Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences & Tsukuba International Academy forSport Studies (TIAS), University of Tsukuba

2020

TIAS WORKSHOPS-LECTURES-COMMUNICATION – University of Tsukuba(January 13th to January 18th, 2020)
NICK
FOLKER–Assistant
Swim
Coach:
UniversityofHawaii(UH)(https://hawaiiathletics.com/staff-directory/nick-folker/1659; https://manoa.hawaii.edu/) completed a
successful workshop-lectures and associated meetings during the week-long visit to TIAS, Universityof Tsukuba, Japan- https://hawaiiathletics.com/news/2019/9/11/mens-swimming-diving-swim-anddive-add-former-standout-nick-folker-to-coaching-staff.aspx- University of Hawaii at Manoa
Nick Folker, born and raised in South Africa, excelling in cricket and rugby before pursuing a career inswimming that took him to the 2000 Olympic Games; 1999 All-African Champion, 2000 Olympian, 2001
World Championships, 2002 Commonwealth Games silver-medallist. He holds a Bachelor of Arts,
Marketing/Management, from UH and a Master of Sciences, Kinesiology from Cal-State East Bay. Prior tojoining UH in 2019, Nick was in BridgeAthletic which he co-founded with Michael Sharf. Before that, Nickwas the Director of Aquatic Performance at @University of California Athletic Department for 10 years, where
his teams won 7 NCAA National Team championships in 7 years. He has also coached 35 Olympians and 22
Olympic medalists in 4 Olympic Games. A dynamic and progressive high performance specialist with over a
decade of Olympic and NCAA Division I experience; and, a proven track record of developing athletes andteams to perform at optimal levels. A skilled communicator with the ability to educate, motivate and develop
athletes of all ages and skill levels. He has worked hard to build a global network of world-class athletes, elitecoaches and performance specialists. With this background, TIAS, being a global sport-based academic programas part of the Tokyo 2020 academic legacy, was honoured to have Nick Folker visit and spend quality time,academic, professional -coaching&conditioning, communication time with the students, professors and coaches
and also the administrators.

The week saw a wonderful opportunity for TIAS students (5th batch, current batch), and also other
Graduate students associated with the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human sciences, Faculty ofHealth and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, especially Swimming-related programs, to listen toand join the excellent talks of Coach, Nick Folker, mediated by TIAS instructor (Teaching Coachingand Japanese Culture) and Elite Coach Dr. Yasuo Sengoku on: “Strength Training Prior to andduring Competition”. This highly Interactive Workshop at GSI talked through the SwimmingStrength and Conditioning--Supercompensation-Human Factors-Performance; and talks were also
made by TIAS-5th student Ms. Miki Hasegawa on her research topics. PRODUCTIVE TALKS…

NICK FOLKER at GSI

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Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences & Tsukuba International Academy forSport Studies (TIAS), University of Tsukuba

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Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences & Tsukuba International Academy forSport Studies (TIAS), University of Tsukuba

2020

The other HIGHLIGHT of the visit to TIAS was the LECTURE to the 5th Batch as part of thecross-cultural communication course, and – wonderful, in class and on the field talk/interaction
was seen – ‘Swimming for Tomorrow x Cross Cultural Communication’: The Journey inSports and Passion for Coaching and Human Interactions...Thank you students - Miki Hasegawa,Alvin, Yotham Gitige, Kaden Meth, Eranga Chrishanthi Fernando, Kae Ebihara, TakafumiTomura, Juan Manuel Mijangos Castillo, Kai Png, Paulina Fritz and Jorge VZ – for excellent
interactions and Thank you TAIIKU- Soccer Field...University of Tsukuba x University of Hawaii.

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Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences & Tsukuba International Academy forSport Studies (TIAS), University of Tsukuba

2020

Finally, meetings and discussions were held with Prof. Rakwal, Dr. SENGOKU and othercolleagues and students on possibilities of ‘internships’ for TIAS and TAIIKU students, andmore cooperation in SPOTR SCIENCE and COACHING and interaction with TIAS to beenhanced each year, beyond Tokyo 2020.
In addition meetings were held with Dr. Hirokazu MATSUO (TIAS instructor) and membersof the AHTLETIC DEPARTMENT and staffs (Mr. Shinzo Yamada,Mr. Takada) and TIAS student (Ms. Kae Ebihara, 5 th batch) on the AD
systems in University of Hawaii, and potential for cooperation andresearch on the important component of University Sports.

In all, a fruitful visit and interaction at multiple levels, truly INTERNATIONAL-GLOBAL
SPORT INNOVATION, thank you TIAS-JSA and UT-UH.
Thank you.
Sincerely Yours,Dr. Randeep RAKWAL, Ph.D.
Professor, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences & Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies (TIAS),
Global Sport Innovation Bldg., Room 403, UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki
305-8574, Japan
Email - plantproteomics@gmail.com - rakwal.randeep.fu@u.tsukuba.ac.jp (office)
Mobile – (+81) 090-1853-7875 / Office phone – (+81)029-853-2681
Website: http://tias.tsukuba.ac.jp / http://www.trios.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/researcher/0000003045

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