Ouster of Malibu Seawolves’ head coach upsets many swimmers and parents
The replacement of the head coach of the Malibu Seawolves is causing a clash among parents whose children participate in the youth swim program.
Some parents who were caught off guard by the coaching change contacted The Malibu Times to voice their opposition to the termination of Erik Ran.
Parents who reached out to TMT say they were abruptly informed on June 2 that Ran was no longer heading the team.
In support of their coach, a group of swimmers and their parents showed up at the Malibu Community Pool at Malibu High School in protest. Signs were brandished supporting Ran and calling for increased transparency from Malibu Aquatics Foundation (MAF) board members who made the decision to replace Ran with a new coach from UCLA. Some parents have gone as far as pulling their children from the Seawolves summer program and are considering other options.
TMT reached out to the MAF board to clarify what occurred. The board responded by email and requested that its four members not be identified.
Here are some of the questions posed:
Q: Was Erik Ran let go, fired? What happened? If this is the case why was he terminated? Is that public information?
A: There is some misinformation being circulated, and the board would like to make it clear that our intentions have always been to benefit all the swimmers of the club. Erik Ran was brought on as an assistant coach in 2018 and filled that position nicely. When the former head coach was no longer able to continue managing the team, Erik was promoted to head coach. Over the past three years, our club has encountered challenges which led us to seek a head coach who can fulfill all the duties listed in our head coach job description. We have carefully considered our options and have made the decision that will best benefit the club as a whole. We have a talented and inspirational coach lined up and we look forward to all that he can bring to the club.
Q: How were parents and participants informed?
A: The MAF board sent the team an email about the head coach change.
Q: What are their ages of Seawolves swimmers and how many participants?
A: Age range is from 5-18. Participation fluctuates by season ranging from 45-75 swimmers on average.
Q: Is Ran still the coach of Masters and other groups using the community pool at MHS?
A: He currently coaches a morning Masters group that is not part of the MAF.
Q: What is the response the Malibu Aquatics Foundation has received from parents?
A: We have had mixed responses. Some welcomed the change and others did not.
Some of the parents who spoke with TMT called Ran a “fantastic” coach who cared about the mental health of the young swimmers in what can be a grueling and punishing sport. They said they want more transparency from the board and have called for its restructuring.
Parent Valerie Burke had a more measured response to the changes even though she did acknowledge, “tempers are flaring.”
“I think it’s important to put it into context,” she continued. “After [the Woolsey Fire], the team was nearly bankrupt because the pool closed, enrollment went way down. The person running it had to walk away. Rather than let the team fold, a group of parents put MAF together and made a nonprofit to keep it going. These parents put in a lot of time. Nobody wanted to do it.”
Burke surmised Ran was a great coach for the younger swimmers, but wasn’t able to manage as well.
“It’s complicated to manage a youth sports program,” she said. “I don’t think it’s anything personal against Erik. The little kids love him, and obviously these parents love him, but once a swimmer gets to a certain age, they want to compete and be successful. It’s unfortunate it’s come to this.”
Burke said the board is made up of volunteers “making the best decisions they can make for the good of the team.”
The new coach is Alex Reisfield, who started June 19. For the past seven years, Reisfield has been coaching at UCLA Bruin Masters and for various club and high school teams, including Trident Swim Foundation, whose mission in Los Angeles is to provide aquatics and academic support to communities who would not otherwise have access.