{"id":495354,"date":"2022-01-13T13:13:44","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T20:13:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=495354"},"modified":"2022-01-13T16:09:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-13T23:09:48","slug":"passages-william-l-bill-boomer-swim-coach-and-swim-technique-authority-84","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/passages-william-l-bill-boomer-swim-coach-and-swim-technique-authority-84\/","title":{"rendered":"Passages: William L. \u201cBill\u201d Boomer, Swim Coach and Swim Technique Authority, 84"},"content":{"rendered":"

Passages: William L. \u201cBill\u201d Boomer, Swim Coach and Swim Technique Authority, 84<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bill Boomer<\/strong>, a long-time swim coach and a well-regarded expert on stroke technique, died suddenly at his home on Jan. 9. He was 84 years old.<\/p>\n

Bill Boomer was the head swim coach of the University of Rochester from 1962-90<\/a>. He compiled a 168-107 record in charge of the Yellow Jackets, winning four consecutive New York State Championships from 1984-87. He tutored 57 swimmers who earned 118 All-America awards. In 1988, Boomer was recognized with the College Swim Coaches Association\u2019s 25-Year Distinguished College Swimming Coach award. The CSCAA in 2014 bestowed upon him the Benjamin Franklin Award for his impact on stroke technique<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Rochester native is a member of the university\u2019s Athletic Hall of Fame, inducted in 2007. He also was the head coach of the men\u2019s soccer team from 1964-69 and an assistant for the track and field team from 1962-69.<\/p>\n

But Boomer\u2019s coaching expertise did not limit him to his corner of New York. He served as a volunteer assistant at Princeton and the University of Tennessee and as a technical assistant at Stanford in the 1990s. He served as a USA Swimming technical advisor<\/a> for the men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. He continued counseling swimmers through 2020.<\/p>\n

Boomer collaborated with Dr. Albert B. Craig<\/strong> on swim technique, gaining international acclaim for his, \u201cholistic approach to aquatic movement \u2013 a symphonic blend of art and science.\u201d In 2000, he and Milt Nelms<\/strong> produced \u201cThe Boomer Chronicles,\u201d a five-part series of technique videos.<\/p>\n

Boomer helped design Rochester\u2019s Speegle Wilbraham Aquatic Center, which opened in 1982. He spent 22 years directing the university\u2019s recreation and intramural programs. After stepping down as head coach, he spent two years as the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students for Judicial Affairs at the school, and he was the Associate Director of Athletics for Recreation and Wellness in 1992.<\/p>\n

Boomer graduated from Springfield College in 1961. He began coaching at Rochester while studying for his master\u2019s in education there. Memorial donations can be made to The Boomer Endowment for Swimming at the University of Rochester<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Relive this lost interview with Bill Boomer<\/strong> by Brent Rutemiller<\/strong> in the earlier years of the Morning Swim Show.\u00a0 This interview was produced before mainstream videos and digital media.\u00a0 It was rendered as a .wmv file and as a result the remastered quality is poor.\u00a0 However the content is priceless!<\/p>\n

Original Dateline: PHOENIX, Arizona, March 25. TUESDAY’S edition of The Morning Swim Show<\/i> features an in-depth interview with swimming guru Bill Boomer, filmed at the recent women’s NCAA swimming and diving championships.<\/p>\n