https://www.thestar.com/...ory_a_sorry_one.html

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_palsy
2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

http://www.outsideonline.com/...ng-USA-Swimming.html

I went through the same process last year to become a judge and thought the training was very good. Every indication I've received from my kids' team and that experience is that USA Swimming has taken the issue seriously.

One thing I'll add about swimming is that it's time intensive, coaches spend a lot of time with the kids. I've also noticed some fawning parents who get too caught up in their child's high-level potential (per the coach) and start to give the coach too much power. Things like that coupled with long-term relationships as was noted, can create a dangerous environment.

I've also noticed coaches who are very vigilant and as someone pointed out avoid even the perception of impropriety. A key element here is that nothing happens behind closed doors - everything is visible. The younger the athlete the more this applies. There are no isolated interactions. Even one-on-one conversations happen in the open, kid gets pulled aside, etc.

I'd absolutely agree that USA Swimming is working to deal w/ the issue, they are very good organization, and likely do their best to police their representatives. Clearly though if someone is going to change their name to sneak by the guards at the gate they're very determine and are likely going to get in.

It's the same issue that unfortunately has befallen a lot of other organizations mentioned by other posters. Organizations like: The Catholic Church, Penn State, The Boy Scouts, etc. The thing that gets me is the brazen disregard for the crime committed and the audacity to start another team with kids, to post photos on the website with kids and to move on as if time served is sufficient. If you use your power and influence as a coach or teacher to molest kids, and you get out of jail alive, you should never be allowed to teach or coach again.

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

I swam for one of the coaches on this list, Rick Curl. I heard about his abuse of the swimmer back in NINETEEN EIGHTY NINE!!! It was "the biggest open secret in Washington swimming," yet no one did much about it. It's a complex story, and I feel that many who knew didn't say anything because USAS didn't have a way to deal with it, and making a criminal complaint would have revictimized the woman he abused.

I was good friends with another guy on this list. I felt completely betrayed to learn about what he did years later from his former wife.

A third member of this list was a coach from another state who we saw at local and regional meets, often hosted by the USA club here. In fact, based on the published reports of his activity, we were able to confirm that he was in town for one of the meets here, and staying in a local hotel, when the crimes for which he was charged were committed. Then, he was back in town for a subsequent meet, and it was about the time he was beginning to feel the heat for other crimes he committed back at home. At that last meet, we all conjectured in retrospect that he was acting squirrelly because of either a guilty conscience, or what he was doing was drawing attention, or both. In public court records, it is noted that he mentioned to his victim that he was going out of town for an athletic event, which turned out to be that meet.

<Shudders>

Completely unrelated to this. We know each other from a former life: I am DonCheadle.

Yes. I used to be MaroonSwimming.

I swam for one of Curl Burke's main local rivals (RMSC... it actually wasn't much of a rivalry at the time) in the late 90s. In my sophomore year of high school, there was one race where one of Rick Curl's guys and I went back and forth a few times. Afterwards, Rick congratulated me, and then I left to go over splits with my coach, but the first thing my coach said was "What did Rick have to say to you?" I started to give him the general gist, and he waved me off and said, "Nevermind. It's no big deal. You're not an under-aged girl." That was the entirety of what he had to say on the matter, but there were plenty of other people who were willing to speculate more broadly about exactly what Rick was guilty of...

I swam at RMSC before I went to college in 90. I swam there in the summers, mainly at MAC and Bethesda outdoor pool until I graduated in 94, and I swam some with the group at MAC through about 96. So you and I know some of the same people. Definitely everyone knew back then. I'm know for certain all the top RMSC coaches knew, as did most others. Ring off some names of coaches and I'd tell you what they knew.

Speaking of the MAC site, one of the other coaches I mentioned in my post above was the site coach at MAC for RMSC in the mid-late 90s. We were pretty good friends for a long time after I moved away. That all ended when it came out that he was banned by USAS. I cut ties. He has reached out since but I've stayed away. The irony is that we'd make comments about Rick, and later he abused or harassed swimmers.

Speaking as a former 9th grade boy, I think this is a totally victim-less "crime". I mean really, what 9th grade boy does not fantasize about being with a hot teacher??? :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I'm also a former 9th grade boy, and as much as I'd like to think I would totally have been fair game for a hot teacher to have been taken advantage of by, I think the deal with these people is they're f'd in the head. I'm sure to a degree it is sexual, but I'm guessing it goes deeper than that, and is more likely for them about control and dominance. The coach who caused me to start this thread, who is on the list, and who currently has a non-USS-sanctioned team of kids, used to walk around on the deck wearing THE shortest running shorts I have ever seen. Needless to say his dong would hang out and all of us would cringe and throw up in our mouths while he gave out sets. I didn't stay on that team all too long b/c of crazy cult like behavior from this guy, but when what went down went down no one was all too surprised. Needless to say his current team website has photos of him walking around shirtless, and photos shirtless at an indoor pool. I don't think it's always about sex.

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Are you serious, his actual dong was hanging out of his shorts??? If you mean this literally, that is pretty unbelievable. :(

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Yea dude, his penis was actually hanging right there for about 25 of us to see while he gave out sets. It was everything we could do to look away, and the guy acted like it was the most natural thing in the world, while we were laughing our asses off and trying to look anywhere else but up. F'd up shit.

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

WOW, that is truly f'd up big time, unbelievable. First time I've ever heard of, much less seen, anything like that. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

http://www.spartacustrainingandracing.com

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Just guessing from the pictures which guy "he" is but it appears at least he's wearing a wetsuit in these web pictures, so no improper exposure. :)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

So, you knew that was happening and yet did nothing?

So, were you addressing my comments?
If so, at first I was a kid. Ivey was my coach from about 8-13 years old.
Then he moved about 40 miles away.
What is a kid that age to do? I didn't know what was going on as a little kid.
When he moved on and married an 18 year old swimmer. that was very public. Everyone in swimming knew that, it was his wife. That's when I was like, " Hey, that was my coach"
I never saw him after I was about 16 when I would have seen him at some meets. For years after that we would hear rumors through the grapevine, but from my distance they were just rumors.

The other thing about the list is that it really only 'started' in 2000. Look at the number of coaches banned pre-2000? I think that maybe there were 2 or 3.

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Brandon Marsh - Website | @BrandonMarshTX | RokaSports | 1stEndurance | ATC Bikeshop |

I know this is a bit delayed, but my real astonishment, and reason I started this post was that I was absolutely mortified that a guy who is permanently banned by US Swimming has the audacity to not only start a non-sanctioned swim team, in the same County where he was busted, but to have kids swimming for him, AND THEN POST IT ONLINE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. The site is still up, the pictures are still there, the team is still sanctioned by US Masters, and they still have sponsor names on the website. Sure, is it illegal in the eyes of the law, I guess not? I don't know specifics of Megans Law, but damn, shouldn't people be aware that the people on the list are predators and once they do their time find other slick ways to be around children.

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All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.