In the Feb. 24 issue, The Collegian printed an article about the swim team's performance at the Atlantic 10 Championship. It quotes: "'Richmond is in the process of rebuilding its diving team,' [Matt]Barany said. The most recent coach, Diane Maiese, left for unspecified reasons ... " Seeing this brought tears to my eyes.
During the winter break, the middle of the season, Barany fired the dive coach. The official reasons for her termination were something along the lines of not being able to coach and recruit (before being at the University of Richmond she won coach of the year five times at LaSalle University), changing the direction of the program and, my favorite reason, the performance of current athletes (this year I was the only diver.).
For months I have been blaming myself for my coach being fired. I know nothing I could have done would have changed things. She took me under her wing, and I went from being afraid to jump in the water to a diver in less than a year.
Anyone who follows sports knows that coaches are only let go during the middle of the season for misconduct, which is not a reason why she is no longer the dive coach. He simply didn't like my coach and wanted to get rid of her ASAP. He threw her out like spare change.
She did not leave for "unspecified reasons." She would never quit, or let me quit, the sport we love.
I don't know what the swimmers were told about why diving suddenly disappeared during the middle of the season, but I do know that they weren't told the truth. For months it has been stab after stab to me and my coach how this situation played out.
I don't think anyone quite understands the pain I feel. I'm still sad, angry, disappointed, bitter, even somewhat happy.
I just hope that from this, someone, somewhere will listen and make sure a situation like this never happens here again.
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