It's a challenge that Terry Schroeder characterizes as "daunting."

The program, which hasn't placed a team on the medal stand at any Summer Olympics since 1988, is admitedly "shaky." The players, he concedes, are "bruised and battered" as they seek forward progress.

So why is the newly selected head coach of the U.S. National Men's Water Polo Team smiling as he sits behind his desk at his chiropractice office in Westlake Village?

That's Schroeder just being Schroeder, where equal parts preparation, hard work and optimism lead to results.

Sometimes, unexpected results.

The sign displayed prominently over the door inside his business office, the sign that all his patients pass under on their way to see Dr. Terry, may say it all:

"Expect a miracle."

The message, of course, is intended for his clients as they battle various pains and ailments. But it neatly applies to a USA men's water polo program seeking to regain its stature among the world's elite.

"I'm an optimist and I want all our players to think that way," he says. "If we don't believe in what we can do, then I think we're all in trouble. These are tough and chaotic times for our team and players. Everybody is a little shaken by what has gone on.

"But do I think we can regain our place as a medal winner at the Olympic Games? Absolutely. I wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't believe that."

As the player who helped usher in a golden age for American water polo, Schroeder may well be the visible face of USA men's water polo. He's undoubtedly the body, too.

The Pepperdine graduate and coach, after all, is the model for the bronze Olympic torso that stands in front of the Los Angeles Coliseum and was unveiled prior to the opening of the 1984 Summer Games.

As a player, he led the U.S. team to silver medals in Los Angeles in 1984, and Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. He carried the American flag at the closing ceremonies in Seoul and ultimately competed in four Olympics.

In 1998, he was inducted in the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame.

Now, in a virtual whirlwind set of events, he's the head coach.

Schroeder, in taking a leave of absence from his duties as Pepperdine's head men's water polo coach, served as an assistant coach for the past year under Ricardo Azevedo.

When USA Water Polo's governing officers opted to replace Azevedo earlier this month, they turned to Schroeder to take the reins.

Christopher Ramsey, Chief Executive Officer of USA Water Polo, indicated Schroeder was a clear-cut selection.

"He not only is a renowned player and coach, he is also a man of character, intelligence and integrity, which we believe are defining elements in a successful Olympic program," said Ramsey.

For Schroeder, Team USA is virtually an emotional commitment. He couldn't refuse.

"It hurts me that we haven't won a medal at the Olympics in a very long time," he said. "I feel a loyalty to our players, who I know want to win so badly. If I can help them to get back on top, then I want to do that."

Schroeder, 47, concedes his long-term goals included the job as Team USA's head coach. But he never expected to be offered the post a scant year before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"It's very surprising to me, considering the timing and where we are in our preparation leading up to the 2008 Games," he said. "I was thinking about being the head coach 8 or 10 or 12 years down the line.

"Now it's happened this way. I know we've got a lot of work to do in a very short time. I know we need the whole water polo community to pull together."

There will be no easing into the job. Schroeder knows the challenge: Win, and win now.

Team USA is in the midst of its preparations for the Pan Am Games in Brazil, July 13-29.

For the Americans, it's close to a do-or-die scenario as they contemplate a berth in the Beijing Games.

"We have to win the Pan Am Games to qualify for the Olympics," he said.

If the Americans fail to finish first in Brazil, their last chance to earn an Olympics berth would be later in the year in a European event.

Schroeder, who coached Pepperdine to a national championship in 1997, realizes it's an uphill trek. Team USA hasn't made it to an Olympics' medal stand since 1988.

In the past several years, the Americans have hovered anywhere from ninth to 11th in the world rankings.

Shroeder, with characterisic optimism, likes his team's chances.

"Our players are very hungry to win," he said. "They've been through a lot in the past few years. They've had different coaches and different approaches. They're bruised and battered from everything that has happened.

"But, sometimes, change can be good. It can be a fresh start. Our players are looking for an opportunity to succeed. My job is to provide that for them."

Schroeder, who lives in Westlake Village with his wife Lori, has been the head coach at Pepperdine since 1986, the same year he opened his chiropractic office in the Conejo Valley.

He concedes that the transition from player to coach was a challenge.

"It was difficult," he said. "As a player, you're used to the adrenaline flowing and the emotions building as you play the game. It's not the same for a coach. You come to recognize that there's very little you can do what the game start.

"The coach's job is preparation. Once the game start, it's very much up to the players."

Through the years, Schroeder has come to appreciate a coach's impact. Not just in final scores, either.

"As players take in the experiences, they are learning life's lessons," he said. "There's no better feeling as a coach than to see the young men you have worked with go on to be successful in life. That truly is what sports and coaching are all about."

For Schroeder, the next task is to get his team to Beijing.

The Americans are engaged in full-scale workouts, with a five-day-a-week practice schedule. Two days a week, the U.S. National Team practices at the pool at Oaks Christian School.

Schroeder recalls the thrill of back-to-back silver medals in the Olympic Games.

"The first feeling when it's over is disappointment," he said. "We came so close to winning the gold medal, losing to Yugoslavia each time. We felt we should have won the gold both times.

"But as time goes on, there's nothing in sports that I treasure more than those silver medals. The greatest feeling is that it is something you accomplished with a team. All the hard work, all the practices, everything came together for a accomplishment I will never forget."

Now Schroeder wants to guarantee a memory for a new generation of national team players.