Eric Fischer (@efisch17) swam for NCAA Division III swimming powerhouse Denison University. As a senior captain and two-time Academic All-American, Eric helped lead the Big Red to four straight conference titles and two national championships. He is currently a Marketing Manager at PCA and earned his Master's degree in Sport Management at the University of San Francisco to help teach others the invaluable life lessons swimming taught him.

In this video, Eric shares his experiences of choosing a school. Although he looked at several Division 1 swimming programs, he decided that Division III was a better fit for him because he could focus on both academics and athletics. Although Division 1 swimming programs can offer that, they have a track record of consuming the personal identity of athletes and this was not what he wanted.

Denison offered several benefits that aren't offered at larger Division 1 programs. He believes these benefits - the chance to be more than just an athlete and experience tight-knit relationships with professors, coaches, and non-athletes at a smaller school - should not be overlooked.