{"id":130992,"date":"2015-04-16T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=130992"},"modified":"2015-04-17T13:11:38","modified_gmt":"2015-04-17T20:11:38","slug":"an-open-letter-to-the-western-kentucky-university-swim-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/an-open-letter-to-the-western-kentucky-university-swim-team\/","title":{"rendered":"An Open Letter to the Western Kentucky University Swim Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Western Kentucky University swimmers past and present,<\/p>\n

What are you thinking right now? Are you upset? Angry? Despondent? In Denial?<\/p>\n

The swimming world knows your news<\/a>. All of America knows your news.<\/p>\n

A five-year\u00a0team suspension and the loss of jobs for your coaches (who knew what was happening and what did you do to stop it?) because a former swimmer came forward with charges of hazing, sexual assault, and drug use by your team. How long has all of this been going on, and how much longer would it go on if someone didn\u2019t come forward and report it?<\/p>\n

Is this the way you want to be remembered? Do you want people to see swimming on your resume and ask if you hazed anyone, if you forced drugs or alcohol upon your underage teammates? Do you want to walk around in your WKU swim team shirt and have people wonder if you were on the team’s \u201cpicture board\u201d that had pictures of intoxicated students in the nude or partially nude, some written upon with racial slurs?<\/p>\n

Some people think the five-year sentence is overreacting and some people think it is exactly what is needed.<\/p>\n

Whether you did what you were blamed of or not, whether the sentence is correct or not, I can\u2019t understand how you all could do this to one another.<\/p>\n

A team is a lifeline. A team is a unit, strong and focused, fighting to achieve one goal. You get in the pool with these people each morning and you sweat with them each afternoon. Your teammates are the ones who share your hopes and dreams, who know your fears and failures. They are supposed to cheer for you and protect you and pick you up when you fall down. Teammates are your strongest family members because you live with them and grow with them, and I don\u2019t see how you could fail one another in such a way.<\/p>\n

I want to know if you regret any of what happened and if you ever thought it was wrong. Did your team not ever matter to you? Did you not ever protect each other or worry about each other or love each other?<\/p>\n

If my team was not by my side, believing in me and pushing me each day, I never would have made it as far as I did in the pool or in life. My teammates are my best friends, my future bridesmaids, my study partners and my go-to counselors. We argue and we don\u2019t always get along, but my teammates are not there to drag me down or make me uncomfortable. They are there to save me and to push me to succeed.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m disappointed for all of you. I\u2019m disappointed that you lost your team and your chance to swim. I\u2019m disappointed that high school juniors and seniors who planned on becoming Hilltoppers are now having to rethink their college choice and their plans.<\/p>\n

But more importantly, I\u2019m disappointed in<\/em> all of you. I\u2019m disappointed that you couldn\u2019t support and care for each other. I\u2019m disappointed that you chose partying and crude jokes over taking care of one another. I\u2019m disappointed that the world had to learn of your acts because none of you stood up to the situation and said it was wrong. None of you said no or protected your team or changed what was happening.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry that you have lost your chance to dive into the water each day and race with others who share your goals. But I hope you learn from it. I hope you see your actions and you understand their\u00a0cost. And to all swimmers: I hope you don\u2019t forget this and I hope you never let it happen again, because team needs to come first. Protect the family.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

A Disheartened Swimmer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Watch emotional video interview with Claire Donahue<\/a> talking about impact and questioning why the women’s team is being punished. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: Abby Boone is the author of this open letter.\u00a0 She is a Swimming World college intern. The Swimming World staff agreed to publish this open letter to present the point of view of a college swimmer who has experienced the benefits of being on a college swim team and the responsibility that comes with it. The author\u2019s opinion is not necessarily the opinion of Swimming World Magazine.<\/em>\u00a0Read a letter from the WKU President and Athletic Director here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Western Kentucky University swimmers past and present, What are you thinking right now? Are you upset? Angry? Despondent? In Denial? The swimming world knows your news. 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