Swiminfo reported that Doc died this morning. The obit can be found at www.swiminfo.com. Anyone have any stories, thoughts, reflections, etc on Doc? Having grown up swimming in Indiana and attending swim camp at IU, Doc definitely played a part in my development and love of swimming. He was a wonderful person who will definitely be missed.
Well, Doc was the greatest. Many great swimmers were on the University of Indiana team including Mark Spitz. University of Indiana was a swim power about a decade before Stanford and Texas and was probably one of the earlier ones. Its a shame that after Doc retired the school has not been the same when its comes to swimming.
I too have fond memories of Doc, even though I never met him. As a high schooler in the late 70's, I read his book The Science of Swimming and really started to focus on my own stroke technique as a result. I'm sure every one reading this forum saw or heard of the amazing exploits of his most famous pupil. I remember watching Mark Spitz on TV, and for the first time actually getting interested in the Olympics and competitive swimming.
Happy trails, Doc, we'll miss you.
I am a young coach by industry standards. but even though I have never met the man, I have been influenced by his prolific publishing. The first ever swim scientist! I think we owe it to the man to keep pushing the envelope of swimming and not be afraid to see how fast we can go!
kipp
The legacy of James "Doc" Counsilman touches all of us who swim. The Greater Indiana Masters have made a donation to the United States Masters Swimming Endowment Fund in his memory and urge all clubs, teams and individuals to do likewise. Two of the the first three grants from the Endowment Fund have gone to the Counsilman Center for the Study of Swimming. Doc's committment to swimming, fitness and, in particular, as one of the founding fathers of Masters swimming can be perpetuated through your gifts in his memory. Send inquiries or contributions to P.O. Box 10, Noblesville, IN 46061 to the attention of Doug Church, Chair of the Board of Governors of United States Masters Swimming Endowment Fund. Doug can also be reached at DChurch@cchalaw.com
While in high school, I had attended Doc's swim camp just about every year to improve my stroke technique. I swam for the Richmond Senior High School in Richmond, IN, and swam with varsity starting in Eighth Grade. My times and ranks were "AAA" or "AAAA" grades, and for a while, I was thinking of going for the Olympics, until I had a ruptured appendix in 1984, and lost all stomach muscles, and reasons for swimming ever since.
Needless to say, I was disheartened to have found out that Doc died in '04 (of which, I never knew about, until a few months ago). I still have my signed copy of "The Science of Swimming", along with profiles analysis from Doc himself, about my stroke. He commented on my stroke technique, and at the same time, criticized it. What he found intriguing was that I had a limp on my right hand (left was OK). I dragged my right hand, letting it drag ever gently across the water. Local kids at the camps often referred to me as a "water albatross" (lousy takeoff/landing, but ever so graceful flying), and even Doc himself would snicker with the nickname (even though it was meant to be degrading).
Doc spent as much quality time with each kid as he could, some more because of what he thought and felt that they were capable of performing. He tried to give one-on-one to everyone there. Some kids were naturals, other were there simply to get away from their parents. Nonetheless, Doc usually took it upon himself to help out each kid attending his camp. Mrs. Councilman was there, too, and helped out with food preparation, and even some counciling. When you were at swim camp, you were there to do a job, and Doc made it so. But you are also "family", and both he and his wife, made the kids feel at home.
Before my ruptured appendix, I was still swimming. I swam several events at the IUPUI Natatorium at the state swimming meet, Indiana's state competition. I wasn't feeling well (probably because of what was going to happen a few weeks later). Our team had set a state record for one of the events (can't remember which one). I do know that I was the anchor. Doc came up afterwards, offered me an opportunity to come down to IU and swim for him. I had already signed up for Purdue University, and was going to study computer science. I had apologized and graciously refused his offer.
I wonder what would have happened had I signed up with Doc...
Good times were remembered from my days with Doc. He will be missed.
4 1/2 years ago! (Note date of first post on this thread.) It made the news, but it's been so long I had forgotten, too. Lots of other ppl died in the interim!
VB
WOW, I hadn't seen this post or heard (definitely didn't notice the date of this post either). Oh, that makes me sad.
