the summer of 2022, the coaching staff at Johns Hopkins University will be taking swimmers from all over who are looking to improve their strokes at a college with a reputation for top-tier swimming and academics. 

The camp offers a low camper-to-staff ratio and is run by Johns Hopkins head coach Scott Armstrong. Armstrong has led the Bluejays' men's team to three consecutive fourth-place finishes at NCAA DIII Championships, and as an alumni of the college, he understands the feelings and interests of swimmers wanting to join the university's team in college.

Related: I Transferred from DI to DIII & Became a Two-Time National Champion

Southeast

All Divisions: Nike's Peak Performance Swim Camp
This camp, which is held in Tampa, Florida, is not a specific college program. The camp's founder and Head Coach is Nick Baker, who has been a Canada Games Coach, World Junior Olympic Coach, and Olympic Coach. He's instructed elite swimmers ranging from World Record Holders, Olympic Medalists, NCAA Champions, Zone Champions, and High School State Champions. 

Baker's camps range from race-focused to training-heavy. If a camp is too big of a commitment, Peak offers stroke-specific and start-and-turn clinics.

Division III: Rhodes College Swim Camp
The Rhodes College Swim Camp is run by Head Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving Coach Steve Webb, who has coached for multiple division III programs over the years, and has led each to success. 

The camper-to-staff ratio does not exceed 15:1, and swimmers get the opportunity to practice at the university's outdoor facility, Alburty pool. This program is also spread out over the course of three weeks, which is great for athletes who feel overwhelmed by the prospect of constantly working on their technique for a week straight. Swimmers who choose the Lynx's program are thus able to practice what they learn during sessions, and at their own club team or person training between the sessions, and consistently improve their stroke.

Rather than camps, we recommend the Fitter and Faster 2022 Scottsdale Arizona series, which offered clinics in high-performance butterfly and breaststroke, and explosive performance: starts and turns! 

Midwest

Division I: Michigan Wolverines Swim Camp
On the DI side, the Michigan Wolverines Swim Camp, led by the legendary Michigan Swimming Coach Mike Bottom, is highlighted by Swimming World Magizine, and for good reason. Bottom has coached at the last six Olympics and has successfully run one of the top national programs for both men and women at the highest collegiate level. The intensive program includes three instructional sessions per day, plus an optional training session.

Division III: Kenyon College Swim Camp
Kenyon college's swim team is one of the best DIII teams in the nation, and their camp is a great place for highly competitive athletes who are looking to swim at the DIII level. While Kenyon's elite camps are open to all athletes from 13-18, they advise the program for swimmers with AAA times. The camp is run by Kenyon's Head Coach Jesson Book, who earned the NCAA DIII Women's Coach-of-the-Year award in 2019. 

While these camps offer world-class training and coaching, deciding if a camp is the right fit for you and your collegiate swimming goals can be difficult. Check out are pros and cons of going to swim camps to help you decide.

Related: Should You Go to School-Specific Swimming ID Camps?

Southwest

Division I: Texas A&M University Aggie Swim Camp
The Aggie Swim Camp is known nationally for its “individual attention” focus and does one-on-one analysis every day of the camp. The technique-centered program is led by Texas A&M Women's Swimming head coach Steve Bultman, who was a two-time Olympic team coach and was inducted into the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2015. 

All of the camp's pool sessions take place in the Texas A&M University Recreation Center Natatorium, which was renovated in 2014 and is considered one of the “finest and fastest” in the US. Not a bad place to practice!

Division III:
For athletes looking to swim at the DIII level in the southwest, there are a number of great colleges. Unfortunately, there are no highly rated swimming camps run by DIII programs in the area. We recommend looking at general swimming camps or Texas A&M's camp for stroke and technique work, and our DIY recruiting guides to show your interest in whichever school when the time comes!

West

Division I: Stanford Swim Camp
The winner in the west comes as no surprise to most, as the Stanford men's and women's programs are both top-ranked DI college swimming programs. 

Run by Head Coaches Greg Meehan and Dan Schemmel, the technique camp allows swimmers to dive into their strokes and look at specific goals to work on with coaches. We love this program because of Meehan's experience training world-class athletes as the 2020 U.S. Olympic Women's Swimming Head Coach. 

Division III
Like the southwest, given the heavy presence of nationally recognized DI swimming teams and camps, we recommend going to Stanford, Berkeley, or a recognized national or club program. These camps won't give you one-on-one time with the DIII coaches that you want to meet, but they do help swimmers improve their stroke and speed, which will aid in future recruiting. 

Aside from camos, we really like the Race Club Swim Camps, which are eight-session clinics that are held in San Diego. The program is headed by Dr. Gary Hall, a three time olympian and head coach who was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1981. 

Related: Swimming and Diving Scholarships by Division

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* Originally published on March 21, 2022, by Peyton Wright