|
|
|
|
|
|
Counsilman Center at IU to study science of swimming
Nov. 7, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A research center to study swimming is being created at
the Indiana University School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER)
to honor legendary IU swim coach James "Doc" Counsilman.
"There are several goals for the Counsilman Center for the Science of
Swimming, which will house Doc's personal archives and reflect his enthusiasm
and vision," explained Joel Stager, a HPER faculty member in the Department of
Kinesiology and director of the IU Human Performance Laboratory.
"As an independent research center, we want to study new training techniques
and technology in swimming," Stager said. "We also want to describe the benefits
of swimming in terms of health and wellness, assess competitive and recreational
athletes, and disseminate information to an international audience of coaches,
swimmers and researchers."
Last year, a project by Stager through the center analyzed the effect of
full-length body suits used by Olympic swimmers at the summer games in
Australia.
"We want to fill the void on the science of swimming," Stager said, "by
becoming a center to study the science and coaching involved in swimming. We
want to help coaches learn how to better train athletes, not just swimmers."
Counsilman, who resides in Bloomington, was the swim coach at IU from 1957
until he retired in 1991. His teams won 20 consecutive Big Ten Championships
(1961-81) and 140 consecutive dual meets (1966-79). He coached the U.S. Olympic
Team in 1964 and 1976. He was National Swimming Coach of the Year twice and is a
member of the International Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame.
Counsilman's academic credentials include authoring four books and more than
100 articles on swimming and coaching. He taught at HPER for more than 30 years
in the fields of sport physiology, sport psychology and human biomechanics.
The archives donated to the center by Counsilman are an extensive collection
on swimming history and coaching. "Doc was meticulous about keeping statistics
and recording his daily training thoughts, and the material we have in this area
covers nearly 50 years of the sport. His swimming history books cover 100
years," Stager said. This information is of interest to swim coaches and
researchers who want details on the evolution of the sport and Counsilman's
training techniques, he explained.
Current funding for the center is from a USA Swimming grant. Stager hopes
this can be expanded through assistance from the IU Foundation and through
future fund-raising efforts. "As more individuals and corporations interested in
swimming become aware of this research facility and our plans for the future, we
hope to increase our financial support," he said.
Stager and Dave Tanner, coordinator of athletic assessment at HPER, are the
key backers of the research center. Both are avid swimmers who compete in age
group events. Stager also is editor of the Journal of Swimming Research.
Tanner, who swam for Counsilman at IU, is a national champion in masters
swimming. Both Stager and Tanner also coach area high school swim teams.
For more details on the Counsilman Center, contact Stager at 812-855-1637,
stagerj@indiana.edu or go to the
center's Web site at
http://www.indiana.edu/~hplab/ccss.html.
(Richard Doty, 812-855-0084, rgdoty@indiana.edu)