Sports Technology

Sport administrators and officials have expressed sadness over the death of respected Australian sports scientist and sports administrator Dr Frank Pyke.

Diagnosed with motor neurone disease nine weeks ago, Pyke, 69, is being remembered for a wide-ranging contribution to Australian sport.

Originally from Western Australia, where he played Australian rules football and cricket, while also excelling at athletics at school, he was the first Executive Director of the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) from its formation in 1990 to his retirement in 2006.

Pyke studied sports science at Indiana University in 1960s obtaining a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and human performance, and later taught at Illinois State University and Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Pyke returned to Western Australia in 1972, where he accepted a position as a lecturer in the Department of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Western Australia (UWA). While at UWA he was famously involved with the rehabilitation of fast bowler Dennis Lillee, introducing supervised rehabilitation techniques that allowed Lillee to recover after injuring his back seriously during the tour of the West Indies in 1972.

Pyke later served as the inaugural Head of the Centre for Sports Studies at the University of Canberra, Head of the Department of Human Movement and Sports Science at the University of Wollongong and Professor and Head of the Department of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland.

He also held adjunct professor status at Deakin University, the University of Ballarat and UWA.

As the inaugural Executive Director at the VIS, Pyke developed a number of programs, including the Athlete Career and Education (ACE), which has been credited as "the program nationally for elite athletes".

He was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000, life membership of the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 2002 and was made a member of the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 2003.

Following his death a statement from the VIS read "on behalf of all past and current athletes, the Board and staff of the Victorian Institute of Sport we express our deep sadness at the passing of our inaugural Executive Director, Dr Frank Pyke.

"Our love and thoughts are with his wife Janet, sons Stephen, James and Don and their families during this very sad time. Frank was an exemplary man; our mentor, leader, pioneer and friend. We were all honoured to know him."

Federal Minister for Sport Mark Arbib also offered his condolences to Pyke's family and friends stating "Frank's career and achievements speak for themselves and the world is a poorer place for his loss.

"On behalf of the Australian Government I offer his family my sincere condolences and recognise Frank Pyke for his momentous contribution to Australian sport."

14th October 2008 - SPEED ON SPORT MANAGEMENT