That title says it all when I think of US Diving. I have lost trust and faith in the organization since the 1998 Convention. Now the LRP has everyone in US Diving buzzing. From top to bottom it appears many coaches are disturbed and dissatisfied. Why is there this mistrust? A multitude of reasons have created this suspicion.

All you have to do is look at the recent history of things that have happened. A long winded rationale of the LRP appeared on the USD web site and really didn't say anything about it except that it was to be kept secret. The President informed me that it would be on the web site for all to see and make comments/suggestions before the convention. As I understand it the board voted not to do that and preferred to keep it a secret. At first the only changes that were allowed was the wording. This is probably why the General Council was put in charge of the LRP. Lawyers are real good with words. Eventually some other suggestions were allowed. Committee members had the only copies that were taken to be discussed after the Association, Regions and Zone meets. After a marathon weekend of diving, who wants to sit around, read and concentrate on more diving issues and then write comments.

On the USD web site, was another message. They wanted positive input for the Plan. How can anyone give positive input into a plan when they don't believe in the Plan in the first place? All they see are the negatives that will affect their divers or programs. This is why USD was being inundated with negative feedback.

Then one day the members were told if they wanted a copy of the LRP, they could get it by going to the USD web site. By the time the coaches received the packet, the survey was due. The timing of this was suspect because the Zone meets were going on that weekend. Some coaches didn't receive the attached survey form to send in. Maybe only the top 20 clubs received it or was that just an honest mistake? On the USD web site, there were assurances that this was not etched in stone. It was "a work in progress" "a draft". What a line especially when there is a specific time table established for the completion of each of the stages. Eventually we will probably be told that the Plan was just an effort to get discussion going between the coaches and nothing more. Too much time and effort was put into this project to just create discussion among coaches.

When you look at what's in the Plan, suspicion rises even more. To paraphrase, it says that we don't know what we are doing as coaches. It is stated that this is a problem and that a committee identified it as a problem. Which means that we probably need more mandatory education by them in an assortment of different areas. My most technical problem is "How I can get more pool time for my kids to practice?" US Diving can't solve my most technical problem either.

If we identify talent, the Plan is set up to take that talent away from us. If we are invited to a training site, they intend to get our diver's parents to move out of our programs to theirs. Why? What happens to our programs?

The committee that is being given credit for recommendations that would affect the grass roots raises suspicion also. As I understand the situation, members were asked for any paper work that they used in their programs. These coaches sent that information but never worked on or saw the final document before their names were put on it. This is why committee work is questionable. If I want to find and answer to something that this committee worked on, I will get the run around. Every committee member will say I don't know. All I did was send some information. Ask the Chairperson and the answer will be that the committee suggested that these items were necessary for the grass roots. Why was this committee chairperson someone who doesn't have a diving background? Who put all of that information together and then put the names of the committee members on that document?

Why isn't it common knowledge that the President is in his final months of office? If he runs, he runs unopposed for now. When he is re-elected, it will be said that the membership must have liked what happened under his leadership and we will get more of the same.

As I look at the names on the LRP committee, those few same names that appear all over US Diving are also on the Plan. Again the same few people running the show. If the title of this article bears any truth, then the US Diving Board of Directors and the President should not wonder why its members are suspicious. They have every reason to be just that.