For over 25 years the Marlins swim program has served as one of the crown jewels of the Marietta community.
Serving local swimmers age eight to eighteen, the Marlins boast a championship pedigree few programs nationally can rival. Having produced twelve YMCA national top-ten swimmers, ten consecutive YMCA zone championships, countless collegiate swimmers, one U.S. Open qualifier and one medal winning Olympian, the Marlins swim program has experience success few programs nationally can rival.
In a day and age when local athletes struggle to find opportunities to continue their careers at the collegiate level, the Marlins swim program has consistently offered swimmers a quick ticket out. Which is why the recent turn of events is so unbelievable and quite frankly so disheartening.
Last week it was revealed by persons affiliated with the program that due to poor participation numbers, and a failure to retain coaches, local YMCA directors Chad Smith (Parkersburg) and Al Miller (Marietta) met to discuss the dissolution of the individual programs in favor of a singular Mid-Ohio Valley program.
Citing a desire to salvage at least one swimming program from the two crumbling franchises, both Miller and Smith agree that if competitive swimming should continue in the valley a singular program will be the only way.
One can’t help but wonder how these programs have sunk so low?
Just four years ago the Marlins program alone boasted numbers in excess of 100. Under the direction of long time coach Bill Bauer, Marietta routinely fielded squads of 120 or more, this in addition to a sizable field at the Parkersburg YMCA. Today the numbers are shockingly low.
“We keep getting huge decreases in numbers”, noted Miller. “We have struggled to get 30 swimmers out on most nights here the past couple of years. Interest locally has completely tailed off. I am not sure if it is because swimming just isn’t as appealing as other sports, or if people are just busier?”
Busy or not, a program-wide drop of over 70 swimmers in under five years leads one to believe there is more going on than just lack of enthusiasm. One can only postulate reasons for the program’s fall at this point, however given the recent turnover at the coaching position within the program, one can assume stability and enthusiasm has languished as a result.
“We have gone through a couple coaches over the past few years and we keep losing swimmers but we want to keep the program going. We hope that by combining the two we could salvage one program”
Currently, Parkersburg resident Tom Phillips, father of the highly decorated PHS standout Tim Phillips, coaches the Marietta Marlins, but his involvement following the departure of his son after this season is suspect. Which brings us again to the problem of retaining coaches.
Should the program suffer yet another coaching change, one can assume the number of swimmers who remain would be so small a valley-wide program would be absolutely necessary to continue competitive swimming.
As we swell with pride over the recent success of American swimmer Michael Phelps one must take into account his rise to stardom. Phelps wasn’t born into a racing pedigree at one of the nation’s elite programs. Phelps isn’t the product of racing meccas in San Diego, Houston, or Tampa, his success was initiated at a local swimming program in Towson, Maryland.
What we need to remember is that programs such as the one in Marietta are ones that produce greatness. While athletes continue to see their careers dissipate on the soccer and football fields over time, the Marlins have continued to pump out collegiate swimmer after collegiate swimmer. We caught lightning in a bottle years ago with Betsey Mitchell, and the possibility exists that lightning could strike twice. We must have a program however if that should occur, and with fewer and fewer kids seeing the possibilities that exist in the pool the Marlins run dangerously close to extinction.
It would be a tragedy if yet another of of the few avenues kids have to competing at the highest levels closed shop. Something has to be done to rejuvenate this program.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Storied Swimming Program Struggling To Stay Afloat
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The swim team at marietta would do better if the younger new swimmers were not going to a labor camp... I myself have talked to some and they all are quitting because they say they dont like to get yelled at... And yeah its a sprot and you need to get better but at age 8 I know that I wanted to have fun and with Bill bauer and his fellow coaches it was... I mean i look at the parents in the stands when there kids are getting yelled at and then when the kids come out of the looker room saying the coached is mean the parents just say oh she want you to get better. I think to myself come on your sending your kids to (Abuse) what kind of parent are you... thats the real reason mariettas numbers are so low...
I agree with the previous post about the coaches and if your child in not in the top 2 or 3 in that age group they are totally ignored by the coaches and looked upon as a total waste of their time, but would like to add also some of those parents are just as bad as the coaches...telling their kids what they will or will not buy them if they win their "Race" Pulling them to the side before going to see the coach after they swim and belittling them into tears..in a how dare you not win that race...
sounds as if there are many gripes about the current coaching staff.
what could be done to fix this?
Swimming for the Marlins used to be fun. We'd get in the pool and have fun swimming with our friends. It was more of a comraderie-fest thany anything. We got better as a byproduct of the fun. When I graduated, we had three swimmers go on to Division I programs with more to the Division II & III ranks. The classes behind me were full of college swimmers. Now, the kids are under so much pressure from the parents to succeed. The parents get on the coaches to focus on their kids. In turn, the coaches feel the pressure to make the kids succeed. No one is having fun. It all begins with the parents. Parents--drop your kids off at the pool and pick them up in an hour when practice is over. You don't need to sit in the stands and make everyone --coaches and kids -- feel the pressure.
It's division 1 swimming! - dan Hawkins
I'm of the ilk as MariettaExPat. When I swam it was about being around your friends and making some. Sure, it was practice and meets as well, but we had fun with it. Without the pressure to "always win"; we won anyway. With the attitude, I was fortunate enough to be on a team that won Champs atleast once. I don't know who or even IF fingers should be pointed; point is: quit being so damn serious about and the rest will come.
The Marietta swim team would have a better swim program if the coaches did not make it a JOB swimming at the age of 8 and under is meant to get to know the sport and have fun now i can see the older kids being more competitive... But we still have promblems there Tom should coach everyone not just his son... All though i believe Tim is a great swimmer his dad is signed up to coach the whole age group. Now if Tom wants to coach Tim he should do it on his own time. My swimmer said that to get coaching all swimmers have to ask for it. Thats not what i paid 450 for.
I think the problem is the price of marietta. One way to help that is to pay by season not by year around. Cause what if the kid decides he doesnt like it anymore. Also the price does go back to the coaching because if the kids would stay we'ed have more kids to pay.!!!
Swimming is a big commitment but doesnt' have to be the drudgery that it has become in recent years. Pride in the program makes all the difference and this begins with the coaching staff. Bill Bauer was the most inspirational coach I have ever been around. He had a vast variety of swimming abilities on his teams. The Marietta Marlins will be a thing of the past if the team combines with Pburg. What a shame!!!!!
I can not comment about the current coaching staff and situation that the Marietta Marlins are currently facing since I have not been involved with the program since 1999. However, I can comment on the time I was there. I started swimming under Bill Bauer when I was nine years old until I graduated high school. I did not go on to to swim in college (my college did not have a swim team) but that time that I was swimming was the best part of growing up for me. I met some of my best friends and learned so many life lessons. I was lucky enough to have parents who supported me 100% and let me have fun. To this day, I miss it so much. I can understand how kids can get burnt out from swimming...it is a HUGE time (and money) commitment and I have seen first hand, those parents who never leave the pool area and who pressure their kids to succeed. But swimming is one of the few sports where you get to be part of a team but also grow individually and can set goals for yourself. During my time as a Marlin I saw so many good things come out of people. Everyone cheered for the person winning the race and still stayed and cheered for the person coming in last. I remember being told to stay in the lane until everyone else finished. I remember road trips to national meets and all the fun we had. I remember helping to bring back the MHS swimming program and getting to be a Tiger in the pool. I could go on and on about all the great things that I experienced during my time at the Marietta YMCA. If I was in Marietta, I know I would be there to help...it would be such a shame if this all disappeared. I hope that people can just remember that kids just want to feel like a part of something and want people to be proud of them. Let them have fun. Swimming is one of the better sports out there where everyone is accepted.
I would have to add my 2 cents, saying that when I was a Marlin it was fun!!! You went to practices because you had fun!! You got along with everyone!! If you were one of the TOP Swimmers you got the same attention as everyone else...we were all coached as equals and we all were repremanded for our behaviors as equals! The consistancy of coaching was evident from age group to age group. We all hung out in and out of the pool, our parents were there as support and not as 2nd, 3rd, or 4th coaches. The Coaches were there to do a job and the parents stayed out of the way of that. Last but not least, it didn't matter if you had money or not, you were accepted as a member of the team. They would find a way to keep you there. Now, who can afford it? What happened to it being something to keep the kids off the street and give them self confidence? And then there is YMCA itself...they used to teach Core Values to everyone that walked through the doors...everyone was welcome...it was a place of refuge for all to go...now if you have a the money you can do whatever you want, no values, just cash! That is sad! That little guy sitting on the couch watching the Olympics doesn't have a chance to dream if there isn't opportunity in the community to do so!
Somehing has to be done to rejuvenate the Marlins swim program, but it is a mistake, though to dissolve the two teams into one. Consolidation isnt the answer. Pkb. & Mtta are big enough cities to field competitive swim teams in this area. My children swum for both programs in the mid 90's, to as recent as 2004. The last 4 years being in Mtta. I was on the parent board as treasurer for 3 of those 4 years. Bill Bauer was back as head coach after attending school at Ohio State. Our 1st season we had 115 swimmers, the 2nd 110, the 3rd year 105, our last season 95-100 kids. Meanwhile Pkb. was averaging around 65-80 swimmers during this time period. The swimmers, as well as the parents enjoyed coach Bauer. He instilled within the kids, that it wasnt always about winning. That was the mindsetPkb.)Bill believed in working hard, doing your best, having fun and enjoying being part of a 'TRUE TEAM. I believe that has been lost in the current Marlin team. We had good cheistry with our parents, swimmers, coaches, and parent board members, with everyone working together, with the mission of all our swimmers, regardless of their abilities or disabilities were welcome on the Marlin swim team. Thats what made it great and successful. Everyone felt a part of something special. I believe the current 'Y' directors, are being influenced by the current Marlin head coach into thinking higher fees, and higher salaries constitute more success in the water. BALONEY! We were successful those 4 years in Mtta, matching up with and beating Pkb. Their 2 'head coaches' made a whole lot more money than coach Bauer. So throwing more money at something doesnt always make it more successful. Havent we learned that from all sports today? The current Marlin coach, Tom Phillips in 2004 led a revolt of parents and swimmers from the Pkb. Y team, practically dismantling it, due to the fact at that time, they didnt agree with the Y director on how a competitive swim team should be run. So under Phillips guidance they brought 30-40 swimmers to Mtta. to pad their numbers for the newly hired Rick West, (who by the way didnt last the whole season, due to the fact his supporting cash cow ran out, so he split town and left) so enter Phillips and Wayne Shankland to the rescue! Meanwhile, the Pkb. team was left in disarray and slowly began to rebuild, with the dedication of some good parents and coaches. Today their numbers stand at about 55-60 swimmers. Marietta finished the recent swim season with 20-25 swimmers under Phillips guidance. So what is the answer to this problem of lack of swimmers? Well, its not uniting the two teams, as Phillips and the Y directors think should be done. And its not making Phillips the head coach of a unified team. The past 8 years have proven regardless of what team Phillips was associated with it lost swimmers. This so called unification would be a recipe for disaster! Plus I hope the PKb. contingent would be smart enough not to let it happen to them again!Plus I would hope alot of people would see that he is a major part of the problem, not a solution to it. I know that Phillips likes to dazzle everyone with his neverending knowledge of swimming and 40 years plus experience. But if that were so true, why isnt either of the YMCA's lining up into the streets with countless new parents and swimmers, waiting to be coached by this 'LEGEND'. Its because many parents and especially young people have figured out long ago that they have been duped, lied to, and cheated by this so-called 'Great One'. So if the Marlins team wants to return to its 'glory days' you have to unload the 'old baggage' lying around and bring new talented coaches in that are not there for themselves, a paycheck, or their own 'personal agendas'. They must have a vision for the program now and for the future, and then work hard with others into bringing that vision into reality.
Somehing has to be done to rejuvenate the Marlins swim program, but it is a mistake, though to dissolve the two teams into one. Consolidation isnt the answer. Pkb. & Mtta are big enough cities to field competitive swim teams in this area. My children swum for both programs in the mid 90's, to as recent as 2004. The last 4 years being in Mtta. I was on the parent board as treasurer for 3 of those 4 years. Bill Bauer was back as head coach after attending school at Ohio State. Our 1st season we had 115 swimmers, the 2nd 110, the 3rd year 105, our last season 95-100 kids. Meanwhile Pkb. was averaging around 65-80 swimmers during this time period. The swimmers, as well as the parents enjoyed coach Bauer. He instilled within the kids, that it wasnt always about winning. That was the mindsetPkb.)Bill believed in working hard, doing your best, having fun and enjoying being part of a 'TRUE TEAM. I believe that has been lost in the current Marlin team. We had good cheistry with our parents, swimmers, coaches, and parent board members, with everyone working together, with the mission of all our swimmers, regardless of their abilities or disabilities were welcome on the Marlin swim team. Thats what made it great and successful. Everyone felt a part of something special. I believe the current 'Y' directors, are being influenced by the current Marlin head coach into thinking higher fees, and higher salaries constitute more success in the water. BALONEY! We were successful those 4 years in Mtta, matching up with and beating Pkb. Their 2 'head coaches' made a whole lot more money than coach Bauer. So throwing more money at something doesnt always make it more successful. Havent we learned that from all sports today? The current Marlin coach, Tom Phillips in 2004 led a revolt of parents and swimmers from the Pkb. Y team, practically dismantling it, due to the fact at that time, they didnt agree with the Y director on how a competitive swim team should be run. So under Phillips guidance they brought 30-40 swimmers to Mtta. to pad their numbers for the newly hired Rick West, (who by the way didnt last the whole season, due to the fact his supporting cash cow ran out, so he split town and left) so enter Phillips and Wayne Shankland to the rescue! Meanwhile, the Pkb. team was left in disarray and slowly began to rebuild, with the dedication of some good parents and coaches. Today their numbers stand at about 55-60 swimmers. Marietta finished the recent swim season with 20-25 swimmers under Phillips guidance. So what is the answer to this problem of lack of swimmers? Well, its not uniting the two teams, as Phillips and the Y directors think should be done. And its not making Phillips the head coach of a unified team. The past 8 years have proven regardless of what team Phillips was associated with it lost swimmers. This so called unification would be a recipe for disaster! Plus I hope the PKb. contingent would be smart enough not to let it happen to them again!Plus I would hope alot of people would see that he is a major part of the problem, not a solution to it. I know that Phillips likes to dazzle everyone with his neverending knowledge of swimming and 40 years plus experience. But if that were so true, why isnt either of the YMCA's lining up into the streets with countless new parents and swimmers, waiting to be coached by this 'LEGEND'. Its because many parents and especially young people have figured out long ago that they have been duped, lied to, and cheated by this so-called 'Great One'. So if the Marlins team wants to return to its 'glory days' you have to unload the 'old baggage' lying around and bring new talented coaches in that are not there for themselves, a paycheck, or their own 'personal agendas'. They must have a vision for the program now and for the future, and then work hard with others into bringing that vision into reality.
i dont know, you also have to look at it from some of the swimmers standpoints...they are there to be the absolute best. and the only way to be the absolute best is to train the hardest. nobody is dying from the workouts and most are achieving their dreams...true it is a ymca program, but for some of the older kids in it is a chance for college scholarships and national level success. there are no other elite level swim programs around here. look at the team, most of the kids are at the top of the standings in competitions, even national competitions. this swim program is great and i believe that it definitely needs to expand in size but i think with the recent olympics, it has provided a chance for many adolescents to see the benefits swimming has to offer. just look at michael phelps, he is the main concern at the olympics.
The 8/21 8:35 gibberish is the exact reason the Marlins are going down the toilet. Non-fatal workouts and olympic recognition are the signs of success? The pressure you put on kids--be the absolute best, get the scholarship, get national level recognition, be like Michael Phelps--is insane. Is your last name Phillips? Of the thousands of Marlin swimmers since the early 80s, how many achieved scholarships, national level recognition, or made the olympics? My guess--Less than 1%. For every Michael Phelps, there are literally 1000 other swimmers who have fun, make lifelong friends, discipline themselves to balance a work/play schedule, and get in great shape. I'm no slouch vocationally and every day I use lessons I learned with the Marlins. The Marlins used to be about subjectively giving it your best shot, not objectively being the best. By the latter, everyone not in first place is a loser. Great for t-shirts, not for life.
If you want to swim for championships, move to a place where you think you can be best challenged.
If you want to stay here, you need to train hard but realize that the Marlins is a program built for numbers and for kids to enjoy themselves. If medals come as a result great, if they don't no one cares. It is about the kids, not the titles.
I was swimmer on the team for a few back before the new coach may in it was like a family to me. i drove an hour each way to come swim for the best coach that i can think of. noe the team is strait down the tubes. It is now like a life or death like than as a sport. All the kids need to be included of just the ones that do good that weekend. I love this team and it is being pulled down by one man that really is not all that like though out the YMCA swimming Comunity.
There are a variety of reasons for the MYAC program is going downhill. The first and most obvious is that there is little interest! Why after so many years of great teams? Money, motivation and parent involvement on the organizational front are key isues. Back in the 'dark ages" and by that I mean 17 to 20 years ago, the parent organization worked to pay for the program. The Y gave us the pool and the name. Every single child who came to the pool was welcomed whether they were the Betsy Mitchell, Shannon Funk or Tom Phillips of the day. We had swimmers with major disablities who were treated with the same consideration and respect as anyone else. We knew that for a program to suceed, you had to pay as much attention to the smallest swimmer as to the most accomplished swimmer. Without those little guys coming up the ranks there would be no stars. We had scholarships to pay for those who couldn't and only a very select few knew who those were. It didn't matter. They wore the same team suit, had the same team cap and went to all the meets just the same as those who could afford it on their own. The parents were a support group, a group to make sure all needs were met for all swimmers and families both economically and spiritually. We were all ONE. And it showed. The Marlins were the best team in the district not for winning...which they did...but because they were a team. The parents were friends who worked hard together and played together as well. We traveled, we ate and stayed in the same motels so we could all be together. Those were 'The Good Old Days".
Yes, it's hard to keep coaches for very long. There is so much time spent at the pool that you have to love it and love the kids. Today there are so many things that pull people in all directions. But those coaches could be found and hopfully will. One of the reasons we are losing Marietta swimmers is because of the influx over the past few years from Parkersburg. At first they were welcomed with open arms. But then more and more moved over and slowly began to take control. In recent years though the name is the same, it has not been the Marietta Marlins. And those personalities have changed our team radically. The Marlins have become a team of elite swimmers with little focus on much else. Funny, we've always had elite swimmers and still we had numbers. Why? We also focused on those who would become the elite swimmers. You can't have a program without doing both.
Once the Y took over control of the program things began to deteriorate. There is no way for such a large program to be grouped with the rest of the Y programs and be successful. The Y is spread too thin. Yes, it is expensive for the Y to have the program. Over the years, the team paid for itself. That is thanks to the parents. And without parental involvement, the program cannot succeed. Parental involvement means every parent must be involved in some capacity and most often NOT as a coach. The swim team is not a babysitting service.
As for the swimmers, it can and should be a fun learning experience. You have to work hard. You have to have committment. You have to have motivation to be the best YOU can be, not necessarily the best in the pool. There is no other team sport that has every team member playing the game...NO ONE SITS THE BENCH! It is a lifelong sport no matter the ability. It is social interaction with focus. Done right, it is the best experience a child can have from age 5 to 18.
Having spent 17 years as a parent of three swimmers, I still have chlorine in my veins. Sometimes I still stop in and smell. My children all had success and failures. They learned the most from the latter. And none of us would ever go back and do it differently.
Please find a way to keep the Marlins "making waves". And please keep it The Marietta Marlins.
This has happened before and will probably fall apart and happen again. It's just history repeating it's self. PKB was always league rivals for me, but MTTA and PKB have been teammates before. As long as there is a program there is something to get excited about. I spent many weekends traveling to big meets by myself or with one or two other teammates. At times it was fun and others it wasn't just like swimming always is. Swimming is one of the most demanding and ,at times, least fun sports. But it is also one of the few individual and team sports. So no matter what if you are passionate there is always a way.
The golden days of the marlins was all thanks to Bill Bauer and quite a number of extremely dedicated parents. Bill is a once in a life time coach and he's put in his fare share and is not coming back so as he would say "Get over it". He yelled, he was tough, but he always let you know you were special to him and the positives always out weighed the negatives. The marlins need dedicated parents who are more interested in the teams well fare,and are willing to commit time, then if there kid is getting yelled at or not. That was another great thing about Bill's time he, along with Wayne, Susan, and I guess Scott, united families with a common cause. All praises be sung to BILL BAUER and all his assistants! M-A-R-I-E-T-T-A! that cheer is how I learned to spell marietta.
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