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.
Look USA Swimming has it’s problems but are we all going to pretend like ASCA is some forward looking beacon that wants to modernize and address the issues of the sport… about all ASCA is good at is collecting dues and running clinics…
We do not need LSC’s. They are an organizational dinosaur from USA Swimming in the 1980’s. Nothing has changed structurally since then.
We need clubs to form their conferences with like-minded programs. LSC stifles a club’s development. A while back, USA Swimming looked at the possibility of a franchise club system.
What has your LSC done for you lately?
Our LSC is run by awesome people, I have been an active part of that LSC for over 30 years. The good people change, the same problems occur.
We need to be more forward-thinking at all levels of competitive swimming.
Man, I thought it was just me and the many smart people who have been saying this. Swim 3.0, in spite of me loudly asking for comparative data to be shared so we compete to be better at improvement rates, etc. is FAR WORSE now that they give us a graph on personal improvement instead of data we can compare with other clubs. They are HIDING inferior results and horrendous support for the rank and file coach. The best coaches as Doc Counsilman used to say are coaching small clubs with passion and getting superior results without that stellar swimmer that gets them recognized. Doc said it is highly unfair he got all the pats on the back for swimmers… Read more »
We pay $150/month but only 2 practices a week. 40 kids in the group. A little crowded. Private lessons are $50/hour and to progress, my kid has to do 1 private lesson/week. He can do more privates per week but the coach makes him choose something different to focus on at the second one. Competitions are $120-150 each, every other week, and if we don’t sign up, kid gets penalized by sitting out the next competition (yes, sitting out costs $120-150). With all that said, our team has a waiting list and families leave other teams to come to ours.
Oh wait, I thought we were talking about baseball! Cost for swim team is not an obstacle COMPARED to other… Read more »
Try to win more than 8 gold medals next time.
I have so many opinions about this…..just as many many people have reading this article and many like them lately about USA-S.
I’ll stick to 1 item then for my comment and hold my breath and not make anymore (oh…I want to!).
In my opinion USA-S really showed it had become lost was with the disintegration of the Club Development Department and those that spent 300 days a year on the road trying to get CD into the hands of as many teams possible – going from club to club, working at the grass roots level with the teams, Coaches, Boards and to some degree parents and athletes to try and get knowledge into the hands of any… Read more »
I want to comment more like you however will hold my breath on the why it was cut.
I do agree that there needs to be more staff at meets. Time and time again it has been welcomed. I would even add flocked to the presence by athletes, parents, coaches etc.
I would add though, the boots on the ground need clear direction, goals, and strategies. Strategies to increase satisfaction, growth, and long term planning. The boots not only should be reaching teams but major community centers. This is not occurring. In fact it has been suggested but not even listened to. Likely, because increased in staffing is not allowed.
Looking deep into the data is important with… Read more »
I’ll take it a step further: some have alluded to this, but I’ll come out and say it- swimming is always going to struggle attracting great athletes, versus other Olympic sports.
Swimming – It’s unbelievably hard. Stupid hard. As much as people try to make it, it will never be a team sport, so from a parenting perspective not sure it’s the greatest training. Except at the most elite levels, in large part it’s boring for the participant and the viewer. There is very little intrinsic reward on a day-to-day basis – no high five for turning a double play, or scoring a goal. It’s just day after day of grinding upon grinding upon grinding, and if you find… Read more »
It’s a team sport I would love to have this argument. What’s your argument for it not being a team sport?
Define an assist in a meaningful way and apply it to swimming in a meaningful way and you can call it a team sport.
quick relay changeover
There’s so much wrong with this, it’s hard to begin. Really I’ll just say that USA Swimming never did anything for me when I was swimming, either. But that in no way detracted from my experience in the sport, or any of the accomplishments I achieved, or friends I made. Hell, I didn’t even know that USA Swimming even existed before I started coaching. There’s a lot of legitimate criticisms you can aim at USA Swimming, but I’m not sure what they have or haven’t “done” for you is one of them. Other than maybe lower dues, what would you have them do? Your experience in the sport is up to you. Take ownership.
That, and I’m not sure you… Read more »
Okay maybe the one below!