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Running Our Own

"Best House"

By John Leonard, ASCA Executive Director

The recent and disturbing turmoil at the USA Olympic Committee is a timely reminder that USA-Swimming, its constituent coaches, athletes and volunteer leaders all must periodically do a “check up” to ensure that we are maintaining our standards as the best and most successful National Governing Body in all of sport. The World’s most successful sports team, the USA Olympic Swimming Team, deserves nothing less than the world’s best support system.

Reports by various task forces tell us that the following five points are

Key to USA-Swimming improving our own function and structure. They are:

1)     USA-S members who are to be House of Delegates Members in the coming year must be selected shortly following the September meeting of the HOD, so they can become educated and receive information from all sources on issues to come before the next years HOD, where they will serve.

This is crucial in order to end the problem of new delegates being asked to vote at convention each year on items they have heard nothing about until they walk in the door of the House. 

2)     A “Licensee relationship” must exist between USA-S and is Clubs. This means that standards will be met, and quality assurances can be made to the swimming public about a USA-Swimming Club. Clubs are where our athletes are serviced. They must be accountable to USA-S nationally.

Any “bad eggs” negatively affects anyone.  

3)     A “Licensee relationship must exist between USA-S and its Local Swim Committees. Rationale is the same. Those who serve our athletes must be accountable for their actions and activity.

4)     Clubs, where our athletes are developed and nurtured, must be represented directly on our Board of Directors of USA-S. (Echoes directly of the USOC!)  

5)     Club representation “by type” must exist in the USA-S House of Delegates. Our clubs are wildly different in organization, intent and interests. All need to be duly and directly represented.  

The five items above will make us a better governing body. We demand nothing less than continual improvement by our athletes. We as an organization, must live to the same standards.

    Our thanks to Ron Van Pool and the governance Task Force of USA Swimming for bringing these needs to our attention. Lets pass them in September 2003 in San Diego!