This a letter from Paul Bergen, Head Coach Tualatin Hills SC to John Leanard, Executive Director ASCA.

John

Thanks for your note regarding the National Junior Olympic Contest. My problem is that there is no "consistent" or "vision" leadership, Dennis is attempting to lead USA Swimming through consensus by Committee, and we all know how that works. If one would bother to read "SPLASH MAGAZINE" you would get the feeling that USA Swimming was an offshoot of the NCAA; what a "crock". The Club programs fund an Organization that doesn't cater to it's needs. We care more about the domino effects of Title 9 than we do about Clubs going out of business because they can't keep up with inflation. When we have no viable Club Grant Program that reaches down to the Grass Roots level and drop a viable program of Club Grants that was really developing some interest and excitement in offering new programs to get more kids involved in our sport; yet we have money to pay older athletes who are in a declining career and staff positions in our National Office to provide leadership in areas they have never experienced (boy now we can really compete with the Don Talbot's and Bill Sweetenham's of the world). We are spending more money on post grads. than developing a vehicle to help promote "grass roots" and "developmental competitive swimming" and give little or no attention to the needs of either building a base to be successful in the future or supporting the travel of young potential stars.

Why does USA Swimming continue to put National Championships Meets in the wrong climate and "slow" pools and then expect us (USA Swimmers and Coaches) to be competitive World wide? Minnesota in mid.-March and Ft. Lauderdale in August, come on now it should have been reversed - go out and get the pools you want to host the Meets don't just expect them to come in for bids by chance.

Why are we going to a long course spring Nationals when 80% of the Country's Club programs don't have access to long course training until June? Run the spring Nationals short course yards or short course meters but not long course, as if we're (the US) is going to be better at long course swimming because of one swim meet in mid. March.

Why are we sending post grads. or retired swimmers around the Country giving clinics when there are plenty of high school age potential stars going unnoticed? The Australians are making "hay" with Ian Thorpe as the Canadians did with their two high school stars Alex Bauman and Victor Davis, we have a golden opportunity in Michael Phellps to do the same - pay him $100,000 and his Coach to go around the Country and give Clinics or personal appearances, he is training with our Club this weekend only because his Coach was my assistant a few years ago. I can tell you that having him be here is going to give my boys a message that they can do it NOW, not wait until they are post grads and have to wait until they are 25+ years of age.

Why are we having a "short" trials for the most important Meet every 4 years and then turning around and selecting teams some 5-12 months in advance for every other meet? The decision to have early selection doesn't help those up and coming swimmers, Clete Kellar, and Michele Phellps wouldn't have made the 2000 Olympic Team if we had had a February Trials. It seems to me if we want to give our up and coming swimmers a chance for International exposure they we need to follow the same procedure for every other International competition. Maybe we are swimming too many meets or maybe we can have more trials and have Coaches and Swimmers make a choice where they want to try and make a team. It is pretty evident to me that we may have dominated the Medals in Sydney but one has to keep in mind that we only set 1 individual World Record, and some of those 2000 swimmers have hit the ceiling as to improvement so it's not going to work in 2004.

John sorry for my rambling but USA Swimming is not headed in a good direction and decisions that are being made today aren't going to work in the future. I don't know what forum is going to start standing up for Club Swimming but we better find one soon.