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STEPHEN GOUGH, former U.S. National Short Track Coach Ohno Zone Interview, April 2003 | PART 4: RESIGNATION & THE FUTURE
OZ: Can you explain how your sudden resignation came about last week? SG: Well, essentially it was on a staff conference call. In discussing some things it became clear that, given the circumstances, this was the best option. I certainly wasn't expecting anything like this, but again - given the circumstances, it seemed like this move was in the best interests of everybody. OZ: You said 'given the circumstances.' What circumstances were those? SG: I'm not really sure of the specifics. My feeling is that you're talking about a philosophical difference in how things should be done, or [how] they want the programs to be run, what direction they should be going in. I felt that I had a plan in place and we were working towards executing that plan. Like I said, it became clear that there were, in my mind, some philosophical differences over what was being done. OZ: Were you aware of any negative criticism of your coaching? SG: Well, [I was] to a certain point. If you're a coach, you've got to learn to be pretty thick-skinned. You're just not going to [be able] to please everybody all the time. Not everyone is going to be happy all the time. So you have to learn to deal with it and… accept it. You ask yourself, 'Is it valid criticism? Is it something I do need to be doing better or not?' But to be honest, I really wasn't aware of too, too much. There were a few little things I heard here and there, but from… the skaters here [in Colorado Springs], between [Assistant Coach] Tony [Goskowicz] and I, we had a pretty good read [on what was going on]. If there were any problems, certainly Tony was always there to point me in the right direction. I certainly wasn't aware of anything I felt was that serious. Stephen, Andy Gabel, and Apolo in Salt Lake 
OZ: Do you think that negative criticism played a role in bringing about this situation? SG: I guess it probably did. I really don't know if the skaters were consulted on how they felt things were [going] or not. I really don't know. I get the feeling maybe some were [and others] weren't, and that the ones that were [consulted] were maybe asked without a full understanding of all the consequences of what was happening. One of the problems I see is that there is no real formal procedure in place to review a coach, to review someone's performance, and on the flip side, [no] formal procedure for the athletes to provide feedback. One of the things I saw that I thought would have been good, with my knowledge of the past history [of coaching problems in USS], was a document I got from the U.S. Olympic Committee. We get so much [support] from them. For me, as a coach, they were a great resource with seminars and that sort of thing. Anyway, one thing that I got was a document called a Coaching Effectiveness Tool. It was a questionnaire to evaluate a coach. The way it was set up was that the athletes would fill it out, I would fill it out on myself - it's important to self-evaluate - and someone [from USS] would fill it out as well. At [a USS] staff meeting in September [of 2002] I had a copy of [the Coaching Effectiveness Tool and I said], 'I think we really need this. I know I'm not perfect. It's my first year on the job as the head coach and I would certainly love to get feedback in a constructive way.' What [this tool] does is it puts a process in place. [Because] when there's no process in place… you've got no protections. I think it also helps you understand what you need to do a better job. I also think it helps the athletes, because they all have their chance [to provide feedback]. If they don't fill it out then it's their own fault. Otherwise it's their chance to provide feedback, it's objective, it [puts them on an] equal [footing]. They all have the chance to answer the same questions and they all have a voice. … I thought the [Coaching Effectiveness Tool] would help regulate things, but I don't have the impression that it was used or anything. OZ: After you advocated using the Coaching Effectiveness Tool, what happened? It sounds like it wasn't implemented? SG: A lot of times you get these documents from the Olympic Committee, and they're very boilerplate. So most of the time, the national governing bodies [like USS] would either use it as a model to come up with their own document, or take the Olympic Committee [version] and just tinker with it a little bit. My understanding was that was what was happening with it. I understood that to mean, 'Okay, this is something we'll look at and modify to reflect the uniqueness of speedskating.' I don't know. Maybe it will be in place next year, who knows. OZ: Did you have any specific discussions about your performance as a coach? SG: I think [being] in this [position], I felt pretty open and self-critical when it comes to my own performance. So I think on a daily basis, you're always analyzing what you're doing, making sure you're on the right track.... And I certainly was not shy when I was talking to the other coaches or my superiors about how things were going, how things were going with me personally, what needed to be done better, that sort of thing. Was there ever a situation where we sat down [and they told me], 'Okay, we have received these [complaints] or we've noticed this [problem] concerning your performance and we'd like to talk to you about them'? There was never anything like that. OZ: Did you have any idea that things would reach a point where you would resign? SG: No, I guess not. I guess not. Sometimes things move fast… In hindsight, I'm starting to understand a little bit more. Pieces of the puzzle are starting to fit in a little bit. I guess … I felt like with one year, I would have a chance to get established. [The first year] is kind of an entry-level year, to see where we were at and what needed to be done. I was pretty open about the situation and how I thought everything was going. Not only with the skaters, but with the program, with me personally as a coach and how that was working out… I think I had a very objective opinion on what my strengths and weaknesses were… I certainly didn't expect [to resign]. Sure, [it wasn't] perfect. There were problems. It's reality, I'm not living in some kind of dream here. But like I said, I didn't really think I'd reach a point where I'd end up agreeing to resign. I guess I should have been spending less time on skates, and more time on Machiavelli or something. Who knows. Stephen and Tony Goskowicz in Bay City  Image courtesy Lisa A. >> Continue to page 5 >> Ohno Zone Home // Interview: page 1 | page 2 | page 3 | page 4 | page 5 |
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