By David
I have just read the latest Chris Moller epistle. You may remember, Moller was the author of the 2012 report that has led the sport of swimming into its current parlous state. The purpose of the 2014 report is to evaluate how well Layton, Renford and Villanueva have done in implementing the Miskimmin doctrine as presented in Moller’s 2012 review.
I had to smile at the title Moller chose for the latest report – “Swimming New Zealand, Growing a Cornerstone Sport”. Swimming, “a cornerstone sport”, really? Moller – stones sink! There must have been a better title than that. To give Moller credit though, the title is probably the reports most accurate line.
The rest of the report is best described as delusional. It’s like the Captain of the Titanic telling the crew what a lovely night it is while water floods in through six gashes 20 feet below the waterline. Give Moller a chance and the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez could well end up as the best thing that’s ever happened to Alaskan wildlife.
And besides all that, it is hardly an independent investigation when the investigator is also the author of the original report and was, in part, instrumental in appointing the subjects of his examination. I doubt Chris Moller is about to be report critically on the performance of this Swimming New Zealand Board. What could he possibly say? I prepared this plan. My mates are implementing it as I asked and the results are a shambles. No, the report isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Some specifics might illustrate what I mean.
Try page two – Moller says, “Clarity on and buy into the high performance plan and its execution is essential.” Why the hell should we buy into the SNZ high performance plan? It doesn’t work. It has destroyed three generations of New Zealand’s most talented swimmers. It has cost a fortune and a current world record holder has flown to Australia to escape the plan Moller is trying to sell. You decide. Should we believe Moller’s spin or the actions of Lauren Boyle?
And again on page two – “The Board, and in particular its Chairman, are held in high regard” and “The Chief Executive is regarded as a breath of fresh air”. I understand that those interviewed by Moller are different from the Swimming New Zealand company I share. Where I live Layton and Renford have already outlived their welcome. One regular Swimwatch correspondent insists on calling Layton, “Jabba the Hutt” – high regard indeed. When he was appointed, many reasonable New Zealanders were prepared to give Renford a chance. But profligate spending, unacceptable Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacs and World SC Championship results and a litany of management blunders have worn his welcome thin. I suspect “a breath of fresh air” is now viewed as “just so much hot air”.
On page three this gem deserves special mention – “Significant improvement in communication by SNZ has led to a much improved level of trust, collaboration and discipline between SNZ and its Members.” Moller must be joking. What on God’s good earth does Moller mean by improved communication? The report blabbers on about a monthly telephone call between Layton and the Chairmen of the Regions. From what I’ve read that token communication is merely a vehicle for Layton to tell his minions what SNZ expects. I am certain the servile obedience of those who fear SNZ retribution has been mistaken as trust, collaboration and discipline. Gone are the publication of committee discussions and Board Minutes. The content of Layton’s telephone call is not even published. This is 17 Antares Place behind closed doors. And tell me, would you really trust anyone who signed a form swearing that the shallow end of the Wellington Regional Aquatic Centre complied with all FINA facility rules? An organization capable of telling that lie has forfeited our trust, our collaboration and our discipline.
On page six, Moller tells us that “the primary objective of SNZ” is to: “Support the growth and performance of the sport of competitive swimming – from entry level Club competitive swimmers to elite High Performance athletes.” How can Moller possibly say that, “the assessed performance of Swimming New Zealand and the sport is 7.5 out of 10” when, measured against its “primary objective”, membership has declined in the past four years by 18% from 21,141 to 17,329. There’s hardly a swimmer left in the Millennium swim school; Lauren Boyle is about to try her luck in Australia and Matthew Stanley and Samantha Lucie-Smith will probably end up in Australia as well. Would the last swimmer at the SNZ swim school please turn off the lights? Certainly SNZ’s performance hardly merits Moller’s score of 7.5 out of 10 – perhaps he meant out of 100.
Page six also provides a long account of the reason SNZ has failed “to transfer of the existing good quality SNZ “teach the teachers” programme along with personnel and funding to an appropriate NZ organisation.” Moller spends 435 words spinning his explanation. And then in his last sentence – the truth. “Most failed to express any interest in taking on the role.” In short Swimming New Zealand spends thousands on an activity no one else in New Zealand gives a toss about. What a sad place 17 Antares Place has become. Moller does admit that the learn-to-swim personnel at SNZ are going to become part-time staff, to “ensure inputs can match demand better.” That’s “Moller-speak” for “this thing is costing more than its worth.” Something the rest of New Zealand obviously already knows.
Page eight provides us with an insight into the way people like Moller see the world. He says, “A membership fee for technical officials was introduced to support the integrity of the membership numbers”. I never thought I’d see the imposition of this fee linked to the word integrity. Only SNZ could pull off that masterpiece. Do they really expect us to believe that SNZ aren’t interested in the money? The real reason volunteer officials have to pay is so they can be counted properly. Yeah Right.
On page nine SNZ talk about the adoption of the new regional constitution. The report says “All regions have either adopted it or have a general meeting scheduled at which it will be adopted.” Of course, there is no mention of the fact that the national constitution makes accepting the regional constitution compulsory. The myth is unanimous harmony. The reality is reluctant compulsion.
The ironically named “High Performance” strategy is discussed on page ten. SNZ tells us that Villanueva is “happy with the strategy”. Clearly it takes very little to keep this Spaniard happy. His trip to Glasgow was an embarrassment. Brisbane was no better and two of the sport’s best swimmers decided that SNZ’s training was so hopeless that they missed the flight to Doha for the World Championships. Only the really stupid still believe Miskimmin’s strategy will work. In this section of the report Swimming New Zealand includes a term that I’ve never heard before. Swimming, it says, will remain in “campaign status” for another year. What does “campaign status” mean? If it means all our best swimmers have buggered-off to Australia to get some descent coaching – then I guess that’s right.
On page eleven, Moller spends some time discussing “a new culture”. Evidently the new culture includes transparency and trust. Trust evidently involves “playing the ball not the person”. I guess that’s why the author of both reports, that’s Moller, publically called on Brian Palmer to stand down as Auckland CEO. Is there a chance that might be a case do as I say, not as I do? But best of all the Moller report tells us that “results at pinnacle events” are “difficult to measure objectively”. What a load of rubbish. It’s very simple Mr. Moller – first is gold, second is silver and third is bronze. PB means a personal best time and that’s good too. Count all that up and you have an objective measure on how well your swimmers have performed. If there is very little to count then you must be reading SNZ’s 2014 results.
That’s probably enough examples to illustrate the futility of this latest Moller missive. Mind you the people Moller interviewed were never likely to come up with anything less than fourteen pages of platitudes. Alex Bauman is hardly likely to admit to wasting millions on a lost cause. SNZ cheerleader, Mark Berge, is unlikely to question the performance of his masters. I would be surprised if Brent Layton and Christian Renford found themselves wanting. John Mace wasn’t appointed President by rocking the SNZ boat. Somewhat symbolically Ian Hunt is on the FINA Ethics Committee. Remind me again – is that the organization who honoured Vladimir Putin, refused to answer valid questions regarding the ban on Sun Yang for using illegal drugs and recognized a world record set in an illegal pool? Does all that sound ethical to you?
Little wonder then that this report is another case of good money after bad. It may not be apposite, but I wonder how many of you know the quote from Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5) “It is a tale. Full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing.”
