Bowman's Hi-Performance Base?
2008-04-18
Craig Lord
USA Swimming has for a while been looking to set up a second high-performance centre. Take the high esteem in which Bowman and the Baltimore set-up are held by USA Swimming and head coach Mark Schubert you have an obvious choice

It would be no surprise to see Michael Phelps follow Bob Bowman back to Baltimore when his Beijing campaign is over after his coach announced this week that he would be leaving the University of Michigan to 'return to club coaching' and for 'business reasons' - and not only because of the tremendous partnership the two have enjoyed.

There are some amazing new developments about to take place in Baltimore if SwimNews's information turns out to be correct. USA Swimming has for a while been looking to set up a second high-performance centre to compliment the Charlotte set up being run by coach David Marsh, whose remuneration is said to run at over the quarter million dollar mark.

Take the high esteem in which Bowman and the Baltimore set-up are held by USA Swimming and Head USA coach Mark Schubert and what have you got? An obvious choice. The money makes sense too.

Pure speculation at this point, of course, but it would make a lot of sense. If that is the opportunity now on offer to Bowman, he will doubtless also be happy to leave behind the frustrations of NCAA rules and college swimming.

NCAA has long been and continues to be a birthing pool of champions bred to be tough and take hard swimming in their stride. It also prevents swimmers earning money and dictates that some have to race at peak or close to it at moments that do not best suit the international race calendar. Coaches in college programmes must balance the needs of the college and the budget that flows from results with international duties and ambitions.

Were a new centre to be based in Baltimore, Bowman would be working with seniors free to bend and stretch in the directions the coach feels best for an elite international programme.

The official announcement said that Bowman would be leaving Michigan to take up a post of chief executive officer responsibilities at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.

He was quoted widely as saying what Swimming World reported: 'This is a professional business opportunity that I felt I needed to pursue. It has been a privilege and honor for me to coach at the University of Michigan, and my four years here have been extremely meaningful. I have enjoyed working with the student-athletes and representing the University, and I plan to continue a close relationship with U-M for a long time to come.'

Well might he if he were running a high-performance centre for USA Swimming.