River Road Swim Club (RRSC) has been coached by beloved Coach Bill Kuzmer for the past 43 years. He has coached generations of north Eugene-area swimmers and water polo players.  To many of us, River Road Park was our second home and Bill was like a second father. 

This petition seeks to (1) demonstrate how many of us love and support Bill now, the same way he loved and supported us then and (2) to urge the River Road Park District Board of Directors (boardofdirectors@rrpark.org) and the current Superintendent (Bob Houston) to re-consider its decision to not renew Bill's employment contract.  

The decision not to renew Bill's contract was communicated to Bill by the superintendent in a very unprofessional manner.  Telling a person who loyally and selflessly served the River Road Park community for decades “I’m not renewing your contract, I don’t have to give you a reason. Go coach your last practice and turn in your keys” was callous and uncalled for. If the Board and superintendent decided to move the swim team in a different direction, then there was a way to professionally and compassionately communicate this information to the coach and that was simply not done here. Wrong is wrong. 

The decision to not renew Bill’s contract and essentially slowly terminate what was the River Road Swim Club (RRSC) was short-sighted.  What may have seemed like an easy financial decision at the time—get rid of the small-time community-based team by forcing out its coach, rent the freed-up pool space to a “super team” such as TEAM, who charges $300/month per athlete in dues, will generate more revenue than little ole RRSC ever has—will have enormous negative long-term consequences.  What this decision ignores is that River Road Park has always and will always be about more than a bottom line. This is a community-based park district. A park district that has survived and succeeded because it supports its community members first and foremost.  The RRSC is the epitome of what makes River Road Park, River Road Park.  It provides a place for ALL local kids to swim, learn, grow, make friends, compete, succeed and even fail, while feeling safe and supported. If RRSC ceases to exist and is replaced by a super-team, the majority of this community will be priced-out from participating in the swim program. If that is the direction River Road Park is choosing to move, then it might as well save us all the heartache and agree to be taken over by the City of Eugene because it truly will no longer be able to meet the community’s needs.  This type of money-driven decision may make sense on a spreadsheet, but any cost savings generated will be grossly outweighed by the negative impact that decision will have on the Park’s reputation in the current community and the thousands-strong RRSC alumni community.  

The Board consists of members of the community who would not be on the Board if they did not care a great deal about the community in which they live and serve. We are urging you all to please revisit this decision. This is a decision that hurts the community, past and present. Organizational trust is hard to measure, but yours was tainted in one decision that was mishandled.  The future of a successful River Road Park must incorporate and build upon the positive elements of the past, such as the River Road Park Swim Club and Coach Bill Kuzmer.  

Everyone of us who signs this petition is doing so because we care about Bill Kuzmer and we care about RRSC.  Thank you for your time and consideration.