Several weeks ago I teased that changes were afoot in my career. Today, I’m proud to finally announce what the heck is going on. On September 1st, I took on a new role with Jersey Wahoos Swim Club in Mount Laurel, NJ.
Sarah Ehekircher Is Suing USA Swimming, Mission Viejo, Scott MacFarland
Here are some words that at some point I had lost hope that I would be able to type: Sarah Ehekircher is suing USA Swimming, her abuser James Scott MacFarland and Mission Viejo Swim Club. In a filing sent to me by Sarah herself and attached within this post, many of the same details included in hours of podcasts that Sarah and I did together.
RIP Chris DeSantis Coaching
We Should Prepare to Rebuild American Swimming
I think that USA Swimming will cease to exist within the near future. The reasons why can be found by pouring over any number of things I’ve written over the past decade plus. But, in case you don’t want to pour over my poorly organized collection of writing, here’s a brief summary of why I think this:
Swimming Saved My Life
When A Swimmer Leaves
Don't Coach For Free
This Only Path to Reform Isn't Enough
Make no doubt about my position here. Debra Grodensky, Suzette Moran, Tracy Palmero and three other anonymous women deserve their day in court. They deserve to have their stories heard and ultimately I think they deserve restitution for what has been done to them and USA Swimming’s complicity in their abuse.
Cancel Your Training Trip (And Other Suggestions)
People who know me know that long before our current crisis I was firmly against training trips, or training camps, or getting on an airplane to go another place to swim. However, if anybody is looking for an easy budgetary cut for the upcoming season, provided you typically budgeted for such a trip, my advice is to CUT CUT CUT.
Five Swimming Myths Covid-19 Will Expose
Weak Leadership Overvalues Loyalty
Like any virtue, though, loyalty can go wrong. People can be loyal to bad actors, an all too frequent occurrence in sport. But for today I’m not going to focus on that direction. I’m going to focus on the opposite. The fact of the matter, a true sign of a weak leader is that they value loyalty above all else.
The Swim Brief Is On Pause: Plus Other Announcements
A few listeners have written inquiring about the status of the Swim Brief, my erstwhile podcast. The last one was recorded just before everything went to hell and then released in March. So to the loyal listeners/readers, I will explain that and a few other ongoing announcements about Chris DeSantis Coaching.
College Swimming Standing on a Knife's Edge
College swimming, especially Men’s college swimming, was already in a precarious position. In many athletic departments, even Division 1 programs, teams were understaffed, coaches were underpaid and scholarships were underfunded. Many athletic directors judged their swimming and diving programs with absolutely no skin in the game.
Spot of Hope: LIU Brooklyn Moves Ahead With Men's Swimming
Denmark Slowly Re-Opens: But Not Pools
Hierarchy of Pool Swimming Replacements
USA Swimming Will Not Save You
I’m not here to place blame on USA Swimming. I was, on a personal level, at least as unprepared for the ground shifting out from under me within the last two months. I built a business mainly around me FLYING ON AN airplane to places and working in close proximity. My last trip was to Norway and Denmark, something I can’t even imagine when it will be ok to do again.
What if....Coaching Ratios Improved
If for no other purpose than my own self improvement, I’m going to allow myself to daydream some positive outcomes from this current crisis. Please don’t take any of the below as ignorance of all the problems that American swim teams, and swim teams in general, are facing and will face in the future.
