Elite Swimming Program in Seville, Spain
- FOR: University student-athlete / competitive swimmer
- LOCATION: Seville, Spain
- TERMS: Summer / Fall / Spring / Academic year
- SWIMMING REQS.: See Requirements >>
- LANG. REQS: No prior Spanish required for many tracks
Continue your swimming career while studying abroad in Seville, Spain. Train with one of Spain’s leading competitive swimming clubs while earning university credit and experiencing a high-performance training environment.
Elite Swim Training
- 5–6 pool training sessions per week
- Up to 3 double training days
- National-level coaching staff
High-Performance Facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool
- Strength & conditioning gym
- Sports science support
Elite Spanish Swim Club
- Andalusia’s most successful swimming club
- 24-time Andalusian Absolute Champion
- Competes at Spain’s highest club level
High-Performance Environment
- Train alongside Spain’s top competitive swimmers
- Integrated into the club’s daily training program
- Gain international training experience
To participate in the Elite Swimming Program, students must:
- Be an active member of a college or competitive swimming club.
- To train with the team, students should meet the following performance standards:
- For Men
- 100 m Freestyle: 00:57.00
- 100 m Backstroke: 01:03.00
- 100 m Breaststroke: 1:13.00
- 100 m Butterfly: 01:01.00
- For Women
- 100 m Freestyle: 1:04.00
- 100 m Backstroke: 01:12.00
- 100 m Breaststroke: 1:21.00
- 100 m Butterfly: 01:10.00
- For Men
- Complete the Student Application Form.
Program Dates
- Summer Session I
May 24 – June 20, 2027
Swimming offered during Summer Session I only. - Fall Semester
September 17 – December 12, 2026 - Spring Semester
February 4 – May 13, 2027
Program Fees
Program | Fee |
|---|---|
Summer Session I | €550 |
Semester | €700 |
Academic Year | €1,300 |
What’s Included
- Placement on a Spanish elite swimming team.
- Highly qualified coaching staff.
- 5–6 training sessions per week.
- Double water sessions may be available depending on the student’s class schedule.
- Complementary strength and conditioning sessions tailored to the swimmer’s specialty.
- Training programs adapted to each swimmer’s specialty (speed, middle distance, long distance, and ultra-distance).
- Individualized training plans for high-performance swimmers.
- Training groups limited to 4–5 athletes per lane.
- Access to professional swimming facilities, including starting blocks, hyperbaric chamber facilities, and lactate analysis equipment.
- Spanish swimming license, allowing participation in local and national competitions in Spain.
- Competition opportunities: During the semester: approximately 1 swim meet per semester (depending on level, some swimmers may participate in up to 3 competitions). Summer programs: swimming meets are not available during this period.
Application Deadlines
Summer Session I
- Application Cycle Opens: October 1
- Application Deadline: April 1
Fall Semester
- Application Cycle Opens: October 1
- Application Deadline: April 1
Spring Semester
- Application Cycle Opens: April 1
- Application Deadline: October 1
Academic Year
- Application Cycle Opens: October 1
- Application Deadline: April 1
If you are a current NCAA college swimmer considering studying abroad with us, here are important points to keep in mind:
-
NCAA athletes are allowed 4 seasons of competition during their college career.
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A season of competition is counted if you participate in any official swim meets during an academic year (fall, spring, or summer).
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If you compete with your college team in the US during one term and join an amateur swim club abroad during your study abroad term, this usually counts as one season of competition for that academic year.
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All competition abroad must be at the amateur level, with no compensation or benefits received. / Our Swimming program meets this requirement.
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You must report all outside competition (both domestic and international) to your NCAA compliance office to ensure your eligibility is maintained.
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It is strongly recommended to consult with your school’s NCAA compliance officer before competing abroad to understand specific rules that may apply to your situation.
For questions about NCAA eligibility, please contact your school’s compliance office or reach out to our program coordinator for guidance.
Yes, but most students swim for clubs. In Spain usually the level of club teams is higher than college.
Yes, the different swimming clubs SAIIE collaborates are all coed teams
Trainings happen twice a day. One part of the team practices early in the morning at 7:00am and the other part of the team will practice in the early evenings (Around 4:00pm). Depends on class schedule. You will have the option to practice in the mornings or evenings.
During the summer please expect really warm weather. You will be swimming outsde in the Olimpic swimming pool (50 meters) Seville’s summer’s are hot and dry, and usually at the end of May it can easily reach the high 30’s C (Around 95F), and in June it can reach the 40’s C (Low 100’s F). During fall it will be nice weather but you will be swimming in an indoor size swimming pool (25 meters). Spring term you will also be swimming inside.
How long are training sessions?
Trainings will be 2 hours long.
There will be 5 training sessions per week but if you want to you will be able to train 6 days per week.
In each summer session you will complete 4 weeks of training. Since session I & II overlap you will complete a total of 6 weeks if you decide to participate in both sessions. During the fall & spring you will have training every week of class.
Yes, the club has a gym for its athletes, and you will have access to it.
Yes. You will be training with Spaniards on a Spanish team with Spanish coaches. This is an important aspect of the cultural immersion part of the program; through the swimming program you will be surrounded in a constant Spanish speaking environment and this will give you a great opportunity to improve your Spanish.
The swimmers are between 17 and 25 years old.
It varies each year but about 28-32
All training facilities are no further than a 10-20 min underground ride.
No more than $150 per semester or $40 per summer session
Fins, paddles, and a kickboard. Snorkels are used but are not required.
Voices from Seville
Testimonials
Parents and student-athletes on training, language, and life with SAIIE.
Students
It was great to experience and see a new perspective of swimming compared to home. I got to see how swimming is in Europe and I manage to make many friends on the team! I would recommend this program to anyone that is swimming back home and wants to continue swimming while studying abroad.
Matheus Sousa Avelar
I liked meeting new people and training at a nice facility. Everyone on the team is very nice and those who can speak English were very helpful.
Madison Hagberg
I really liked how fun all the team members were and their relationship with their coach. The pool is beautiful and the coach is super nice.
Penelope Celtnieks
I love meeting the people on the team, the swimming practices, the coach, everything, etc!
Hannah Lesser
I enjoyed getting back into hardcore training, and found myself to be the slowest person in the pool, but it motivated me to go faster which was enjoyable. I also enjoyed practicing my Spanish with the people I met.
Calvin Fagley
I love meeting the new swimmers and practicing my Spanish during practice with them. Finally understanding the practice was a breakthrough for me and was my favourite part of learning Spanish thus far. The swimmers were welcoming and were helpful in explaining the workout when I didn’t fully understand.
Kristen Wolf
It was a great program and experience! I not only love my swimming practices which help me to stay in shape while abroad but it was also fun to get to know all my Spanish teammates and practice my Spanish on a daily basis!
Bryce Hoppe
I enjoyed getting back into hardcore training, and practicing my Spanish with the people I met.
Colin Glass
I loved meeting all of the swimmers. The friends I’ve made of Club Naútico are ones I’ll remember for a lifetime.
Jonathan Farah
I loved every second of training with the team. I started my first day unable to understand any of the sets given all in Spanish and right away people helped me out. What struck me is how positive the entire group is, which made for a really fun and inclusive environment. People pushed me in training and encouraged me to keep improving daily. I love how I felt like I became a part of their team despite my short time with Naútico.
McKenzie Summers
The swimming program was an amazing experience. I loved it! It was so much fun to be able to swim on a Spanish team while I was studying abroad. The Spanish swimmers on my team were so nice, and were speaking to me constantly which allowed me to practice my Spanish.
Michael Brienza
I wanted to get a unique cultural experience and I totally feel like I got that. The cultural experience. Being able to train in a different country and speak the native language with the swimmers and get to know them was my favourite part. I wanted to get a unique cultural experience and I totally feel like I got that. I made friends with the swimmers and was sad to say goodbye to them when the session ended. They were all so friendly and made an effort to talk to me.
Zachary Wallace
All the team were all extremely nice and hardworking and were glad to help me understand the practices and were always glad to stay after practice and help me with my spanish speaking skills.
Tyler Gymple
They are all very friendly and immediately welcomed Kyle, Bailey, and I. The team practices and competes at an elite level. Our teammates were very helpful in teaching us how to understand. The Coach was great! Becoming friends with the locals. They are all very friendly and immediately welcomed Kyle, Bailey, and I. They were tons of fun! Made me want to come back for more. I loved it!
Jason Hicks
Life changing! That is how I would describe my experience at SAIIE in one phrase. While in Seville, I went to classes and participated in the athlete program as a swimmer. The experiences I had, people I met, and things I saw were incredible. It was the time of my life. I learned so much about culture, other people’s views, and myself. My time at SAIIE is not something I could put a price on. It was worth every penny. I made lifelong friends while swimming there and still stay in touch with many. Swimming in Spain was a very unique experience. It was one of the highlights of my experience to be able to train there and make new friends. Whether you are a swimmer, basketball player, rower, or anything else, I would participate in this if I were you. You will meet new people and learn new things. It is a great way to immerse yourself in another culture while still staying in shape for competition back home.
Kyle Johnston
I loved meeting the team. It took me a few days, but with the help of the swimmers and coaches, I learned their swimming lingo. I had so much fun at practice and the 2 hours flew by. I just really loved being in a new environment and training in a completely different setting.
Bailey Brown
More stories on @saiieathletics.
APPLY NOW
To start your application please complete the student form. For athletics questions contact the Director of Program Development & Student Experience, Sean Chipres, at seanrc@saiie.com.
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