Below, Erik Wiken, the head coach of Heartland Aquatics in Nebraska and a long-time reader and commenter at SwimSwam, has written a “Shouts from the Stands” about what he views as a lapse in judgement by the USA Swimming Foundation. The USA Swimming Foundation is the charitable arm of USA Swimming and its biggest initiative is water safety and drowning prevention education. As a part of that mission, they partner with other organizations to reach larger audiences.
While the opinions below are strictly those of the author Mr. Wiken, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SwimSwam, we think that this is an important topic given that several high-profile swimmers have come out as gay. We welcome interesting articles from the swimming community for our Shouts from the Stands section. If you have something interesting to say, please send it to [email protected].
As a note: because this subject is a little politically charged, we will allow the conversations to become more political than we typically allow in the comment sections, however our policy of limiting personal attacks remains in place and will be enforced.
On Monday April 28th, several sponsors for the Los Angeles Clipper spoke out about the purported statements by owner Donald Sterling. They joined the masses of players, analysts, fellow owners, the president and “Twits” in condemning the statements recorded and reported by TMZ. Chumash Casino, CarMax, and Virgin Airlines all out as sponsors immediately upon hearing the news of this man’s socially and morally distorted views about race. Several more suspended all funds while the NBA commission gathered info and to hand down a verdict. That verdict came Tuesday, April 29th to the tune of $2.5 million (max allowable fine in the NBA) for Donald Sterling and being banned for life from the NBA. The NBA owners will now decide if the franchise should be terminated or he be allowed to sell it to allow the Clippers to remain in existence.
What does this have to do with swimming?
These companies and the NBA could no longer stand by and be associated with such a man (we won’t get into the lawsuits for discriminating against tenants of building he owned they seemed to have over look for years). It doesn’t look good for their brand, being connected with a publicly vocal bigot is bad for business. So you can imagine my surprise that just a few weeks ago, the USA Swimming Foundation announced their affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America. Yes, these Boy Scouts of America (the 6th “whereas”). Just a week after the announcement of BSA and the Foundation joining together, we see the enforcement of this standard in Seattle.
Further down in the member standards resolution linked above, BSA talks about not having an agenda when it comes to sexual orientation. How is that possible when you don’t allow scout masters to be openly gay? Isn’t that having an agenda? As much as the BSA may value and promote the need for water safety and knowing how to swim, how can the USA Swimming Foundation be affiliated with a group that doesn’t value everyone’s contribution to the end goal? The Foundations mission statement talks about building champions. The USA Swimming’s first core objective is “build the base”. How do you do that with exclusion? Could you imagine USA Swimming doing well if it had the same exclusionary rule, that coaches can’t be openly gay?
I am sure the Foundations heart is in the right place. BSA spends a lot of time around lakes and rivers, the need for water safety is paramount in their organization and they take that seriously. I don’t, however, see the value in being associated with a group that has such an exclusionary rule. The Foundation needs take a page out of Commissioner Silver’s and the corporations’ playbook and cut their losses. Being associated with BSA is bad for business. USA Swimming is already partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of America, an inclusive entity that enriches the lives of thousands of young men and women. It partners with the YMCA who has its own anti-discrimination policy which has been used against BSA. From my search, there doesn’t appear to be any affiliation directly between the Foundation and Girl Scouts of America. If true, why not create an initiative and relationship there? GSA is inclusive and has the potential to impact and empower young women. If USA Swimming is going to continue with their mission of “building the base” and the Foundation in theirs, building champions, the only way to do that is being inclusive of all people and associate with people who share those same values of inclusion.
Wow, I didn’t know USSF affiliated with the BSA, that’s definitely bad for business as well as for the kids, as their policy is based on ignorance. I think your idea of USSF alternatively affiliating with the GSA instead makes perfect sense.
The GSA are associated with Planned Parenthood which aborted by itself over 300,000 XYZ (whatever term you want to call them – i think I can say Them ) in 2012 . An average of 300,000 x 40 years = circa 12 million potential Americans .
Whilst some of these may have gone on to be swimmers , the bigger worry is eugenics . One sunny morning why not have a look at the race / colour/ ethnic makeup of those figures?
Then come back to me about GSA . If you did not know , there is a current ‘buycott’ of GSA cookies over the GSA’s own associative partnerships . Incidentally One smart young thing set up… Read more »
Spot on.
I see what you are talking about, a big boycott from everyone who is pro-life. At this point, the federal government does not have a ban on abortion. So your problem is more so with the Feds than it is with the GSA.
As far as selling in front of recreational pot shops, that seems to be a region to region basis, as the Colorado branch doesn’t allow girls scouts selling in front of any adult establishment, but a girl in San Fran could. So your problem is with them, not the national office of GSA.
As for coaches doing the things you speak of, you are sensationalizing what a very small faction of awful coaches do. To generalize about… Read more »
That is the point . Abortion is legal but some don’t like the GSA associating with PP who are America’s largest operator. The author does not like it that the BSA does not allow open X ( insert preferred term) men as leaders which is legal. What was illegal , eg the 2 BSA leaders in Utah that pushed over the rock formation was dealt with by the law.
Marijuana is legal in Colorado where the enterprising young girl was selling . If that was illegal to be in close distance then it should have been a matter for the police not GSA . ( I would have tol look at CA law but it did not happen there so… Read more »
There are black me that own NBA teams.If I’m not mistaken, Michael Jordon owns the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And if you are referring to me and coacherik, no we are not in a war. We just have have a difference of opinion on this matter. Personally, I think coacherik is a great commentater, as I have seen his comments on other posts. Just an argument.
Michael Jordon is with the Bobcats.
For what its worth, I am the author of this piece. You can verify with Braden, same guy for each of these posts as of this one Thursday AM.
Discrimination is not legal though. Sure, it is a group that you can join under free will, but we are talking about a written policy that is advertising discrimination (which is illegal) as being okay. I would like to think non-profit status can be called into question based upon such discriminatory policies, but at this point it seems not to be.
The police did shut down the girls scouts initially, they did not apply for the licenses to sell. The chapter has the policy, not the National Office for GSA. You are generalizing about an entire organization for individual policy that they can enforce. The entire BSA enforces a no gay scout master policy.
I am not aware of any… Read more »
So you are the author yet if I respond you call me a troll. Swimswam did state words to the effect that they would allow a more political or issue response.
You defend US Swimming saying they are ‘making progress ‘ in the race/ ethnic/ socio – economic stats. I know it is not overt racism but it is a reflection of long term practices . IMO you are attacking other organisations to assauge your guilt . Maybe they also will ‘make progress’ in the time frame swimming has taken to discover its inequities .
BTW I notice you could not argue the ‘youths’ ( 12 + ) that are in the pool at 5am . We have a… Read more »
Fantastic article, well written and spot on!
I have a hard time believing people in power who haven’t been tested or pushed will make changes anytime soon, if at all, without pressure.
What we don’t acknowledge we condone.
Got a point, but at the same time, they just allowed gay scouts so its probably only a matter of time before they allow gay leaders. I wouldn’t pressure them, let it happen naturally.
The changes that they have made thus far are completely due to public pressure and I’m sure that they are hoping that the changes they have made will allow their policies to fade back into the cultural background. Great article. Keep the pressure up, thinking Americans.
If you are right, then there is no point in pressuring them if they will just go back to their old ways.
Also, it seems to me like the article is attacking the BSA as a whole because of a single rule. No institution is perfect.Are we going to break partnerships with everybody just because of a single policy that we don’t like? It seems like much ado about nothing.
Seems like a little bit of a lazy trolling job…
Good one. I’m not a troll. Just because you don’t agree with me doesn’t mean I’m trolling. I don’t agree with you on this point but I don’t think you are a troll.
You are not trolling? So you actually believe the things you typed here?
“If you are right, then there is no point in pressuring them if they will just go back to their old ways.”
– – Do you allow people to push you around? This is a pretty pessimistic view on things, how do you think social change gets made?
“Also, it seems to me like the article is attacking the BSA as a whole because of a single rule. No institution is perfect.Are we going to break partnerships with everybody just because of a single policy that we don’t like? It seems like much ado about nothing.”
– – Yep, a group with a discriminatory policy.… Read more »
Ok the first part your right. I didn’t think that one through. But the second part, all I’m trying to say is although BSA has a bad policy on gays, the BSA has also done a lot of good. I don’t think banning gay leaders is a good idea. It is purely discrimination. What I’m saying is attack the policy, not the BSA, who are probably going to change.
I don’t think you can separate the two. That’s how many in their own minds justify the behavior of some really terrible human beings that happen to be coaches. “Well such and such made this many Olympians and all these kids had this experience, so it justifies this villainous behavior.”
Donald Sterling giving money every year to then NAACP doesn’t justify his behavior and views. It does not give him a free pass. Yes, it sucks knowing that a entity like BSA does so much for some kids, but the truth of the matter is, if you are going to be honest with yourself take issue with this policy, can you actually support the BSA. I don’t believe that a… Read more »