New USA Swimming national team coach Frank Busch gives an interview at ESPN.

In the interview, Frank Busch gives what I consider a cold, polite, nod to Mark Schubert. He also dodges the child protection issue a bit by stating that it is "everyone's responsibility".

Yep, I consider that a dodge alright. Here is why: There is a saying by some Greek guy named, Plato, that goes something like this: "That which is owned by all is cared for by none!" Saying it is everyone's responsibility is like saying, that you are just as guilty as us if something goes untoward. I don't buy it. In my opinion he should acknowledged the skills and department of Susan Woessner which he did not do.

In regards to the Fran Crippen death: We do agree on air and water temps but it was a political answer about rules and organizations.

Perhaps I have a bitter taste in my mouth after routing John Leonard's legal threats but Swimming organizations that represent both coaches and swimmers in this country seem to exist in a fog of politics that is so thick and full of foreboding that they have mastered the art of the non-answer.

Snippet from ESPN:

".... Busch: I think it's everyone's responsibility. It's a huge responsibility. I just came from Tucson where the shooting happened with [Congresswoman] Gabby Gifford. As things have unfolded, the emphasis has been put on mental health. Is there a way in which you can identify it at an earlier time and keep an individual from doing what they did? And the answer to that right now is, I'm not sure. I don't want to say no, but the probability is pretty slim, because there's a lot of people who struggle with life out there. I'm sure there are unstable coaches. We're doing background checks and doing [training in] coaches' ethics and making sure we follow that up. I don't know if anyone is ever going to be as tight on this as USA Swimming. ..."

[Link]

Visualize me doing a face palm. You protect kids by getting parents involved, by allowing no one-on-ones, policies about travel accommodations etc. etc. The Boy Scouts of America solved its problems after their lawsuit with sweeping changes, why won't USA Swimming adopt the same plan?

Passing the buck stating you can't look inside the souls of men or women to decide who can coach is a rhetorical device I do not accept. USA Swimming policies should be so rock solid that even if a "freak" did mange to game and/or breech the system and become a coach, there still would be no opportunity for said "freak" to act.

Also policies such as these would protect coaches from fake accusations. Coaches should be demanding policies such as these as well.

UPDATE:

Here is a comment I would like to add within this post from an anonymous poster to this article:

He's a nice guy and a great coach.

That was a bad interview though. He's probably not used to answering the tough questions since he is such a great coach, he doesn't get asked them very often. Give him some time and he will adapt.

Also, send him your thoughts. Although the national team director is focused on winning golds, a former swimmer of his and former Tucson coach just got added to the banned list so maybe it will hit close to home.