{"product_id":"underwater-the-greed-soaked-tale-of-sexual-abuse-in-usa-swimming-and-around-the-globe-9781770417755","title":"Underwater: The Greed-Soaked Tale of Sexual Abuse in USA Swimming and Around the Globe","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Horrifying stuff that we desperately need to know.\" -- Scott Ostler, sports columnist, \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eBacked by hundreds of interviews and thousands of pages of USA Swimming files subpoenaed by the FBI, Irvin Muchnick uncovers a generation of cover-ups involving some of the sport's biggest names\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe hundreds of millions who watch the thrilling spectacle of the Olympics are unaware of the extent to which their entertainment is undergirded by the systematic abuse by coaches of the underage athletes they develop. Many flag-waving fans gained some sense of the problem from the USA Gymnastics scandals, but for generations, the crimes in swimming have caused a much wider tsunami of pain and trauma around the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBacked by thousands of pages of FBI files and the author's independent investigations, \u003ci\u003eUnderwater \u003c\/i\u003eis the first comprehensive account of this ongoing and unacceptable phenomenon. Irvin Muchnick, a well-known chronicler of the dark side of sports, pulls together shocking stories involving some of the most iconic coaches in swimming history and some of the sport's most celebrated programs -- including Michael Phelps's. The book lays the blame not just at the feet of individual villains but also at a system that casually commodifies and sexualizes the vulnerable and non-consenting, prioritizing the pursuit of athletic scholarships, Olympic medals, glory, and riches. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnderwater \u003c\/i\u003earrives just as a congressional commission has called for the first fundamental changes in the U.S. youth sports system in half a century. In the author's estimation, this reform is the only real way to protect kids from the predation of the money-first stewards of professionalized sports.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIrvin Muchnick\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eWrestling Babylon\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChris \u0026amp; Nancy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e Concussion Inc.\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eWithout Helmets or Shoulder Pads: The American Way of Death in Football Conditioning\u003c\/i\u003e. He has written articles for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSalon\u003c\/i\u003e, the\u003ci\u003e Washington Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePeople\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSpy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e, and other major outlets, as well as for Ireland's Broadsheet and \u003ci\u003eVillage \u003c\/i\u003emagazine and San Francisco's \u003ci\u003eBeyond Chron\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Berkeley, CA.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ECW Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50895414886674,"sku":"9781770417755","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0dc7b74d-d631-41f9-856b-d0a4d6b19b29.jpg?v=1738271780","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/underwater-the-greed-soaked-tale-of-sexual-abuse-in-usa-swimming-and-around-the-globe-9781770417755","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}