SWIMMING Coach “To Explain Not Dictate”

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30212, 17 August 1963, Page 17

SWIMMING Coach “To Explain Not Dictate”

"I have not come to agree or disagree but to explain what I believe in,” said tihe noted swimming coach, Dr. J. E. Counsitoian, of Indiana University, on his arrival in Christchurch last evening to start a 24-dlay lecture tour of New Zealand. Dr. Counsilman, who last season had five world recordholders in his Indiana University squad, said he would tell his New Zealand audiences how he trained his swimmers—"not that our way is best”—and of results tihat • had been obtained at the university through research on many aspects of sport. He expressed keen interest in the achievements of leading New Zealand athletes and is looking forward to meeting ‘.he coach, Mr A. L. Lydiard tailing his stay in Invercargill. Scientific Study Indiana, he said, was the first university to embark on a scientific study of sport Research was being carried r out to discover what hap- > pened to sportsmen when ; they trained; why they swam 5 or ran a certain way. Work s was being dlone to record which muscles were used for 5 different activities and high ; speed photography had been utilised to analyse stroke ' mechanics. ; Already the studies had i begun to bear fruit, he said i Research in a wind tunnel to determine the best way for ’ a swirnn" o hold his hands had revealed that the same amount of propulsion was derived whether the fingers were held open or shut, but it was more econo weal to wm with them closed. A subsequent television ranismission, however, had town tiS» n'°w world record- . holder for 200 metres free- -- style. D. Schollander (United • States), swimming with the ’ fingers of one hand closed i and those on the ther har -' >pen. “There is a lot of difference • between theory and actual ® practice," Dr Councilman observed.

A man of great modesty in spite of the tremendous successes gained by his swimmers, Dr. Counsilman said he had been very fortunate in having some fine boys in his squad. They had trained very hard on a vear-round basv and bad made good use of isometric contractions and interval training—as high as tO sprints orr 100 metres with 30sec rests. Although he switched C Jastremski from butterfly to breaststroke—in which he holds all world records—and had changed M. Troy from an ordinary frees’yler to a world record butterfly exponent. Dr Counsilman dismissed any suggestion ’hat he possessed a gift for discerning potential I in a certain stroke in a certain swimmer - “It is just chance.” he said ’’You work with whatever you’ve got in whatever they are talented in." ' Dr. Counsilman was met at 1 Christchurch Airport by the h.airman rf the New Zealand 1 Amateur Swimming Assocdia- ‘ council (Mr A. J 1 Donaldson) and Mrs Donald- ’ son; the national secretary ■ (Miss D Brown), and Mrs R 1 Ironside, a member of the council. bater he talked 1 informally with councillors l at national headquarters. Woolston House.