SWIMMER * FORMER COACH * SWIM PARENT * SPORT SCIENTIST * INVENTOR *AUTHOR
Dr. Rod Havriluk, the president of Swimming Technology Research, has swum competitively since he was eight and has coached swimming for over a decade at all levels – from country club to NCAA Division I. He has experience in many aspects of competitive swimming: He served as president of his daughter’s swim team booster organization; was a member of the medical testing staff at US Olympic Trials; served as a USA Swimming Referee; participated on the Research Committee of the National Collegiate Women’s Swimming Coaches Association; coached a university water polo team; and is the current president of the International Society of Swimming Coaching.
Rod earned his Ph.D. in human performance from Indiana University in 1987. While at IU, he studied under the direction of Dr. John M. Cooper (“the father of modern biomechanics”) and the legendary Dr. James “Doc” Counsilman. Rod also has an M.S. in exercise physiology from Florida State University. He taught biomechanics at Indiana University and was most recently an adjunct professor at both Florida State University and Thomas University.
Although Rod specializes in biomechanics applied to swimming, he maintains an active interest in other disciplines related to skill learning and injury prevention. He is currently involved in several research projects focused on methods to accelerate skill acquisition.
Rod’s ongoing research has resulted in presentations at numerous international conferences, such as Federation Internationale Natation (FINA), the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He has been an invited speaker to coaching groups in the Caribbean, the Middle East, Australia, and North and South America (e.g. ASCA, ASCTA, and ISCA).
One of the most widely-published authors on swimming technique, his studies have appeared in many swimming publications, such as the Journal of Swimming Research, Swimming Technique, and Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming, and more general publications, such as the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. His collaborations include working with scientists at the University of Illinois, the University of Hawaii, Southwestern University, Indiana University, Florida State University, and the University of Athens (Greece).
Rod’s research produced three US patents, prompting the development of several software and hardware products. One of these products, Aquanex, was selected as an example of advanced technology and featured in the book – One Digital Day: How the microchip is changing our lives. ESPN subsequently included a segment on Aquanex in their Sports Technology Series. Aquanex articles also appeared in newspapers and magazines in several countries, as well as in textbooks. An upgraded version of Aquanex was selected as a finalist for Product Design and Development’s 2003 Engineering Awards. Aquanex was also featured in the book – Inescapable Data: Harnessing the power of convergence, in segments on the Score TV and the History Channel, and in PC Magazine.
Rod is a long time member of the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; the American College of Sports Medicine; and the American Swimming Coaches Association. Rod is on the review board for numerous sport science journals; the editorial board for the Journal of Swimming Research; and the advisory board for the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming at Indiana University. He is also working with the International Swim Coaches Association (ISCA) to develop a new science-based coach education program.