Germantown Announces Controversial Retirement of Richard Shoulberg

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

PHILADELPHIA – Late last night, Germantown Academy announced the controversial retirement of long-time head coach Richard Shoulberg, who is currently employed by Germantown as coach emeritus.

The news is a bit of a surprise to Shoulberg, who was still in talks with Germantown to extend his contract that ends June 2015.

“I will be coaching somewhere in June,” Shoulberg told Swimming World. “I’m not ready to give up coaching. I just want to help kids swim faster.”

Shoulberg explained that he recently had a contract extension conversation with Germantown headmaster Jim Connor this past December, and was told that Connor would get back with him as soon as they made a decision.

Shoulberg took last night’s news in stride, however, as he’s prepared to move on from Germantown if the retirement truly does take place.

“I will leave and be coaching the very next day in the Philadelphia area,” Shoulberg told Swimming World about his “retirement,” “An administrator is not stopping me from coaching, although I’d prefer to be coaching at Germantown.”

Shoulberg also told Swimming World this morning that Germantown head coach Jeff Thompson had voiced a desire to have Shoulberg on staff through the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials due to his experience at such a big meet. But, Connor is the final authority on the matter.

Connor and Thompson have not responded to a request for comment from Swimming World.

Germantown has had a bit of a rocky road since Shoulberg first took a leave of absence in December 2013.

Following Thompson’s hiring last June, Germantown then lost half of its coaching staff last semester as Caroline and Colleen Boland as well as Chris Lear all wound up leaving Germantown for various reasons.

With Shoulberg likely leaving at the end of his contract on June 2015, that’s nearly a century of combined coaching knowledge gone from Germantown.

The Eastern Interscholastic Swim Championships at LaSalle University, which will be webcast live by SwimmingWorld.TV on Feb. 20-21, has already been dedicated to Shoulberg with news of his retirement. There will be a presentation during finals on Saturday evening.

Here’s the full retirement notice as posted by Germantown Academy last night:

The quotes from Shoulberg shown below were acquired in December 2014 for “whenever” a retirement occurred.

Tenure:
46 years

Positions Held:

Director of Aquatics
Physical Education Teacher
Director of the Germantown Academy Aquatics Club
Director of Aquatics for the Day Camp (18 years)

Honors Conferred:

Class of 1760 Honorary Alumnus
Led the girls’ swimming program to every Inter-Academic Athletic League Championship from 1972 to 2013
Led the women’s GAAC team to the USA Swimming Spring National Championship in 2007
Twice named American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year
Led Patriots to eight women’s and two men’s Swimming World Magazine national prep school titles
Three-time Olympic and five-time Pan Am Games coach
2011 Recipient of the USA Swimming Award, the organization’s highest honor
Recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame Paragon Award
Past president and a board member of American Swimming Coaches Association
Committee member of Olympic International Development, Olympic International Operations, USS (United States Swimming USS Rules and Chair of the Steering Committee
Has placed 16 athletes on various Olympic teams
Coached more than 280 All-Americans and numerous Senior and Junior National champions and finalists
Member of the GA Athletic Hall of Fame
Member of the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Member of the PA Aquatics Hall of Fame
Member of the PA Hall of Fame
Member of the Norristown High School Hall of Fame
Member of the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Past President of the American Swimming Coaches Association
Recipient of the two highest awards of the National Federation of State High Schools Association
Presented workshops in over thirty states, in ten countries in Europe, and in Thailand, Hong Kong, China, and Japan
Lectured in three countries in South America
Lectured in New Zealand and Australia numerous times
Lectured on every continent that participates in the Olympics

Why Dick Stayed:

“GA is in my blood!”

“I came here in 1969 to run the Aquatics Program, and GA didn’t have first, second, and third grades on the swimming instruction schedule. I asked Sam Stroud 1760 and Jack Turner ’56 if I could get some high school kids to help teach, and they agreed to six to eight weeks in the fall and six to eight weeks in the spring. And then Bobbie Crane 1760 and Joanne Finegan said, ‘What about Kindergarten?’ And Mrs. Weems asked about PreK. And the program went on to include every grade after that. I stayed to build that program.”

“I stayed because I love being a part of school life every day. I love talking to kids like Chris Nunes ’14, a kid who never swam on a team. It was just a joy to chat with him. I speak with the kitchen guys and the maintenance guys every day. Jimmy Stewart from our kitchen being inducted into 1760 at graduation ~ now that was a special moment.”

“I am grateful to GA for the opportunity.”

Lasting Memories:

“I love the early AM swim. I encourage Jeff (Thompson, the new Director of Aquatics at Germantown Academy) to stay home once a week to have breakfast with his kids, and I come in and do that practice/swim. Those parents that participate in the early AM swims are very important to me.”

“I had a great relationship with former Head of School (1970-1986) Bud Kast 1760; he worked out every day during swim practice. When it was time for him to retire, I sent the stationary bike home with him.”

“Losing Fran (Crippen ’02) was one of the worst days of my life. I have used those circumstances in which he passed as my next cause to champion – open water swimming safety for the world.”

Dick is Thankful For:

“I had four children graduate from GA: four distinct individuals who are successful people, who were molded by the GA faculty. I owe the school a payback.”

“I have had the opportunity to work in a complete aquatic program – one that teaches scuba, lifesaving, beginning swimmers, and competitive teams, as well as fitness for life, everyone’s responsibility.”

Gifts to the Community:

Quite simply, Dick taught the school to swim…. and to respect all aquatic environments.
Dick has given a lifetime of coaching excellence to our school. He has reached out to the most timid of swimmers as well as to Olympians, providing each the support they needed to be one with the water.
Dick has brought international recognition to our school by sharing his knowledge and skill with coaches and swimmers around the world.
By starting the Germantown Academy Aquatics Club, Dick made GA available to the wider community. He introduced GA to many children who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to experience our school.
Dick has reached out to the community beyond GA, writing practice sheets for other Inter-Ac schools to ensure the improvement of the whole league, sharing design training techniques and programs, and lecturing (pro bono!) on every continent on the planet, sharing his expertise unselfishly.
Dick graciously opened the GA pool to everyone in the community from the youngest children to their grandparents for exercise and rehabilitation. He encouraged swimming as a life-long pursuit of health. Jim Connor has often remarked that Dick made the pool the center of community life. Opening at 5:30 a.m. ~ closing at 9:30 p.m. Serving the needs of GA swimmers, GAAC swimmers, GA students and those from other schools, water polo players, divers, master swimmers, and GA alums. Dick welcomed everyone to the pool!
Dick co-authored two editions of the book The Coaches’ Bible of Swimming.
For many GA students and alums, many swimmers and many not, Dick served, in their words, as a “second father,” providing discipline, guidance, and love over the years.

What Jim Connor Remembers Most:

“A number of years ago, Audrey Schnur (Director of Institutional Advancement) and I were in Northern California meeting with a group of GA alumni, several of them former swimmers for Coach Shoulberg. During the course of our gathering, one of these swimming alums said: ‘Let’s call Coach Shoulberg. He will never believe that we are all having lunch together.’ She pulled out her cell phone and, (you have to remember that this occurred before cell phones were encoded with call recognition software) dialed his school phone. As soon as she said, ‘Hello, Coach Shoulberg…’ he knew exactly who was calling. Wow, I thought! Coach Shoulberg really knows his kids. And I marveled as the phone was passed, and we listened to Coach Shoulberg speak in a highly personal way to every swimming alumnus or alumna sitting around the table. His swimmers are family forever.”

Memorable Quotes:

“I told Jack Turner that the safety of the kids in the pool is the most important thing. If we have a swim team that can win a meet, fine. But we will teach all of our kids how to swim. I loved seeing Dave Wharton or Dave Berkoff break world records, but the most important thing is safety.”

“I have gotten lucky that we had some really good teams.”

“You have to be able to balance family life and work life.”

Next Adventure:

“I have been involved in Red Cross for a long time, and I will teach lifesaving until I die. I enjoy teaching the AED to faculty. Safety is equally as important as getting international medals.”

“I’m going to take my wife to Florida during the school year!”

“I will use the circumstances of Fran’s death to champion open-water swimming safety in every country in the world.”

“No matter what doors close and what doors open, I will always continue to coach!”

What Dick Will Miss the Most:

“Who will teach my second graders? That is the grade that I have loved the most every year. They are the only group to just lay their towels out on the deck…like they own the place!”

“Those, ‘Hey, Shoulberg,’ shouts from the kids.”

“The wins and losses have never been important; it’s the interaction with the kids – now and years later – that I cherish.”

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Ben Jones

9 years ago

Coach Shoulberg as special assistant to Coach Berkoff at Penn Charter?…

LaDeane Hansten

9 years ago

He doesn’t look too sad about it in that picture :). Congratulations on your retirement!

Frank Steele

9 years ago

I’m a little confused here. In the rest of the Universe (other than the alternate Universe that is GA), a person who retires decides that they are retiring; otherwise, it’s called being fired…..

Frank Steele

9 years ago

Coach Shoulberg deserves better treatment from the school on his way out. The school continues to step on it’s own toes. Connor and Fenerty have their legacy and that is the destruction of greatness.

Becky

9 years ago

I know that there are so many questions but my Dad and his greatness will NEVER be destroyed . I love the passion , but there is life after GA especially when it is not the GA you can be proud of. All my love to Molly and Dick, Becky

Frank Steele

9 years ago

Reply to Becky

Becky you are correct. They can never destrory Your Dad’s greatness. Regardless of how hard Fenerty and Connor try. His greatness will live forever.

Andrea

9 years ago

He is being fired. This is not a controversial retirement by any means. My daughter is a USA and MA swimmer. He is an arrogant SOB who has been abusing kids on deck for years, but GA has been covering it up. Shame on GA for letting it go this long. I only pray for the swimmers and that they continue to get the help they need to move on.

John

9 years ago

Don’t worry Andrea. Every kid is a winner. All a child has to do is show up and the helicopter parent will take care of the rest. Heaven forbid a kid has to work hard and test their limits.

Andrea

9 years ago

The kids abused on this team, John, were the hardest working kids I’ve ever seen. They were abused by him. Nothing takes more precedence than the safety if our children!

Andrea

9 years ago

Schoulberg abused the kids plus hid other abuse that he knew was happening. Thankful GA finally fired him!

Robert

9 years ago

Reply to Andrea

Sounds like your kid was not a hard worker Andrea. I only pray for you and that you continue to get the help you need to move on Andrea. He is a great coach and will be missed. Thanks Schoulberg for your dedication.

Andrea Lougjlin

9 years ago

Reply to Andrea

These comments were just sent to me by three different people. My name is Andrea Loughlin and I wish this Andrea would include a last name. I have 4 children that have and are still swimming at GA and I do not comment to Swim World on what goes on at our school. I certainly do not want people to think this is me.

Tim

9 years ago

It’s a shame that nut jobs like Andrea get on these message boards and say things about people they no nothing about. I am sure the coaches at Penn state will be be happy next year when your daughter goes there to have swim mom’s like you !!! Yes Andrea everyone knows who you are, why didn’t you just put last name too. You win 2nd place for craziest wack job parent in the middle Atlantic. Everyone knows who is first

Mary

9 years ago

I agree Andrea! Obviously, Robert and Tim don’t know anything about what going on there. What happened at GA is a disgrace! Glad Schoulberg will be packing up soon!

Tim

9 years ago

Reply to Mary

hey mary why don’t you say your real full name. Everyone knows that there was 1 crazy crazy parent who is willing to make her kid #1 at any cost-to eliminate any competition for their kid, even if that meant destroying a program, coach or anything in her way. It’s unbelievable that there are nuts like this in the swim world and I wouldn’t doubt for one minute Mary that you might be the one. Some people just can’t live with the fact that their kid may not be as good as they think

Mary

9 years ago

Reply to Tim

wow Tim, you must be that #1 crazy swim mom in MA you spoke about earlier. You sound like the rest of the nuts at GA!

Tim

9 years ago

Reply to Tim

c’mon mary we all know who you are. The only nut at ga was you!!!

sam g.

9 years ago

Interesting how GA hid all of this and there are parents out there who have no idea, who do know both sides. Shame on you! What if that were your kid? So long, Schoulberg!

Mary

9 years ago

and we all know who you are Tim….take the blindfold off would ya?

Tim

9 years ago

Reply to Mary

mary we all know you and andrea have been back and forth all night on the phone trying how to comment on all the swim websites and make ga and shoulberg look bad. Why don’t you take your soapbox and go preach to people who will believe your bs stories. Everyone in the philly area knows everything you say is a lie.

John

9 years ago

Any article ever written about Shouldberg was always followed by many positive comments by his former swimmers. Any GA alumni I have ever spoke with only has praise about the GA coach. So I find it very hard to believe this whole story, I tend to believe the other 99% of his swimmers rather than the 1% . I also fault the parent. I have actually heard this parent say her son had chairs thrown at him at practice, and it wasn’t by Shouldberg, but another coach that has since left. She said this in kinda of a bragging way and when another parent said, you seem happy about this, she started to back pedal. If any coach threw a chair at my swimmer, I would pull them from the program no doubt.

Barry

9 years ago

I met coach s at nationals many yrs ago at first I did not like his philosophy or approach to swimming. But as I spent time with him I understood more what he was trying to do. I respect dick s