VISION STATEMENT

The Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming

Background and History: During his coaching career, Doc Counsilman lived and breathed swimming.  It was on his mind virtually every day, from the moment he woke until late in the evening, and sometimes all night. Many aspects of swimming puzzled him, fueling an insatiable curiosity about the sport. His constant musings led to many of his coaching innovations. Throughout his career as coach and professor, Doc stressed the importance of studying the scientific basis of human movement. He taught his swimmers much of what he knew, and some of what he only guessed was true. The intellectual atmosphere he created in the pool was instrumental in attracting outstanding student-athletes to Indiana University, leading to unparalleled success in swimming.

As a tribute to Doc’s curiosity, and as a means of continuing his contributions to the science of swimming, the Counsilman Center seeks to:

1)      Establish fellowships in Doc’s name to support students who wish to study the science of coaching. Indiana University offers one, two, and three-year graduate degrees in Human Performance and Applied Sport Science.

2)      Continue Doc’s pursuit of coaching innovations by exploring the use of new video and electronic technology to assess the performance of competitive swimmers during training and competition.

3)      Serve as a resource for coaches, swimmers, and scholars seeking information on the history of swimming, training techniques, and competition. Doc has donated his extensive personal archives to establish the cornerstone of the Counsilman Library, from which we will build a unique collection of swimming knowledge.

4)      Provide a source for unaffiliated independent opinions and perspectives on training techniques and swimming-related equipment. By remaining independent from restrictive corporate support, we hope to provide the swimming community with information obtained solely from objective testing and scientific measurements.

5)      Act as a modern testing facility for the physiologic, psychologic, and biomechanical status of athletes to provide state of the art scientific assessment for athletes of all ages and abilities. Bloomington is an ideal low-altitude testing site, centrally located, with outstanding aquatic facilities. Royer Pool, Doc’s lab for over 30 years, is adjacent to the Indiana University Human Performance Lab, making the Counsilman Center the perfect location to investigate the Science of Swimming.