George Haines
Encyclopedia
George Frederick Haines (March 9, 1924 – May 1, 2006) was a swimmer and swimming coach who coached at the Santa Clara Swim Club
, Stanford University
and UCLA. He also coached for seven U.S. Olympic swim teams. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
in 1977 as an Honor Coach.
, and became interested in swimming after joining the local YMCA
, where he won two YMCA championships. After moving to California, he founded the Santa Clara Swim Club
in 1950. It started out as a thirteen-member swim club located in the old Santa Clara High School. This club soon became a training ground for competitive swimmers from all over the United States. He coached for twenty-three years, leaving Santa Clara in 1973. During his stay at Santa Clara, he helped twenty-six swimmers join the Olympic
teams, including Mark Spitz
, Don Schollander
and Claudia Kolb
.
, and seven of his swimmers from Santa Clara also qualified, including 1960 gold medalists Chris von Saltza
, Lynn Burke
, George Harrison
, and Paul Hait
; the first class also included Donna de Varona
and Steve Clark
, who would win gold at the 1964 Olympics
. In the 1960s, multi-gold medalists Don Schollander
and Mark Spitz
joined Santa Clara to train with Haines prior to their success at the 1964, 1968
, and 1972
Olympics.
, coaching the team to an NCAA championship
in 1983 as well as two second places finishes and two third place finishes.
on May 1, 2006. He was married for 60 years to June Carter Haines, and the couple had five children. A bronze statue of Haines now stands next to the Olympic-size pool at the Santa Clara Swim Center.
Santa Clara Swim Club
The Santa Clara Swim Club is a renowned swimming club and team based in Santa Clara, California. Founded in 1951 by George Haines, the team's coach until 1974, the club has many notable alumni, including Donna de Varona, Pablo Morales, Don Schollander, Mark Spitz, Chris von Saltza, Lynn Burke,...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and UCLA. He also coached for seven U.S. Olympic swim teams. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
in 1977 as an Honor Coach.
Early life
Haines was born in Huntington, IndianaHuntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
, and became interested in swimming after joining the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, where he won two YMCA championships. After moving to California, he founded the Santa Clara Swim Club
Santa Clara Swim Club
The Santa Clara Swim Club is a renowned swimming club and team based in Santa Clara, California. Founded in 1951 by George Haines, the team's coach until 1974, the club has many notable alumni, including Donna de Varona, Pablo Morales, Don Schollander, Mark Spitz, Chris von Saltza, Lynn Burke,...
in 1950. It started out as a thirteen-member swim club located in the old Santa Clara High School. This club soon became a training ground for competitive swimmers from all over the United States. He coached for twenty-three years, leaving Santa Clara in 1973. During his stay at Santa Clara, he helped twenty-six swimmers join the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
teams, including Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
, Don Schollander
Don Schollander
Donald Arthur Schollander is a former Olympic swimmer for the United States. He won total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and Claudia Kolb
Claudia Kolb
Claudia Ann Kolb is a retired breaststroke and medley swimmer from the United States, who won her first Olympic medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics when she was fourteen years of age...
.
Olympics
In 1960, Haines was selected to coach at the 1960 Summer Olympics1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
, and seven of his swimmers from Santa Clara also qualified, including 1960 gold medalists Chris von Saltza
Chris von Saltza
Susan Christina von Saltza is a former competitive freestyle swimmer from the United States who, at the age of 16, won one silver and three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. She set the world record in the 400 meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials...
, Lynn Burke
Lynn Burke
Lynn Burke is an American swimmer and olympic champion. She competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where she received a gold medal in 100 m backstroke, and also a gold medal in 4x100m medley relay.-References:...
, George Harrison
George Harrison (swimmer)
George Harrison was an American swimmer and olympic champion. He competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where he received a gold medal in 4 × 200 m freestyle relay...
, and Paul Hait
Paul Hait
Paul Hait is an American swimmer and olympic champion. He competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he received a gold medal in 4 × 100 m medley relay....
; the first class also included Donna de Varona
Donna de Varona
Donna Elizabeth de Varona is a former American swimmer of Mexican and Irish descent.-Swimming career:...
and Steve Clark
Stephen Clark (swimmer)
Stephen Edward Clark is a former American swimmer and Yale varsity swimming captain. He won three gold medals at the 1964 Olympics, one of which he donated to Yale University in 2005.-References:*...
, who would win gold at the 1964 Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
. In the 1960s, multi-gold medalists Don Schollander
Don Schollander
Donald Arthur Schollander is a former Olympic swimmer for the United States. He won total of five gold medals and one silver medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics...
and Mark Spitz
Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz is a retired American swimmer. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, an achievement only surpassed by Michael Phelps who won eight golds at the 2008 Olympics....
joined Santa Clara to train with Haines prior to their success at the 1964, 1968
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
, and 1972
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
Olympics.
College swimming
From 1974 to 1978, Haines coached the UCLA men's swimming team. In 1982, Haines became the women's swimming coach at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, coaching the team to an NCAA championship
NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
NCAA Team Championships for Women's Swimming and Diving-Division I:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Swimming and Diving Champions*List of college swimming and diving teams-References:*...
in 1983 as well as two second places finishes and two third place finishes.
Legacy
He left Santa Clara in 1973, and retired from coaching swimming in 1988. In 2001, Haines was going to have a grand reunion with some of the club's former champion swimmers. However, the reunion was postponed because he suffered a stroke, which incapacitated him for the rest of his life. He died in a nursing home in Carmichael, CaliforniaCarmichael, California
Carmichael is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 61,762 at the 2010 census, up from 49,742 at the 2000 census.-Geography and geology:Carmichael...
on May 1, 2006. He was married for 60 years to June Carter Haines, and the couple had five children. A bronze statue of Haines now stands next to the Olympic-size pool at the Santa Clara Swim Center.