By ISHOF President Sam Freas

One of the most controversial topics brought up at the May 2000 International Swimming Hall of Fame congress and board meetings was the honoring of Masters athletes in the Hall of Fame.

It is important to understand the history of this topic. About seven years ago the idea of honoring masters was introduced to the board of directors as a reflection of FINA's desire to recognize Masters and as a response to the changing environment of the aquatic world. People are swimming longer in their careers and in the case of many Masters swimmers, a lifetime. After careful deliberation and consideration, the board decided to charge the Selection Committee to jointly develop, with a board sub-committee, criteria for such selection. The criteria were established and the Hall of Fame began inducting Masters athletes. Subsequently, the Selection Committee and some Hall of Famers have questioned the acumen of the Hall of Fame in regard to this decision.

Chairman of the Selection Committee, Dr. Ron O'Brien presented to the board of directors the majority view of the Selection Committee, which he stated is to no longer induct Masters, and asked the board to reconsider their position. The board unanimously reconfirmed its previous decision that the International Swimming Hall of Fame will continue to honor Masters while the entire selection process is under review in all categories.

I have always felt that Masters athletes who have distinguished themselves on a world scale over a sustained period of time are deserving of Hall of Fame induction. Each discipline within the Masters community is well represented on the board of directors and these board members have reminded the Selection Committee of the importance of considering all the sports in which Masters participate. A very valid argument has been discussed in the finite numbers of Masters water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming compared to the much larger population of Masters swimmers. The discussion becomes magnified when Masters of any discipline are compared to Olympic and world champions. Can anything compare to Mark Spitz' seven medals or Greg Louganis' dominance in the sport of diving? The answer is obvious, no. But yet, a Masters swimmer, who in the year 2000, swims faster at the age of 56 than his or her counterpart did years earlier, winning gold at the 1964 Olympic Games at a much younger age also represents a significant accomplishment worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. The difference is that an Olympic champion only has to do it once; a Masters swimmer has to sustain excellence and dominance over a long period of time to be considered for induction. Equating the two is as difficult as comparing the honors bestowed upon a Hall of Fame contributor like Buck Dawson to Hall of Fame diver Dr. Sammy Lee.

There are also those who think that because the swimming community comprises a larger pool of Hall of Fame candidates than synchronized swimming, diving and water polo combined, the inductees should be reflective of this population relationship. This view is difficult to agree with considering the philosophy of the International Hall of Fame.

One major topic being discussed in the review of the selection process is the number of honorees each year and whether or not they should be selected on the basis of their worthiness in a category or whether all nominees should be competing for a said number of slots regardless of the category for which they belong. As this is currently under review I would appreciate any input you may have in this regard. Please feel free to contact me in writing to give me your input. My email address is Freas777@aol.com.

Another real concern of ISHOF that possibly overrides this issue is the development of resources to continue to honor those exceptional people, regardless of their category. In my opinion, no hall of fame, except possibly the big four (football, basketball, baseball and hockey), has been able to significantly elevate and popularize to fans any Hall of Famer's amazing accomplishments. Not only do we all have the charge of doing this by developing a better selection method that is fair to everyone, we have the charge of improving the way we honor the world's great aquatic athletes and the way we deliver this information to the world. It's not just an issue of whom we honor but an overall issue of how to have the world appreciate and pay tribute to these tremendous athletes. Please help your International Swimming Hall of Fame by accepting these charges.