The U.S. Olympic women's team trained there, and it did terrific in Sydney, winning a silver medal. Rich Foster was vindicated, and those in United States Water Polo showed their appreciation in January by once again electing him president, as Foster, ironically, easily beat the fellow who had replaced him four years earlier. I was very hurt back in 1996 when I lost because I thought I was doing the right thing for water polo. He was, of course. Every person has a hobby, a pursuit, some sort of sidelight that he engages in when he or she is away from the 9 to 5 weekday work drudgery.
Some people golf, or fish or throw darts or play shuffleboard or even bowl.
Others jump out of airplanes. And still others savor listening to country music in their garages while tuning up broken down dirt bikes. But Rich Foster, he spends his life promoting water sports in the Long Beach area. His Shore Aquatics club annually fields powerful national water polo teams and his quest to bring the FINA World Aquatics Championships to Long Beach has become a fervent mission. We have a great plan in place.