tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post834605471305739177..comments2023-12-18T14:09:27.498-08:00Comments on The Screaming Viking! Swim Show: Deena Deardurff Schmidt's Heartbreaking DepositionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-83535928872731803762014-11-19T12:18:16.014-08:002014-11-19T12:18:16.014-08:00Paul came to Waukesha, WI immediately after leavin...Paul came to Waukesha, WI immediately after leaving the Marlins. I was 14 at the time and he was grooming me to be another victim. From there he moved to the PAC (Philadelphia Aquatic Club) for a while until it was found out he was sexually involved with one of the swimmers. All these years I have been haunted by him and the unwillingness of the larger culture to put an end to the sexual abuse. Shameful that he has been allowed to continue all because he was a "good" coach.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-51102078060502912792013-11-20T21:29:27.093-08:002013-11-20T21:29:27.093-08:00Anonymous email me some time, flygt444@aim.comAnonymous email me some time, flygt444@aim.comc2db9ada-ee5f-11e2-b413-000bcdcb471ehttps://openid.aol.com/opaque/c2db9ada-ee5f-11e2-b413-000bcdcb471enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-7990718404205119152013-07-16T14:36:49.944-07:002013-07-16T14:36:49.944-07:00So what was the reasoning that Texas cut Bergen lo...So what was the reasoning that Texas cut Bergen loose, or is this another quiet swimming "club" secret............. Apparently he left there in short orderc2db9ada-ee5f-11e2-b413-000bcdcb471ehttps://openid.aol.com/opaque/c2db9ada-ee5f-11e2-b413-000bcdcb471enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-85110841752355293072013-05-02T22:32:35.416-07:002013-05-02T22:32:35.416-07:00You are absolutety right! He did a lot of mental a...You are absolutety right! He did a lot of mental abuse. But she has survived!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-79667084573957795422013-04-22T16:45:14.920-07:002013-04-22T16:45:14.920-07:00Paul Bergen was in Napa as head coach of Napa Vall...Paul Bergen was in Napa as head coach of Napa Valley Swim Team (NVST) and Bob Bowman was there with him for a short time as well training a very young Michael Phelps. Bergen was seemingly protected by swim parent coaches and when I complained about him, it fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the entire team broke up (then he left because all the $$$ was gone) in to 2 teams, Wine Valley Aquatics (the late Julian Schmidt formed group) and NVST was never the same since. He destroyed lives AND clubs.<br><br>Oh, and the NVST also paid for his stable of race horses to be taken care of and he was promised a handsome 6 figure salary on top of that to get him to come there as head coach. Although I have no proof, I am quite certain that he was abusing swimmers at that time as well but did not know many of the swimmers parents or the young kids.<br><br>We had tried (as president of Napa Valley Masters Swim Club) to get some pool time in the shallow end of the pool for a reasonable price...but he would not even talk to us. <br><br>What a pomp, arrogant ass he was... I knew there was something about him that just rubbed me the wrong way, now I know. The reason more young swimmers did not and still don't report this kind of thing is the possibility the coach will deny it and the parents support him instead of the swimmer. He should be in prison...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-10804103290940026652013-03-26T08:10:13.344-07:002013-03-26T08:10:13.344-07:00There is NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS for sexual abus...There is NO STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS for sexual abuse claims under USAS's COde of Conduct. See Article 306.4Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-25646834438998976912013-03-26T08:08:24.832-07:002013-03-26T08:08:24.832-07:00People! Wake up. If you have information about a...People! Wake up. If you have information about actual things he did, come forward. Report it to USAS and make sure this guy never tries to darken the doorway of pool again. It takes action to solve the problem not simply words.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-58123259257828059132012-08-28T04:14:54.920-07:002012-08-28T04:14:54.920-07:00I had a friend on that team.I had a friend on that team.flygt150https://openid.aol.com/opaque/92e65d30-f101-11e1-9458-000bcdcb2996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-92007661749886192672012-07-23T12:46:43.619-07:002012-07-23T12:46:43.619-07:00I swam for Bergen in Nashville in the 70s, and we ...I swam for Bergen in Nashville in the 70s, and we all knew he was sleeping with at least one female swimmer. He was an astounding creep who ruined lives,.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-55397181325634841252011-05-05T08:12:42.137-07:002011-05-05T08:12:42.137-07:00It makes me sick to read all the rationalizing fro...It makes me sick to read all the rationalizing from the sidelines. Bergen is a sexual abuser. This comes from the "other swimmer" mentioned in the deposition. Bergen had the job, then a phone call to Mission Bay about his inappropriate conduct with female swimmers was detailed , the club director investigated, talking to many sources...and then the offer was withdrawn. Bergen knew I had called and contacted me immediatley afterward and admitted to me that he "had a problem". And he was going to work with horses instead, which he did without much sucsess before returning to swimming. Again....people just don't want to believe..same thing that has gone on for 40 years. Bergen is a monster.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-4046643976094233812011-04-18T13:19:20.339-07:002011-04-18T13:19:20.339-07:00It seems like a standard of the top coaches in the...It seems like a standard of the top coaches in the sport to have such rumors chasing them around, or be married to women who were swimmers 10 years younger than them. <br>it is a well known rumor, for many years now, that Bergen was a pedophile. I have a good friend, who i trust, who swam for Bergen as a canadian national team member, in the 80's and i believe what he told me back in the 90's about Bergen... which leaves no doubt the man should be investigated. <br>I think most people simply don't know how to react to such accusations. It is ashamed this wasn't dealt with when she initially contacted authorities. The nations views on all this were very different in the 70's, 80's, 90's. <br>Just because she is a very good swimmer doesn't mean she isn't vindictive and mean hearted to the point of leveling false accusations to get even with someone she despises. Bergen was very tough(some would argue mean spirited). <br>It seems formal investigation is merited if for no other reason than to clear the name of the coach. <br>I have absolutely no doubts about Ivey. the fact that ASCA would continue to include him in their hall-of-fame demonstrates ASCA's real values are focused solely on success measure in gold.surfernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-26845715466355878542011-04-12T18:53:54.039-07:002011-04-12T18:53:54.039-07:00NAC did indeed add water polo under Paul Bergen an...NAC did indeed add water polo under Paul Bergen and did travel to Ohio for meets as well as water polo matches.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-86475211422269402732011-04-12T09:35:27.317-07:002011-04-12T09:35:27.317-07:00When Bergen left the Marlins he took over NAC, whi...When Bergen left the Marlins he took over NAC, which, if I remember correctly, didn't have waterpolo. Deardurff said she confronted him a few years after she left when he came back to town for a waterpolo competition but I don't think he ever coached waterpolo.<br><br>Also, knowing Eddie, if something like this was brought to his attention he would have done something about it. He cares so much more about his athletes as people than he does as swimmers and I have to believe he would do the same in this circumstance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-83757547476772833772011-04-12T07:57:20.939-07:002011-04-12T07:57:20.939-07:00"But the deposition fails to clearly state if..."But the deposition fails to clearly state if the conversations were in depth or in passing, where they occured (on a pool deck during a meet) and what precipitated them."<br>This is exactly the problem. It seems to be absurd to require a victim to have a in-depth conversation to convince one of these high profile national coaches to take action against one of their esteemed colleague. Revealation of sexual abuse are frequently made in vague terms at the beginning. If these coached truely have the swimmer's best interest in their mind, these vague references should be picked up and lead to action.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-45038661064442518752011-04-12T07:48:05.177-07:002011-04-12T07:48:05.177-07:00Wasn't Bergen still in Canada in 1988 since he...Wasn't Bergen still in Canada in 1988 since he had Higson get the 200BR world record in 1988???<br><br>Also, if Eddie knew this about Paul then why would his brother have him speak at that Clearwater Coaches Clinic 6 months ago???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-59938265786603812912011-04-12T07:17:59.116-07:002011-04-12T07:17:59.116-07:00Anon,I hear your critique. However, its fairly har...Anon,<br><br>I hear your critique. However, its fairly hard to expect her to remember exactly what was discussed in these conversations, almost all of which happened over 20 years ago. Now, you may accuse me of biased logic as I have railed against Chuck Wielgus for having little if any memory of anything related to the case in his deposition.<br><br>I understand that unfortunately we are stuck with he said/she said but I do think that the culture of swimming has made it extremely difficult for victims of sexual abuse so I feel some sympathy for Deardurff SchmidtChris DeSantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17270577509332831783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-24672074313215563432011-04-12T05:21:38.289-07:002011-04-12T05:21:38.289-07:00She said, he said arguments do not carry a lot of ...She said, he said arguments do not carry a lot of weight in a court of law. There should be a record at the DAs office showing the original "beyond statute of limitations" complaint. Supplying that documentation along with a written complaint to ANY of the people supposedly engaged in conversation would have ensured follow up. Abuse at the hands of an adult is heartbreaking. But I read the deposition and noted many instances where the answers were hazy regarding who was spoken to and what was said. Perhaps these coaches were approached, and if credible information had been passed along, they should have followed up...perhaps. But the deposition fails to clearly state if the conversations were in depth or in passing, where they occured (on a pool deck during a meet) and what precipitated them. I would also like to know where the meeting with the abusive coach took place for 2 hours.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4418255805011610396.post-60166085589754759482011-04-11T09:10:13.481-07:002011-04-11T09:10:13.481-07:00Wow. I guess we didn't have to wait a whole lo...Wow. I guess we didn't have to wait a whole lot longer for more direct implication, did we...coacherikhttp://www.heartlandaquatics.orgnoreply@blogger.com