woras.geo@yahoo.com
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Change Was Inevitable

As the title says, change was inevitable but how long will it last… or will there be any changes? Even with the apparent victory, I still have some reservations for the future of US Diving and the sport. I guess I'm just an untrusting individual but only because past actions have put me in that posture. The manner in which the outgoing president presented his departure placed him in a position to return in 2 years assuming that people forget his accusations of embezzlement toward one candidate. That alone may have cost that candidate the election even though there was no truth to the charges. This appears to have been an orchestrated event against one candidate with Bill Walker appearing as the sacrificial lamb. He will stick around US Diving, probably as the General Council a position, which he once held. Somehow he will get re-appointed.

My skepticism is further enhanced by the idea that a rather large sum of money promised to US Diving will be overseen by Tom Gompf, Steve McFarland and Mikie King Hogue. These are all former Presidents of US Diving. I can't envision that group without Ron O'Brien being involved somehow. Are they claiming ownership of US Diving by positioning themselves around this donation? They really should claim ownership for the lack of medal performances by our divers. Since their philosophy has not worked thus far, my hope is that other ideas would be considered and implemented under our new leader. These two items raises some doubts about the success we have just seen with the elections. To this observer that money may have been solicited for the sole purpose of continuing the training site idea, which has not found any support from the coaches and/or divers in the past.

My gut feeling is that those 4 names plus a few others are a part of the hidden leadership that we've been struggling against over the years. What kind of support will they give our new leader? We have gone into deficit spending in excess of $200,000 this year according to the financial statement handed out at the convention. Some insiders say that the actual amount of this deficit is in excess of $400,000. With those names controlling that large sum and knowing the philosophy they have supported, we may see some conflicts develop over the next 2 years. Will deficit spending be one of those conflicts facing the new guy? Many suspect that a couple of the above names would be capable of instigating that conflict. It's amazing what greed and a lust for power can make people do. Our new leader has only 2 years instead of four to make his mark on the organization. Any conflict could place the new President in a position to be viewed as incompetent, which would lead the way to get the former President re-elected or for that matter someone sympathetic to the on going faulty philosophy. If that occurs, in 2 years we're back to where we just came from and then God help us.

Other concerns that question any aspiration for needed change are:

Even with all of these concerns, I would like to congratulate the new President and wish him much success as our new leader. I would also caution him to be aware the above concerns for the future of Diving.

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