Matthew Bittner '22 Recruiting Profile

Swimming has been a significant part of my life since I was six years old and has enabled me to acquire important life skills to deal effectively with the demands and challenges in college and further on in life. “Honor, Discipline and Commitment” - these are the values that are integrated in my everyday life.  Honor means having the integrity and moral compass to always do the right thing.  Most importantly, I will conduct myself with honor and respect in and out of the pool, knowing that the way I carry myself reflects on my team, my coaches and the school I attend. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.  If I am disciplined in my daily routine and actions, I can achieve anything I set my mind to do.   Of course, discipline comes with commitment and perseverance.   As the practices at each level become more rigorous, my passion in swimming only grew over time.   As the great Jesse Owens puts it, “Self-discipline and commitment is doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done even when you don’t feel like doing it.  We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act but a habit”.     

 It has always been my dream to compete at the collegiate level.  I envision my college years to be a personal and academic growth period.  My goal is to look for a quality education at an institution that will position me well upon graduation.  In the pool, I will strive to be an asset to the swim program and a positive influence on the team, focusing on strong team dynamics.  

 In addition to my desire to swim competitively at the collegiate level, I am looking for a school that will provide a challenging academic environment. I have been taking AP classes since my freshman year and have maintained my rank in the top 8% of my class (at the end of freshman year).  In addition to swimming every day with my club team (Swim Streamline), I also work in various neighborhoods to power wash driveways, pool decks and fences.  My daily schedules today will position me well to handle the challenges of being a college student athlete.  This current schedule has taught me how to manage my time commitments effectively and prepare me for the challenges of being a student athlete.  

I believe my training and dedication to the sport is testament that I can be an asset to an institution’s swim program.      If I am recruited, the university knows it can rely on my dedication and commitment to deliver results.   I am open to any schools that will provide these opportunities and I look forward to communicating with and meeting with coaches in the near future.