Pursuing the Gold May Bring Him Back

It seems ironic that one of the more permanent contributions made by three-time Olympian and former U.S. national team star Terry Schroeder has nothing to do with water polo.

While he is a recognized figure to water polo fans in Eastern Europe, the greatest impression Schroeder has made on his home soil is that of the headless male athlete figure that graces the gateway of the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Schroeder described modeling for the nude statue as a side effect of an Olympic career that began in spirit at age 7 when he became entranced with the games on television.

Although he is proud of his athletic career, Schroeder insists he has kept the Olympic hoopla in perspective. He compares it to preparing for a wedding--lots of preparation for a relatively short event.

Yet, the 1980 Olympic boycott made him feel “cheated.”

“It really hurt the Olympic movement,” he said. “I don’t think they’ve fully recovered from that. . . . The boycott, I think, started a real negative trend toward amateur sports.”

His wife, Lori, is more blunt.

“I think I felt more upset,” she said. “You know how he really wanted it.”

But their home in Agoura Hills seems more a monument to their wedding than Schroeder’s sports career. Albums, photos and memorabilia grace every corner--except one. There, an Olympic flag signed by former teammates is fastidiously folded in a box on a shelf and placed near a gaudy gold-plated loving cup from a charity appearance on the Family Feud television game show. A picture of Nancy and Ronald Reagan (another wedding gift) is close by.

And what of the Olympic medals, the silver that the U.S. national team earned during the 1984 games in Los Angeles and the other silver from 1988 games in Seoul?

Oh, they’re in the garage.

The glory of the Olympic Games, Schroeder said, is getting there.

“There’s something special about the Olympics,” he said. “It means being the best in the world. Not too many people can do that.”

Schroeder played “hole man,” the quarterback of the pool who calls the shots. And few in the history of the U.S. game have played the position for as long and as well.

He played it so well, in fact, that the U.S. coaches are hoping he might return for another Olympics.

“I haven’t really ruled it out yet,” he said. “I haven’t made any decision on it.” Schroeder believes the team has enough talent to be medalists again, and he hasn’t ruled out a comeback. But at 31, he’s interested in starting a family and continuing the successful chiropractic career he has built with his wife.

He’s not sure what would persuade him to go back. He knows he’s “done everything but win the gold medal.”

“Maybe that’s it.”