According to the website Boston.com, the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletics Association (MIAA) has taken away a Sectional Title from one of the state’s top high school program after they deemed that the Gardner High School girls’ swim team was more of a “club team” than a true high school team.
Several local news outlets are reporting that it was a State Championship stripped, however that would seem inaccurate. After news of the investigation was leaked to Gardner officials, they pulled head coach Don Lemieux from the State Championship meet, causing him to resign his position. In response, many of Gardner’s swimmers chose to skip the meet altogether, and the program that won 16 titles under Lemeiux finished only 24th last year.
The program has been the breeding ground for many of Massachusetts’ best swimmers, including 2000 Olympic gold medalist Samantha (Arsenault) Livingstone.
According to the article, the organization sent a letter to the Gardner High School team that read “The conduct of your swim program has been of concern to the Board for many months . . . it appears that MIAA championships earned by your teams over the years, if this past year is any indication, were achieved by a non-school “club team” rather than an education based high school team.”
The debate over club-versus-high school rages in almost every corner of the country, but is an even hotter topic in the Northeast. There, many states have very careful rules to protect the separation of club and high school sports.
In Massachusetts, for example, there is even a section of the handbook titled “Loyalty to the High School Team: Bona Fide Team Members.” That section reads:
A bona fide member of the school team is a student who is consistently present for, and actively participates in, all high school team sessions (e.g. practices, tryouts, competitions). Bona fide members of a school team are precluded from missing a high school practice or competition in order to participate in a non-school athletic activity/event in any sport recognized by the MIAA. First Offense: Student athlete is suspended for 25% of the season (see chart on Rule 62). Second Offense: Student athlete is suspended for an additional 25% of the season, and is ineligible for tournament play immediately upon confirmation of the violation.
The MIAA Board of Directors cited multiple instances where swimmers skipped high school practice to participate in club activities.
Where the case becomes really peculiar is the claim by the investigators that a roster submitted in August of 2012 “includes only one Gardner High School student who was not connected to the team through school choice, home schooling, or through a cooperating school. This is unusual.”
This statement implies that only a single member of the team would be enrolled in a “traditional” manner at the school. Livingstone, then Samantha Arsenault, wasone of these “school choice” swimmers in her time with the program.
The letter continued that the roster “also reflects that every member of your swim team (with one possible exception) was a member of the Greenwood Swim Club, another suggestion that your team was more reflective of a non-school club team than a school team.”
The team is now on two years’ probation, where further violations could lead to further sanctions.
I’m bummed I found this thread so late. Even more bummed that I wrote a comment that was better written by so many later down the thread. I have forwarded a link to this post to my HS admin. and hope it shines a light on how we need to make changes to our governing bodies.
Well said.
Agree!
The problem in most HS situations is that the fastest kids are club kids. They get placed into the middle of difficult situations almost immediately. Years ago I worked with a swimmer who really didn’t want to swim in HS. She was a 1:06/2:23 200 yd Breaststroker at age 12. She moved out of my 12/u group and into the Senior Group of our team at age 13. All of the HS girls wanted her to swim. She tried it and tried hard to be a good teammate who bought into the practices. When she realized that the training was not what she needed, she wanted to supplement her training on her own time with her club team. She was… Read more »
This is exactly the problem on the coaching side of it. The trouble is that many of us coaches fail to see it, or our ego gets in the way of doing what is right for the kid. These athletes can’t serve two masters.
Additionally, parents and peers often do not understand the BIG PICTURE and pressure the athlete into making decisions that are not in their best interest.
Understand that the high school programs that succeed are attached to a club team! or have strong relationships with several, and the HS Coach allows the better athletes to be trained by their year-round coach.
Look at how the greatest HS teams in the country are constructed and you will see… Read more »
I like it, it speaks to the focal point: the kid, the individual. Club is good for so, so many reasons (many of which are well before HS!) and HS is good for so many reasons – no matter the level (except maybe in the rare case of young OT talent).
The thing is, club coaches are lucky if they are able to parellel understanding, experienced, and knowledgeable HS coaches (and this doesn’t necessarily mean great former swimmers!) and HS coaches are lucky if they can parallel club coaches that want the best for their athletes (and this doesn’t mean just physically and is heavily weighted on the individual!).
Speaking of full disclosure “jcoach”, I at least put my name on my statements, all of which are true and backed by evidence. Coach Lemieux was found guilty of “inappropriate actions” against a member of his high school team by the school superintendent’s investigator. The results of that investigation were never made public because it was a “personnel matter”. Since they seem knowledgeable about swimming in Gardner maybe “jcoach” will be further enlighten this blog as to why the assistant swim coach of the 2011-2012 Gardner High swim team was asked to leave the team.
I believe the discussion has moved on to the larger issue of how to do what is best for the athletes who wish to make themselves better swimmers and compete for their high school at the same time.
My position, and that shared by many professional coaches, is that restrictive rules like those in MA are detrimental to the more dedicated (year-round) swimmers and force the athlete to decide between compromising their long-term success by being restricted to high school “team membership” rules or giving up on high school swimming. Or, in cases like this, figuring out how to make it work. Our position is that restrictions like this are a bad thing for everyone involved.
There is another… Read more »
Well said.
If HS Swimming is going to be important to all, then we need to establish a groundwork that works for both the Elite (or aspiring) and the seasonal athlete, who are each there for the same reason but with different end goals.
Actually, I don’t agree that these parents did anything wrong. Sometimes it takes an insider to blow the lid off of corruption. (Whistleblowers within Corporations). The fact that MIAA imposed sanctions speaks volumes. This high school swim team was hijacked for personal gain. How about all of the girls who were not allowed on the team because they weren’t part of the club – THAT’S SAD. Once again, people want to attack the messenger.
According to the article Don resigned and wasn’t forced out. Sounds alot like others within USA Swimming – resign before sanctions can be imposed. Haven’t you realized by now that some of the best respected coaches have a dark history?
Good job to the parents who… Read more »
Conflating angry parents with whistleblowers is ridiculous. Corruption? Really? It was a technicality. That’s like calling someone who jaywalks a hardened criminal.
If you read the original article, the family took a year to find a technicality to hang the coach with, all because he called their daughter out for bailing on the team. The majority of the athletes on the team lost, the coach lost, and the high school lost. The parents didn’t get the apology that they demanded and they created conflict, chaos, and acrimony throughout the community. Pursuing a scorched-earth path to victory is not a “good job”. It is just destructive.
Well said Opinionated. The stories that I have read about this situation are that the family that led the charge on removing the coach; their daughter was on the team so I am not sure what their concern is about swimmers who don’t make the team. As a HS coach I feel it’s important for parent’s realize that HS swimming isn’t for learn to swim individuals and many teams have cuts because of facility issues. We don’t cut at our school but we do require the swimmers to show up for practice and make the swim meets. If they fall below attendance standards they are removed from the team.
The comments about double dipping and triple dipping are flat out… Read more »
The stipends may be $2000, but the teacher/coach still gets paid their regular salary for the coaching job. Sixth period swim team – regular pay for the sixth period plus a stipend for coaching.
By inappropriate actions, are you referring to the trumped up bullying charges that were tossed out due to the fact that there was absolutely no evidence? You have spent the last year trying to ruin the reputation of a well respected and loved coach..what have you really accomplished? You taking pictures on the pool deck of all the swimmers in their bathing suits when you had no relationship to any of them…that may be considered inappropriate.
No, “SM”, I referred to what the school department found after interviewing witnesses who testified to the coach’s tirade because his team captain didn’t show up for the state championship meet. She was home in bed with the flu where her doctor had told her to stay. The coach and the school had been notified two days prior to the meet that she might not be able to go.
I can empathize with the coach losing it and making what were not just empty threats against her when she wasn’t there for him, but, to make libelous remarks to the news media hours later? He did tell the reporters that the flu had impacted many on the team during the… Read more »
Swimmer got it right. The Gardner coach even bragged how he would force anyone off the team who did not swim for his club. A swimmer whose residence was in NY State was recruited to come to Gardner to swim for the club team and lived with the coach. That swimmer attended Gardner High and swam for the school team for two years. Being from out of state, school choice wasn’t involved. So who paid for those two years of schooling? No one in the school system offers an answer. “Interesting that the Coach was paid for coaching the club and high school at the same time….double dipping?…. hmmmm.” How about TRIPLE dipping? He was also superintendent of the pool… Read more »
In the interest of full disclosure – this poster is the father of the woman who spent a year putting together the binders of scrapbooks of “evidence” against Coach Lemieux when she felt her daughter had been wronged by Coach Lemiuex. Not saying true or not true – just full disclosure.
See – http://www.telegram.com/article/20120307/NEWS/103079989/0
What a sad sad person.
Jcoach seems VERY biased in her opinion. RIGHT the WHOLE story NEVER made it to the outside as things were not reported!!!!! And the name calling is VERY infantile!!!!!!!
Ugh. I mean, I feel like both this family and Coach Lemieux come off as being in the wrong here.
I have no better way to sum up my thoughts than this clip from Burn After Reading. (Careful, the clip uses some foul language.)
Jcoach, I hate to inform you but the quote that Steve Nolan had in an article was NOT the CONCERNED Mom, BUT a father of a swimmer who was on YOUR team! Not everyone on your team agrees with you!!!!!! You would be VERY surprised!!!!! They are just afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation!!!! And Most sane adults do NOT resort to name calling!
Fossy,
I dont think he assume everyone agrees with him. I dont think he would be VERY surprised. Your post sounds very threatening like he has very little support- which i doubt is the case. Just saying your post is unkind.
Please go back and look at the purpose of high school sports in MA according to the MIAA philosophy. It is not about winning….sports is another point of attachment to school for kids, particularly those kids who are at risk. As a school teacher I know that sports has kept many students from dropping out. Other points of attachment are music, art…..The point of high school sports is not to win exclusively. In Gardner, non club swimmers were actively discouraged from joining the high school team. “High school practice times” were scheduled specifically early in the morning before school for this purpose. Though, honestly, there were never real high school practices, just club practices with 1 or 2 extra high… Read more »
I have to say, I have been following this discussion for a while and this story since it originally started.
I like what SWIM4FUN had to say and agree with what he is saying.
Lets not forget what this story is all about. Its about a HS program that was ended by a single upset family.
When it comes to HS vs. Club there really can’t really be an argument made here. I am both a HS and Club coach and yes this is my full time profession. Regardless of the athlete’s ability level, the training cycle, their length, timing, and results achieved within are extremely different. The only way that a coach can successfully train both athletes properly is… Read more »
I very much like what they have just said. Good points on both sides. We will never get to the end of HS vs Club. Let us all just try and do what is best for all swimmers!
Wow, what a great discussion and so many varying opinions. I am a HS swim coach in CA. and I also coach club swimming so it’s difficult for me to relate to comments about HS coaches that are not as good as club coaches. I try my hardest to provide a workout to fit all levels of swimmers for our HS team. I do not make my year round swimmers come to HS practice, I do suggest that they come to practice one day a week to swim with their HS team mates. We do not have a USS program at our HS pool and we have swimmers that represent 3 local USS teams.The majority of our team are non… Read more »
In Facebook speak ….. Like
Thanks Swim4fun!! A voice of reason