Two separate organizations, USA Swimming’s Coaches Advisory Council and the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), have written letters demanding changes from USA Swimming’s leadership in the wake of a number of challenges for the sport. The two have displayed their concerns in letters obtained by SwimSwam that are addressed to USA Swimming’s Board of Directors.
USA Swimming and ASCA were close in the past, as they were formerly partners in coaching education programs. That relationship has been on the decline in recent years, so much so that the leadership of USA Swimming and ASCA have barely communicated in 2024, but both of their points in these letters hover around the same issues.
Earlier this year, USA Swimming released results from a survey sent out to coaches at clubs that had reached “Club Excellence” status. Those results showed that a majority of coaches answered they were at least “somewhat satisfied” with USA Swimming. The publicization of those letters and the ASCA response ruffled some feathers in Colorado Springs.
The highlights of the letter from USA Swimming’s Coaches Advisory Council said that they want to “communicate our lack of faith in our current USA Swimming leadership.” The letter continued by giving six specific examples.
Specific concerns are the following:
- Membership and retention rates continue to decline, and an increasing number of swimmers are leaving USA Swimming for AAU.
- Lack of communication regarding departing staff members and their replacements.
- The tone-deaf decisions and poorly executed implementation of SWIMS 2.0, new dues increase proposal, and coaches’ university education program.
- General feelings of key non-athlete stakeholders and membership that their opinions do not matter.
- National Team Structure. Including lack of transparency in selecting international coaching staffs and non-existent onboarding procedures to educate new Team USA head and assistant coaches.
- General distrust toward USA Swimming leadership.
USA Swimming has seen a decline in its membership rates, contrasting other countries such as Germany which has seen an increase in membership. In addition, AAU has seen growing membership as clubs have departed USA Swimming for AAU. The organization announced its SWIMS 3.0 database in 2022 but that has also been a point of frustration from coaches as seen in the survey results from February.
ASCA’s letter also emphasizes most of the same points. The letter stated they are “deeply concerned with current USA Swimming membership trends, our perceived weaker performance on the world stage, and significant coach feedback expressing dissatisfaction with our national governing body.”
As already shown, membership trends are on the decline. The US won the least amount of gold medals during its medal table streak that has run from 1996 through Paris. The US won at least 10 gold medals in every other Olympics and came away with 8 in Paris.
ASCA called for numerous changes stated below. The organization also cites the importance of this Olympic quad, with the Olympics being held in Los Angeles in 2028.
- Our leaders need to be held accountable for membership trends and coach dissatisfaction that have been well documented.
- We need an experienced and accomplished coach to lead our National Team, and we need an outstanding, credible coach leader for the Junior National Team as well. The home Olympics require our best, and we feel an athlete-centered and coach-driven approach will allow USA Swimming to perform at its best.
- The amount of staff turnover under current leadership is not only concerning, but also alarming.
- There is currently a lack of engagement and connection with coaches that is causing our NGB to overlook its most precious resource for improving performance. The NGB’s relationship with coaches must become one of respect, support and collaboration.
- USA Swimming needs leaders who are willing to engage with ALL stakeholders and leverage their knowledge to improve every aspect of the organization.
- The leader of the organization needs to be an outstanding communicator, listener, and someone who can inspire a sense of urgency and excitement throughout all levels of the organization.
- Grassroots clubs, coaches and athletes must be connected to the top in a way that not only shows them the path to get there, but also takes them by the hand and leads them there.
It is important to note that USA Swimming’s Junior National Team did not have a director from the start of the COVID pandemic, when Mitch Dalton joined the Texas women’s program, until March 2022 when Erik Posegay filled the position. The position notably remains open again after Posegay has now joined the staff at Texas this offseason.
USA Swimming historically was led by a long-time head coach as its National Team Director. Frank Busch held the position from 2011-2017 after coaching Arizona to numerous NCAA titles in the 2000s. Former Olympian Lindsay Mintenko took the position in 2017 as “National Team Managing Director,” rather than “National Team Director.”
Minetnko was an assistant coach at USC before joining USA Swimming staff in 2006, but didn’t have the same resume as those coaches who held the previous version of the National Team role and has shifted the role from a coaching position to more of an administrative and coordinator position.
In addition to coaching concerns, USA Swimming has also seen a decline in its net assets in 2022, according to the most recently released tax documents. Net assets fell from $39,250,078 to $21,583,773, a loss of 45% on the year. USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey notably made over $1 million in 2021, accounting for 2.8% of USA Swimming’s revenue, the 2nd most for a CEO of a major sports governing body in the US.
Another key to the change in assets has been revenue from corporate sponsors. USA Swimming lost numerous partners between January 2022 and February 2023, such as Marriott, Golden Road Brewing, Bic, Myrtha Pools, Xfinity, and Frito Lay.
Mintenko and Hinchey should have been gone a long time ago. Time to clean house and try again. Can’t do any worse.
The complaints about USA swimming have simply been too long, too loud, too detailed and too focused to ignore any longer. The quad cycle for Los Angeles 2028 has Begun and we simply cannot wait any longer. The very fact that AAU is willing and able to take up the slack shows that USA swimming is not currently up to the task Does not share the swimming coaches’ community support.
It’s about time. Thank you for highlighting.
Tim, Shana, Eric, and Lindsey need to go. That simple. An anonymous survey of the staff needs to be conducted. “It’s dysfunctional” would be a kind descriptive.
The problem is, there are members on the board that do not care about anything but their own interests. They order staff around and think they are aristocratic. There are a few that have no concept of self and look down on staff, coaches, and general members. Horrible communication approaches have run rampant with some of the board members and ex-officio members.
There has been a wealth of talent that has worked and currently working for USA Swimming in many capacities however they cannot see… Read more »
The Olympics performance should really be left out of this. We still had the most golds, were very close to more golds, and had foreign gold medalists that swim for American programs.
The other concerns specifically the continually dropping membership numbers, are very valid.
Good