John Sfire Banned for Life by USA Swimming

Former Rochester Swim Club Orcas coach John Sfire has been added to the USA Swimming banned for life list. Specifically, he was banned for violating USA Swimming‘s code of conduct articles 450.1 of the 1985 Code of Conduct and 401.1 of the Code of Conduct in effect from 1995-1998.

This is not the first time that he has been found in violation of USA Swimming‘s code of conduct– in 2002 Sfire was banned for 1 year for acts of fraud, deception, and manipulation (code of conduct section 304.3). According to court records both Sfire and another Rochester Swim Club coach were attempting to force members out of Rochester Swim Club and to eliminate certain Board Members who had questioned Sfire’s conduct and methods.

In addition, the Rochester Swim Club Orcas were fined by USA Swimming in 2003 for falsifying times. In connection to the incident Sfire was fined and given a 6 month ban.

In 2010 the Post Bulletin, Rochester MN reported that the longtime Rochester Swim Club coach resigned.

No details are available regarding the specifics behind Sfire’s lifetime ban. However, we have included violated code of conduct articles below.

401.1 GENERAL (1995-1998) — As hereinafter set forth, the USS may censure, suspend for a definite or indefinite period of time with or without terms of probation, fine or expel any members of USS, including any athlete, coach, manager, official, member of any committee, or any person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs of USS, who has violated any of its rules or regulations, or who aids, abets, and encourages another to violate any of its rules or regulations, or who has acted in a manner which brings disrepute upon USS or upon the sport of swimming. USS may also conduct hearings on any matter affecting USS as the national governing body for swimming.

450.1 GENERAL (1985) — As herein set forth, the Corporation may censure, suspend for a definite or indefinite period of time with or without terms of probation, or expel any member of the Corporation, including any athlete, coach, manager, official, member of any committee, or any person participating in any capacity whatsoever in the affairs of the Corporation, who has violated any of its rules or regulations, or who has acted in a manner which brings disrepute upon the Corporation or upon the sport of swimming. The Corporation may also conduct hearings on any matter affecting the Corporation as the national governing body for swimming.

 

 

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Nostradamus
6 years ago

Minnesota club swimming has quite a few coaches with a Rocky past, known for destroying Holmes, and stealing money from Twin Cities clubs. Glad this creep guy is finally gone.

Meistro
Reply to  Nostradamus
6 years ago

I am really hoping that is an intentional pun with the word “Rocky”

Nostradamus
Reply to  Meistro
6 years ago

You know it amigo

Jennifer Parks
6 years ago

Finally! Was Review Chair in Michigan from ’88-2000. Knew, but couldn’t prove his transgressions.

Melissa Soule
Reply to  Jennifer Parks
6 years ago

I swam for him in Michigan. I honestly, was surprised that it took this long.

Angela Hewitt
Reply to  Melissa Soule
6 years ago

I swam for him in Michigan also. I remember the things he did. Larry Nassar brought to the forefront a lot of emotions I have had of things that went on with Sfire. Learning of all this now, I cannot believe something wasn’t done when he was forced out as our head coach for the things he did in the 80’s.

Greg Wolff
6 years ago

His list of crimes goes back 30 years and many states. The man should be in jail for things he did to swimmers under his “care”

writestuff
6 years ago

If the offenses were from 1985 and 1995-1998, WHY DID THIS TAKE SO LONG?

Steve Knight
Reply to  writestuff
6 years ago

Not only did it take so long but at a very high monetary and emotional cost to the swim community. I have no doubt hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent and dozens of people were divided over this one defiant coach who exhibited extremely poor behavior. The answer to why it took so long is because USA Swimming didn’t know how to deal with such a defiant person as Sfire and they really didn’t want to deal with him until their own reputation became tarnished. I guess better late than never.

I am hoping USA Swimming has become much better at protecting the integrity of the sport of swimming and its participants.

Tim Mann
6 years ago

One correction, it was not another coach that was suspended along with Sfire; it was the then club president.

It was his actions that caused me to leave the staff and it was the amount of families appalled by his actions and past behavior that encouraged me to start a second team in town, Med-City Aquatics. The best part of creating that opportunity was the flood of swimmers coming to us that had quit club swimming because of his abusive style. While I’ve be out of coaching for 13 years, I am glad that programs are merging back this fall and I hope the new club is the positive Rochester Swim Club experience like when I was member back… Read more »

Just Keep Swimming
Reply to  Tim Mann
6 years ago

OK wow. I just read that website. WOW. That’s all I can say. So, after the rulings and ban in 2002 he came back and was still coaching for the Orcas? I find this very fascinating and so incredibly deceitful. Is his current ban related to what happened then or is this a new offense?

Steve Knight
Reply to  Just Keep Swimming
6 years ago

There were many other worse issues not shown in these documents that were in play. Both in Rochester and Michigan.

Dave B
Reply to  Steve Knight
6 years ago

I swam for a rival club to the one he coached in Michigan in the 80’s. Even then we were shocked that some of his transgressions didn’t get him removed from his head coaching position.

Jeff Chida
Reply to  Steve Knight
6 years ago

Sfire was banned because of Sexual Misconduct offenses.

See article: (USA Swimming spokesperson confirms)
http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/former-swim-coach-banned-for-life/article_4726ab30-5d23-5666-9eb8-5cfa5c8f1d13.html

It took (17) “SEVENTEEN” years to get Sfire onto the “Banned for Life List” I should not have taken this long.

Just wish we could have gotten Sfire charged so he would have to register as a sex offender. But in each an every case, Sfire slithered to another LSC to start his predatory grooming process all over again.

In Minnesota you messed with a couple of determined Parents who would not let you slipOh and your Em through the cracks any longer.

A Marine and a Navy Dad! We know how to complete a mission!… Read more »

MI Swim
Reply to  Jeff Chida
6 years ago

Hi Jeff,
I’m coming to this late. I was a swimmer coached and abused by Sfire in Michigan in the 80s. A teammate committed suicide. The Larry Nassar scandal brought it all back, so I started googling & found this article.

You state, “Just wish we could have gotten Sfire charged so he would have to register as a sex offender.” Is there a reason why you felt this would not be successful? Did you try & were you turned down by police? In Michigan, the statute of limitations has been extended to 20 years, or at any time for a minor under age 16 (which we were) .

I would love to get him criminally charged, so… Read more »

Jeff Chida
Reply to  MI Swim
6 years ago

MI SWIM,

I and others here in Minnesota would love to help any way to get John A. Sfire charged as a sex offender.

Please contact Brayden Keith of SwimSwam to get your/my contact info: I give Brayden permission to release it to you. You may also try indirectly through the Rochester Swim Club in Rochester, Minnesota.

Look forward to helping you!

anonymous
Reply to  Jeff Chida
1 year ago

I think I tried to post on this site a few years ago. Sfire is living in my New Orleans neighborhood now. After reading these comments and newspaper stories, I was able to notify some neighbors and also the city’s recreation department where he was trying to start coaching a master’s program. I think he has been stopped, but he was inviting young boys into his house for homework help.

Erik Collins
6 years ago

Good. To call this guy “lower than a bucket of whale pooh at the bottom of the ocean,” is an insult to buckets of whale pooh at the bottom of the ocean.

CBswims
Reply to  Erik Collins
6 years ago

I’ve always been partial to the phrase “walk under an alligator with their hat still on” – from the sounds of it, this guy fits the bill.

John Bradley
6 years ago

Glad he’s gone. Good riddance – we’ve been moving forward since 2010 and when this was completed 6 months ago it it provided closure for our team and an opportunity to become a great team again. It was a lot of work to complete but thanks to many in our community and good work by USA Swimming and Minnesota Swimming the club is in a great place. The Rochester Swim Club is hosting the Central Zone meet this weekend – check out our live webcast of the meet at http://www.visionarydisplay.net!

Jeff Arce
Reply to  John Bradley
6 years ago

This was only finalized 6 months ago. Good for your JB and the rest of the ORCAS for loving forward!

Billy Howard
Reply to  John Bradley
6 years ago

I’m so happy this is now firmly in the rear view mirror, and so excited that the community of Rochester will finally be back to one Club Team that can strive for excellent at the State and National Level. Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen. Too many to name here, but you know who you are.

About Rachel Harvill

Rachel Harvill

Rachel has been swimming ever since she can remember. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where she learned to love swimming with the Walnut Creek Aquabears. She took her passion for swimming to Willamette University in Salem, Oregon where she primarily competes in sprint freestyle events. In addition …

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