Indiana Hosts Former National Diving Coach for China, DR. Yu Fen

BLOOMINGTON, IN, November 7. THE Indiana Athletics Department, the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, Department of Kinesiology and School of Health Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) report they will welcome Dr. Yu Fen, Head Coach of the Tsinghua University diving team, to IU Nov. 8-11.

Yu, a former National Diving Coach for China who has mentored several world champions and Olympic gold medalists, will be giving a lecture on Scientific Coaching For Diving. Yu's visit is a cooperative initiative for scientific research of swimming and diving between HPER and Chinese institutions.

"I am really looking forward to having Yu Fen visit," Head Diving Coach Dr. Jeff Huber said. "She has developed some great athletes and can provide some input and insight into making me a better coach and IU a better program. I am just excited to have her."

The diving tradition at Indiana spans 34 years and includes two legendary coaches. Hobie Billingsley coached the squad from 1968-88 and, in his 20 years, the team earned domestic as well as international acclaim. Fifteen All-Americans, seven Big Ten champions, two AIAW champions, two Pan-Am Games participants and 10 Olympians make up the foundation of a tradition that is yet to reach its apex.

Huber, one of the most highly decorated diving coaches in history, took the reins from Billingsley in 1989. Whether indoor or outdoor, Huber has led Indiana divers to 11 consecutive U.S. Diving Combined Team National Championships and has coached the Indiana women's program to six straight national titles and seven overall, including the 2004 U.S. National Championship. Huber has coached 20 All-Americans, one NCAA Champion, 10 Big Ten Champions and five Big Ten Divers of the Year.

HPER, which offers many academic programs that are ranked at the top in each of their fields, has established many international partnerships. The achievement and excellence of the programs offered by HPER are internationally recognized. The collaboration for scholarly exchange in research, training and education with China is one such partnership. The areas for collaboration include exchange lectures, joint research on aging, health, elite performance, balance and coaching.

The Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming is named in recognition of the late James "Doc" Counsilman and his accomplishments. His revolutionary theories on coaching changed competitive swimming locally, nationally and internationally and continue to have a lasting impact on all sports and many sciences. Counsilman was instrumental in introducing the application of fundamental scientific theories to the training of elite performers. He, along with Billingsley, molded Indiana's competitive swimming and diving program into what was perceived to be the very best in the world at the time. The Counsilman Center celebrates this progressive attitude by pursuing an aggressive research agenda and by helping to sponsor scientific exchange and cultural interaction among scholars and coaching practitioners world wide.

Programs offered in Kinesiology that support the activities of the Counsilman Center include undergraduate majors in Exercise Science and graduate majors in Exercise Physiology, Sport Psychology, Biomechanics, Applied Sport Science and Neuromuscular Control.

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