The ongoing leadership saga with Indiana’s Newburgh Sea Creatures swim club took a new turn this week, with the club’s new board re-hiring coach Aaron Opell on an interim basis.
Opell was originally let go by the team last week, leaving the program without a head coach heading into Junior and Senior Nationals. That move also caused U.S. National Teamer Lilly King to cut ties with the program. Opell had been named a U.S. National Team coach based on his work with King.
But a loud outcry against the move ultimately saw all 9 of the club’s board members resign at a meeting earlier this week. A new interim board was selected to replace the outgoing board, with Amy Kolleck serving as the new president.
Kolleck told SwimSwam this week that the club had hired Opell back on in an interim role, giving the team a coach through the rest of the summer championship meet season.
Kolleck says the club will hold elections this coming fall to elect a new, full-time board to replace the current interim one. Kolleck also says a formal decision on Opell’s long-term future with the program will be made at that point, leaving him in an interim state until the club’s board is officially settled.
Well done Sea Wolves! All of you, clap clap clap. I’ve been following b/c I went through something similar once and you guys seem to have been able to set aside your differences, even if it’s just temporary, while the show moves to San Antonio….even if you’re a bit bruised and some of your feelings have been hurt. I think those of us who live in smaller towns are a little better at learning the skills which enable us to get along with our neighbors because we have see each other more often. All the best to you.
I meant that it WOULD surprise me if he survives past the 1st semester of college before having to come back home so that mommy can bail him out of every jam he gets into.
Just went a similar situation myself…let go because of one pain in the $;&@( swimmer that happened to be the board president’s son. Kid’s mom is a classic “helicopter parent”, even though the kid just graduated from HS this year. The kid is leaving home to go to college soon. It wouldn’t surprise me if he makes it past the 1st semester.
… cant get a gaming licence here. I get what you are saying but parents are not made of money. The coach owned / operated model works well in some locales and not so well in others.
-Swim Coach…
Many teams remain board run because they have non profit status and in many jurisdictions it has fundraising implications. A for profit club
AA,
You have to remember that NSC was Opell’s club from the time he started swimming. As someone who knows him, I can’t imagine him walking away from kids and parents who fought for him because a handful of people made a decision that was obviously not made in the best interest of the entire club.
and this is a perfect reason why more “board” teams need to seriously consider “selling” teams to head coaches who can operate the business.
what does a parent get out of “running” a swim team? is it ego? is it power, control?
boards, please step aside and stop messing things up.
fully agree, too much liability and instability involved with board “run” organizations.
Why would a board let a talented Coach be fired right before Juniors
and Nationals? and chose to upset
their Athletes after they have worked
hard all through the season?