Q: There has been much talk about this “center of excellence” concept in relation to the recent changes at Mecklenburg. Can you explain the term?
This particular term has been taken out of context somewhat in the discussion. The term “center of excellence” originated from the U.S. Olympic Committee and has been used across multiple sports in the Olympic movement to describe strong club programs with the commitment and potential to deliver excellence at the Olympic level. It is a term that describes how the USOC views these programs. It is not an actual “bricks and mortar” physical center.

Q: What does the concept mean specifically for Mecklenburg?
It means they were able to attract one of the top coaches in the nation to run their club program. I really credit Jeff Gaeckle and the people at Mecklenburg for thinking outside the box and coming up with new, creative, programming. Not only will it develop programs for elite athletes in the pool, but it will also provide opportunities for athletes to further their education and find future vocational placement while focusing on their swimming.

Q: What was the genesis of the Mecklenburg effort?
The leadership at MAC came to us with a new concept in club swimming, which will include not only a top coaching staff, but also the programs I just described. Mecklenburg has always been a club that exhibited excellence in its programs, its people and its business. So, when they came to us with an idea and vision to help them get better and continually improve, we saw it as an incredibly exciting initiative with a lot of potential.

Q: What is the significance of the hiring of David Marsh in this effort?
Anytime a club has an opportunity to attract one of the best coaches in the world, it wants to seize that opportunity. David is someone I greatly respect and I know he has the vision and dedication to lead this program from its age group programs all the way up through the elite level.

Q: What was the involvement of the USOC, USA Swimming and Speedo?
What USA Swimming, the USOC and Speedo brought to the table was initial support for the new concept. This support came with the understanding that MAC will be responsible for developing its own programming and finding its own community support.

Q: So is MAC the new resident program?
No, not at all. It’s a strong club that is finding ways to think differently about programming for elite athletes and making its programs the absolute best they can be. USA Swimming isn’t placing or paying athletes to be there.

Q: From a historical perspective, what is the significance of this concept?
If you look back over the last few decades, there have been a few key, fundamental shifts in how the U.S. club and college systems work in swimming. In the 1970s, George Haines set an example of how the club system can work with the Santa Clara Swim Club. His highly-successful club became the model for how many young coaches decided to run their own clubs, and being the head coach of one of those clubs was considered a top opportunity. In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a gravitation of some of the top coaches toward college programs, where they may have found better facilities, greater personal security and frankly, many saw that as the best way to attract the top athletes.  Which trend will continue through the 2000s, I can’t say, but we want to be ready to do what is best for our sport whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Another factor is that we are seeing a gap in the development of athletes between the time they graduate from college and the more developed post-grads who achieve great success later in their 20s. We have typically assumed those college grads would move up through the ranks on their own. Now we want to ensure there are programs in place to make that happen.

Q: What are the plans for this program?
In the near term, we saw an opportunity and thankfully we were in a position to capitalize. We always want to be in the position to encourage clubs with the means to think creatively and to provide environments where professional or post-grad athletes can thrive. In the long term, the USA Swimming Board of Directors will be discussing the topic and any future plans for the concept at its meeting on November 18.

Q: What do you think is the key message from this?
I first of all want to express how excited I am about this. To get a coach of David Marsh’s caliber to lead an effort to develop swimmers at all levels of our organization is fantastic. It helps make our club system stronger at every level and I believe it will have a significant and positive impact on our organization for years to come.