Dr. Jim Delapp
Jim was born in Denver, Colorado and is a third-generation native. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School where he played football and was captain of the swim team. Through his youth he swam competitively in several AAU programs in the metro area. Jim attended the University of Northern Colorado where he received his Bachelors (BA) and Masters (MA) in Biological Science. After college Jim worked for the Greeley Police Department as a forensic scientist and was beginning a PhD program at Colorado State University when he was accepted to Dental School. In dental school he received the American Society of Dentistry for Children's Pediatric Dentistry Award and since graduation has distinguished himself professionally. Jim was the recipient of the 2000 Volunteer of the Year Award from Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND). Jim is the Past President of the Colorado Society of Dental Anesthesiology as well as the Past -President of the University of Colorado School of Dentistry Alumni Association. In 2008 both he and his wife we honored and "Alumni of the Year" at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. In addition, both were elected to the Pierre Fauchard Academy that same year. He currently serves the University as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. Jim maintains a private practice in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife Candace. Dr. DeLapp served as General Chairman for Colorado Swimming from 2007-2009. The DeLapp's daughter, Sarah, swam with the ACES Swim Club from the age of 5 through college. Sarah was All- Mountain West Academic selection and is currently coaching with ACES. Sarah is currently a Senior at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. Currently Sarah and Jim co-coach the Queens group at ACES.
Swimming Background: As well as having swum competitively as a youth (which he barely remembers), Jim has continued to coach through his various careers since the 1970's. He has coached or taught learn to swim programs, summer-clubs, swimmers who have been State Champions, as well as swimmers who have made Olympic Trials. He is a Past President of Rocky Mountain Swim League. In addition to coaching, Jim is a certified Starter and Referee in swimming and well as an official's trainer. Jim currently serves on the Board of Colorado Swimming as Past General Chairman.
Swimming Academics: In 1995 he graduated with a Masters in Basic Science (MBS) from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Exercise Physiology. His graduate work was completed at the International Center of Aquatic Research (ICAR) at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At ICAR Jim was able to work with and study the best swimmers in the world. The center's state-of-the-art swimming flume and training pool is equipped with advanced biomedical clinical laboratories and biomechanics evaluation equipment. He was able to study hundreds of hours of underwater video film on every caliber of swimmer ranging from very talented age group swimmers to world champions. Jim was one of the chief investigators in an age group turn project that investigated the freestyle turn. This project used state-of- the-art digital imaging programs that evaluated various elements of the turn. This project evaluated and identified the importance of the turn to the overall time for the swimmer. In addition, Jim's master's paper was titled "A Study of Biomechanics Strategies in Breaststroke Swimming". This paper essentially discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the "wave" breaststroke to the "traditional" (flat) breaststroke. Currently, he serves the team as the distance coach as well as Queens coach.
Swimming Philosophy: Don't be fooled by the fact that Jim has been the senior distance coach over the last few years! He does not believe that tons of yardage is the "only" way to get improvements from his swimmers. In distance swimming, the swimmer's technique needs to be even more refined than for swimmers of shorter distance because errors accumulate over a greater period of time. In addition, poor technique can lead to joint pathology that can hamper swimmers careers. At this point none of his swimmers have had any swimming related injury, which he attributes to the refinement of the swimmer's technique. Jim's technique paradigm starts with correct body position and lets the body position dictate what the arms and legs do to generate power. Unfortunately, few coaches share this new body position philosophy with noted exceptions such as USA Olympic coaches Richard Quick (Stanford), Bill Boomer, and the ACES coaching staff. ACES coaches as well as these elite coaches know without proper body alignment, the swimmer can waste a tremendous amount of energy simply trying to maintain proper body position instead of apply their efforts to moving faster in the water. Technique is taught and mastered throughout the season not just the first few weeks of training in the fall.
Jim is really looking forward to coaching your swimmer this competitive season. He will be providing you a list of equipment that will aid your swimmers learning and enjoyment of the sport. He has over many years maintained a true love of the sport and believes in the life's lessons of hard work and dedication which swimming brings to our youth.