Contact:

Jeffrey L. Gray
General Chair
Connecticut Swimming, Inc.

Contact information available at: http://ctswim.org/

March 19, 2007

USA Swimming Right to Participate

When we speak of the "Right to Participate", specifically we mean that no public or private organization or institution shall unreasonably infringe on the right of an athlete to train or compete in a sport recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and a sport which has a National Governing Body. Likewise, the rights granted to the athlete should apply equally to all coaches and volunteers whose efforts are instrumental to the training and development of the athlete's skills. Why does USA Swimming take a position supporting this "Right to Participate" premise?

First, we support the premise because it is the law! The Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act is the federal legislation which covers our Olympic sports. The very enactment of this legislation is recognition that the success of our athletes is a matter of national interest and concern. While recognizing that the Act gives exclusive jurisdiction to other amateur sports organizations to conduct amateur competition where participation is restricted to a specific class of athletes such as high school or college students, nothing in the Act exempts these other organizations from its provisions. These organizations can neither obstruct our National goals for amateur athletes, nor can they obstruct the athlete's right to seek attainment of these goals. The Act is replete with references to the need for cooperation and productive working relationships among sports related organizations to ensure the attainment of these goals. Our United States Olympic Committee National Governing Bodies are charged with the responsibility to coordinate with other amateur sports organizations to minimize conflicts relating to training schedules and competition. Indeed, the very ends which the Act seeks to promote, National and International competitive success, can be completely frustrated without the cooperation between sports organizations that the law mandates.

Secondly, USA Swimming supports the "Right to Participate" as our endorsement of the principle that all athletes, coaches, and volunteers should have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding athlete training and competition. Every state is the United States has a state high school athletic association or equivalent organization that promulgates and enforces rules covering high school sports, and in most cases other high school extra curricular activities such as cheerleading, band, choir, debate, theater, etc. In approximately half of these states some restrictions are imposed on athletes and coaches who seek to participate both in a high school sport and the same club sport. The restrictions run the gamut from nuisances such as unattaching from a club team during the high school season, to prohibiting entirely the athlete's ability to train, compete, or have contact with a club coach during the high school season. The issue is one of control. These restrictions are in most instances arbitrarily imposed on the athlete's training regime and competition schedule without consideration to the desires of the athlete, his parents, other coaches, and without regard to the negative impact that it may have on the athlete's future success.

Consider this. What if high school musicians were told by the state high school activities association that they could not take private music lessons to improve their skills, and could not play in any musical ensembles, recitals, or other musical productions during the school year. Wouldn't it be evident to all that the role of the musician, his parents, and private tutors, those most responsible for making decisions affecting his musical development, had been appropriated by an institution that had, at most, a limited interest in the matter? As ridiculous as it sounds the Dallas, Texas Independent School District passed just such a school district rule in the early 1960s. The rule prohibiting band members from taking private lessons was the administration's response to a complaint that basketball players were not allowed to attend private camps for basketball instruction, but musicians could receive private instruction. Rather than correct the basketball problem, the school district, with its bureaucratic mentality running amuck, equalized this limitation on opportunity for excellence by extending it to musicians. The outcry in the music community was so loud and strong that the school board repealed its own rule less than a month after passing it. Shouldn't an athlete have the same freedom to choose his path to excellence as a trumpet or clarinet player? Shouldn't all students participating in extra curricular activities be treated equally?

Thirdly, USA Swimming also suppors the "Right to Participate" premise because it works. Many states do not abridge in any manner the athlete's right to make their own choices regarding dual participation in school and club sports. Oregon is currently the only state which has a law prohibiting limitation of athlete's choices. Hopefully, Missouri will also soon have such a law. (Attachment) But even without a law protecting the athlete's freedom to choose, many state high school athletic programs and club programs are closely tied. Frequently these programs share facilities, coaches, and volunteers, and athletes move freely between the programs. Club coaches respect the rights of the high school program to impose mandatory practice rules, meet attendance, and other particulars vital to the success of the high school program. Likewise, high school coaches cooperate with the club coaches to establish priorities that enable the athlete to achieve his individual goals outside the high school program. This cooperative spirit places the interest of the athlete ahead of the self-interest of those who would deny the opportunity to participate, and is an acknowledgement that the achievement of excellence, whether or not in a school sponsored program, raises the bar for all participants. When a high school athletic association prohibits or limits the participation of elite athletes and coaches, those with lesser abilities fill the void. Who benefits from the perpetuation of mediocrity? Moreover, cooperation between school and club programs is imperative in areas where there may not be enough qualified coaches to conduct both a competitive high school and club program, or where the opportunity to earn supplemental income is a critical component in the decision to accept a high school coaching position. Restrictive rules on coach participation serve only to limit the ability of creative minds to craft solutions unique to their situation.

Lastly, athletes who train and compete with both high school and club teams benefit from the unique experiences that each has to offer. Clubs furnish the opportunity for continuity in skill specific training, and for competition that is geared to the skill level of participants. High school programs frequently have a social aspect that is important to the athlete's personal growth, offer a great team orientation, and provide peer recognition within the greater high school community. High school and club athletic programs can and do effectively compliment each other to the benefit of all.

In summary, the "Right to Participate" principle is supported by USA Swimming because (1) it is the law; (2) it protects freedom of choice; (3) it works; and (4) the school, the clubs, and the athlete all benefit.

http://www.middletownpress.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18097003&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=10856&rfi=8
 

By Jim Bransfield
Press Correspondent

03/19/2007

NEW HAVEN - Xavier swim coach Keith Nichols has filed a complaint with the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Association (CIAC) charging that many high school boys swim teams used ineligible swimmers in dual meets, the State Class Meets and in the State Open.
If Nichols allegations are proved true - and they are supported by both another coach who confirmed every aspect of Nichols' charges and in several respects by Middletown High boys swim coach George Baldwin - then the possibility exists that teams could be stripped of league and state titles.
Nichols alleges that "many" swimmers at a "large" number of Connecticut High Schools have swum in United States Swimming teams as "attached" members. That means, they swam as members of their local teams and their performances counted in determining meet results.
"You can't do that," said one coach who asked that his name not be used. "The rules say that you cannot be a member of another swim team and be participating on high school teams."
Baldwin and Nichols both confirmed that is the rule. They went on to say that a high school swimmer can swim "unattached" which means that essentially the swimmer is practicing and his performances do not count on his U.S.S. swim team. It is common practice for swimmers and divers to be members of both their high school team and members of U.S.S. teams.
But according to every coach spoken with, they cannot be official (or scoring members) of those teams during the high school season. The penalty, all coaches said, it forfeiture of all meets in which the offending swimmer participated.
One coach claimed the impact would be enormous. He gave an example from Saturday night's State Open saying that 10 of the 18 finalists in the 200 yard freestyle "are clearly ineligible" in that he alleges that they swam as attached member of U.S.S. teams during this high school season.
Nichols said that there were two meets held in Massachusetts, one in December and another in February in which many Connecticut swimmers swam as attached members of U.S.S. teams.
In a U.S.S. Championship Meet held at Wesleyan University two weekends ago, Nichols alleges that many swimmers swam as attached members of their out-of-school teams. Baldwin confirmed that was true.
"On the U.S.S. website on the Monday after the meet, the names were listed as attached in the results," said Baldwin.
Mysteriously, after the officials at the meet were confronted with that, by Tuesday, all the participants were suddenly listed as unattached.
"It was later explained to me that that was a 'glitch' and they were really unattached."
Nichols said he turned over all of his evidence to Baldwin, who is the Chair of the Coaches on the CIAC Swim Committee. Baldwin confirmed that he received that information and said that it included "some" of the names of kids that swam attached at a meet in December as well as names of swimmers who swam at a meet a couple of weekends ago.
"I've done all I can do," he said. "I gave the CIAC all the information I had; they got everything they needed. I don't know what else I can do."
Nichols said he will follow that up with a letter to the CIAC further detailing his concerns.
"If the swimmers were ruled ineligible, which I think they should be according to rule," said one coach. "Then the results in Class S, M L and maybe even LL would be different. I know that league championships would change."
That coach flatly said the CIAC was aware of these allegations before the Class meets.
"I was furious that the CIAC did nothing before the Class meets," he said. "They knew about it at the time."
Baldwin said that over this weekend, there is a U.S.S. three-day competition at Wesleyan University in Middletown and that "many" swimmers are swimming in both that event and in the State Open.
"I'm told some are swimming as attached, but I don't know that," said Baldwin. "That's just hearsay. But I guarantee you I will find out."

By Jim Bransfield
Press Correspondent
03/19/2007

Xavier swim coach Keith Nichols' allegation about swimming violations is serious stuff. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference has all kinds of rules about participation in out of school sports, but the bottom line rule is this: if a student is playing a sport in season in high school, that student cannot be a participating member of an out of school team.
I've often thought swimming was ripe for this kind of problem. Many high school swimmers swim year-round. They often have multiple coaches and they swim/dive during the school season with other teams and in the offseason.
They are allowed to do this as long as they are not "attached" or scoring members of those teams. See, you can be "on" a team, but you can't be a bona fide team member.
It is a distinction with a profound difference.
I have little doubt that there is a lot of truth here. Nichols, George Baldwin and the others are men who do not make charges lightly. Nichols accumulated evidence and turned it over to Baldwin, who sits on the CIAC Swimming Committee. Another coach sat with me at the Open, and went through part of the program and pointed out kids he believes should be ruled ineligible.
With all this smoke, you would think there's fire somewhere.
PORTLAND DEBATE: I've received three letters on the Portland basketball suspensions/alcohol policy issue. All were intelligent, reasoned letters. Two agreed with opinions expressed here and while the most recent, from Michael Foley, did not agree with some of my points, he did agree with some.
Foley, who has a relative who was affected by the policy, said he at first complained about the punishment. But he wrote that was his emotions "getting the best of him."
He went on to say, "Our only intention in the continuing discussion has been to ask the board to consider changing the current 'one strike and you're out' policy to one that requires a temporary suspension for the first offense...."
Foley went on to say he has no problem with a full season suspension on the second offense, essentially what he called a "two strikes are you're out" policy. He said - correctly - that many schools in the area have policies providing temporary suspensions and argued that that kind of suspension would provide incentive for student-athletes to "keep their grades up, to stay in shape and to stay out of trouble."
His points are well-taken, no question. As I've said many times in this space, I am no fan of zero-tolerance policies. Kids make mistakes. Heck adults make mistakes; I make them all the time.
There's no intent here to be holier than thou and to put myself in some ivory tower. But teenage drinking scares me to death. There is tons of evidence that the teenage brain simply has not developed to the point of being able to exercise good judgment. Adding alcohol to the mix is a prescription for disaster.
We see that every day as teens do stunningly dumb things. But we need to remember that they are children. Big children, but children nonetheless. A 16-year old is a baby.
Now I don't know how well Portland High does its job of explaining the value of a signature to its students. Perhaps the school - and maybe lots of other schools - should devote more quality time to that serious discussion.
I know - trust me I know - that many kids think nothing of signing statements that seem to be the cool thing to do, or signing because their friends did, or signing things because teacher/coach said they should.
One needs only to look at the goofy teen sex abstinence pledges that are signed all over the place - then look at the abject failure of such pledges to change behavior - to get a clue that maybe the typical 16-year old doesn't get the importance of putting her name to a document.
The debate in Portland is a healthy thing. Foley raises issues that ought to be discussed. But let's remember this: teenage drinking is a curse. It is one of the leading causes of teen highway crashes and it kills innocent people. I've been to kid funerals, funerals in which alcohol was involved. They are seared forever into my memory.
Whatever Portland and other towns do, let's all hope that the punishments are clear and severe enough to discourage the practice. Let's make sure that in trying to be fair to our kids, we aren't in some ways excusing, condoning or enabling behavior we all know has no good outcome.
WRESTLING RINGS: After some apparent indecision, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano's administrative assistant Geen Thazhampallath has given assurances that the Class L State Champion Middletown High School wrestling team will get rings denoting their accomplishment.
Apparently this has been a tradition of a kind for MHS teams and I'm told it will continue with this state title team.
WAY TO GO: Although this column must be written before Cromwell's late Sunday Class S championship boys basketball game, the Panthers are this week's winner of the Way To Go Award.
Getting to a title game is a very difficult thing and win or lose, John Pinone's kids have done a heckuva job. Way to go, fellas. The runnerup is Coginchaug's team which lost in the semifinals in overtime, thus denying the area an All-Shoreline Conference title game.
Todd Salva's kids did themselves proud. A foul shot here or there and the Blue Devils would have played for the title. Tough to get there folks.
REMIGINO, NAUMANN, McALEAR, HORTON, NOWACK: Those are names of freshmen and sophomore swimmers at Xavier and Middletown High who have brilliant futures in the sport.
James Remigino and Tyler Naumann, especially, are Xavier swimmers who did very well at the State Open. Remigino was fourth in the breaststroke as a sophomore. He said he plans on winning it next year. Ahhh, the confidence of youth. In his case, it seems well-placed.
The latter three, Matt McAlear, Peter Horton and Sam Nowack did not swim in the Open as individuals but have the potential to do so in the next two years swimming out of Middletown High.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: A good friend took issue with me. In last week's column I reported I had been told that Xavier once drew from 79 towns. Impossible, he said. Maybe so, but the number was given to me by a Xavier official several years ago.
In any case, if the number is, say 40, the intrinsic advantage in athletics is obvious. My friend also suggested that behind Cromwell girls basketball coach Mark Blythe's concerns is recruiting, but I never heard - or saw reported - that word from Blythe nor did that have anything to do with what I wrote.
The whole point was that schools not limited by geography often have an advantage over schools that are so limited. Hey, in any case, if kids from some 20 or 40 or 79 towns want to go to a given school, then maybe that school is doing something right and other schools ought to pay attention, huh?
XAVIER BASEBALL: Despite what you see out your window, the high school baseball season opens in 16 days. The Xavier Falcons open at Amity Regional on April 4.
Xavier will have the traditional 10 home and 10 away games. The home season features six home games in a row at Palmer Field from May 4-16, including night games with Notre Dame on the seventh and North Haven on the 14th.
VOLLEYBALL: Middletown High's unofficial attempt to get a volleyball team off the ground at the club level didn't work this spring. While boys volleyball is growing - some 40 high schools in the state have the program - only one Northwest Conference school, Farmington, has a team. Xavier is the only area school with a team.
Bryan Hand, a math teacher at the high school and a self-confessed volleyball nut, says he will try again next year. It is a relatively inexpensive sport and one that provides great exercise. And it's one of those lifetime sports. Heck, Hand plays in a rec league himself.
But spring, with baseball, softball, tennis, golf, track, crew - and at MHS, Ultimate Frisbee - is the busiest.
MARGE UPDATE: Some might remember that at Christmas I wrote how I was spending the Holidays with my baseball-crazed aunts in Florida. An update: This spring training, Marge, 85 years young, corralled Yogi Berra for an autograph, got Johnny Damon to sign a baseball, ditto Adam Dunn of the Cincinnati Reds and had her picture taken with Bucky Dent.
"At Legends Field, I was practically in the dugout," she announced.