The point that Jenkins makes is excellent- these background admissions alone are enough reason to call for the whole thing (USOC in her case, USAS/ASCA in ours) must have its leadership replaced wholesale and start over.
NCAA Swimming Melds the Best of Fun and High Level Swimming
Podcast Preview: Susan O'Brien Williams
Safe Sport is Looking Into Paul Bergen
On February 28th I submitted a report via the online form on Paul Bergen. I only reported what I knew from publicly available information, including Deena Deardurff Schmidt speaking directly to the camera about it in 2010
Update: USA Swimming Has Done (Almost) Nothing
Kids Will Be Very Brave Once They Feel Safe
All this is putting the horse before the cart. Especially kids (but also adults) need to feel safe to be their most confident, brave, adventurous selves. They need to FEEL, not just rationalize, that if they fail they will still be safe. They will have the support of their coach and their teammates. Their parents will love them.
Katie Ledecky and Short Course Yards
Katie Ledecky is the best swimmer in the world. It is likely that, even if her progression continues to stall out and even head in the wrong direction, she will win the events she contests this summer at international championships easily.
But right now, Katie Ledecky is swimming in college, which means she's kind of doing another sport known as short course yards. That sport makes her look far more mortal.
The Archive: Mike Unger Knows The Real Victims
n this final edition, I look back at the 2012 Aquatic Sports Convention. This was towards the end of the time that some employees (Chuck Wielgus, Susan Woessner and briefly Mike Unger) attempted to bring me into the fold.
I declined to be co-opted, and Unger's attempt was the one that showed me the depths of hubris that lay in Colorado Springs
The Real Threat: SUITS!
Now, before you get all worked up, I want to admit to a couple faults. I have written very many wrong blog posts about suits. I liked the rubbery ones. I still like wearing them but I get why we can't have them. I started multiple flamewars with Craig Lord on this topic and I'm going to tell you that I was mostly wrong.
The Archive: Call and Response with "Splash"
The Archive: USA Swimming Retaliates Against Deena Deardurff Schmidt
Today, a "remember when?". Remember when USA Swimming (Chuck Wielgus) retaliated against a rape victim because her proclamation of that rape lead to him being personal embarrassed on ESPN's "Outside the Lines". In this fight over the years, there have been plenty of acrimony on both sides, but this is undoubtedly one of the lowest points.
The Archive: USA Swimming Talking Points Memo 2012
A Radical Reimagining of How We Do Swimming (Sport)
I think swimming needs dramatic change, that change will be very hard. I think it's worth it, however. Not just for stopping the terrible, abusive, horrible things from happening to people. Reimagining sport around the experience and well-being of people doing also offers the chance for a lot more good things to happen.
Catching up on Irvin Muchnick
I first discovered Irvin Muchnick six or so years ago. I think it may have been in a Swimswam comment. On first read, Muchnick's words can hit you like a two by four across the face. Especially in the world of swimming, to say his approach and willingness to take on powerful figures is uncommon would be a vast understatement.
Mark Schubert Has Even More Lies
Mark Schubert wielded enormous power in both organizations, had knowledge that could have saved athletes from our abuse, and didn't do it. He had his chance to be a hero, go public, and put his coaching reputation on the line to do the right thing, and he didn't do it. Instead he tried time and time again to leverage it for personal gain. He is trying to do the same again.
Thankful They Still Speak to Us
Alternate Realities of Swimming
While I await more a more forceful response from a USA Swimming board member (I spoke with one who wished to remain anonymous on Friday that promised me something more by today. They said, I quote "No response is worse than a bad response") let's discuss why there is such a wide gap between the state of swim coaching I write about and the one that ASCA President Don Heidary blustered earlier this week.
Response to Open Letter from John Bradley, USA Swimming Board Member
The following is a written response from John Bradley. Bradley wrote this message via e-mail and i present it unedited. It is an answer to the letter and the corresponding petition to the letter.
What's to Come With Nancy Hogshead Makar
Later today I will be recording a podcast with Nancy Hogshead Makar. It's a conversation I've been wanting to have for a long time. Because the podcast with Nancy comes at such a crucial time, I'm treating it a bit different than a typical podcast.
For one, I'm doing way more homework than usual. Hogshead Makar is probably best known currently for her fight to get the Safe Sport Act through congress. But that is just one angle that she's used to chip away at the maltreatment of athletes in sport. Her personal story is deeply moving and important to understanding what she stands for.
In swimming circles, Hogshead Makar spearheaded an effort to prevent the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) from inducting Chuck Wielgus in 2014. She was successful in that effort, which only looks better and better the more that we know about Wielgus' reign at USA Swimming.
Although Wielgus was kept out, there are still a lot of ignominious names in both the ISHOF and the ASCA Hall of Fame. I plan to ask Nancy about these. Specifically, what I continue to here from ASCA loyalists is that it would be a violation of rights or due process to keep people like Paul Bergen in the Hall of Fame.
I'm not a lawyer, but as far as I know there isn't any law that gives you a right to stay in a Hall of Fame. Here's a list of honorees from one or both halls with serious questions surrounding them:
- Paul Bergen CORRECTION: I made a mistake in asserting Bergen was in the ASCA Hall of Fame. He is only in the ISHOF
- Jack Nelson (both)
- Murray Stephens (ASCA)
- Don Easterling (ASCA) . Not often mentioned, the NC State coach was found liable in 1990 by the State Industrial Commission in the death of one of his swimmers.
But Hogshead Makar is about a lot more than just Halls of Fame and legislation. She has fought this problem from all angles, and I'm eager to here about them and share that knowledge with listeners. I have heard from many that are eager to find out how they can make their own corner of the swimming world go above and beyond USA Swimming's "efforts".
Finally, we will discuss the departure of Susan Woessner and Pat Hogan from USA Swimming, and what possible changes may be yet to come in Colorado Springs. This is an ongoing story with Scott Blackmun resigning from the USOC yesterday. All in all, I expect a packed conversation.
