Denison dedicates scholarship to Googins
Longtime trainer spent 37 years at school
GRANVILLE – When Dale Googins came to Denison University in 1962, he wasn’t planning on being in Granville that long.
“I came here to do it as a stepping stone,” he said. “But it was not.”
Instead, he stayed for 37 years, as head athletic trainer and an associate physical education professor, retiring in 1998. Along the way, he treated, and taught, a countless number of athletes, including high schoolers from across Licking County who didn’t have trainers at their schools at the time.
A thankful Denison recently made sure Googins would be forever remembered on campus. During the university’s annual Varsity D-association Hall of Fame induction ceremony, it announced the naming and unveiling of the Dale Googins Sports Medicine Suite and the Dale Googins Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund will help students majoring in Health, Exercise, and Sports Studies (HESS).
“Dale Googins’ impact on intercollegiate athletics is far and wide,” said Denision athletic director Nan Carney-debord. “His impact on Denison Athletics has been significant. Dale is a mentor, leader and developer of all of his patients, students, and colleagues. He is fundamentally an educator, so his patients understood how to ‘get well and stay strong.’ As an alumna, former athlete, and academic major, the lessons learned from Dale continue to guide me, many former Denisonians and members of the Granville community. “
The efforts to raise the $500,000 goal for this initiative were originally announced by Denison Athletics in October of 2019. Jeanetta Pyle, a Granville resident and longtime friend of the Googins family, started the fundraising effort. She was aided by Bertram Kantor and Big Red alums Peter Hueber ‘82, Rex Elliott ‘84, and Grant Jones ‘88.
“Dale is one of the most caring and giving individuals I have ever met,” Pyle said. “He took care of not only Licking County athletes, but people in Granville and the Denison community. He’s a remarkable man. Just with how modest he is, how good of a trainer, and person, he is. I don’t know many people today, who put in the time and effort that he did.”
Pyle said the naming ceremony was very emotional. “I’m just so pleased for Dale,” she said. “No one is more deserving.”
Googins earned numerous awards during his career, including induction into the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame; the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award from the National Athletic Trainers Association; the Dan Libera Award for Outstanding Service by National Athletic Trainers Association; Ohio Trainer of the Year; the Sertoma Club’s Service to Mankind
Award; and Special Recognition by the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association for Lifesaving Techniques.
In the fall of 1998, he was inducted into Denison’s Varsity D Hall of Fame in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to Denison athletics.
The 83-year-old Googins came to Denison from Bowling Green State University, where he was a wrestler and assistant athletic trainer. “I played football, baseball and basketball growing up, but I wasn’t big enough to play them in college,” he said. “So here I was, a 123pound wrestler. I thought at one point I would be a coach. I’ve always been around sports.” His son, Scott, is head baseball coach at Cincinnati University.
Dale agreed to be Denison’s wrestling coach for two years, before taking on athletic training full time. The Big Red, and Licking County, are certainly glad he did.
“Dale was one of the early pioneers in starting the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association,” said longtime Newark athletic trainer Mark Doughty, now retired. “He was also involved in the writing of the initial licensure law language that was eventually passed in 1990. He was the go to athletic trainer in Licking County before there were athletic trainers in the high schools. He has been a mentor to many athletic trainers, including me when I was starting an athletic trainer program at Newark.”
Doughty said Googins reached out to him right away when he came to Newark. “Any time someone would call him, he would help,” he said. “He got me involved in the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association. He reached out to everyone. He learned from everyone, and he taught everyone. He was very unassuming, an astute learner, low key and humble, and he likes everyone.”
Because of Googins, Doughty even got involved in athletic training at the national level. “He taught me the importance of being involved in your profession, outside of your job,” Doughty said. “Giving back to the profession.” Gary Lake of Newark and Brian Hortz of Heath became trainers at Denison and were inducted into the Ohio Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame.
Googins developed a good relationship with Licking County high school coaches.
“I got to know the coaches around the county, and they could call,” he said. “They called me, and I would take care of them (the athletes). Dr. Henry Rocco would have Saturday morning clinics, with kids coming in. Denison was very supportive, and I have a wonderful wife who allowed me to take the time to do it. We also had a great medical staff who were in the community.”
Googins also used his connection with Ohio State University’s sports medicine staff for support.
“The best thing has been, I enjoy being around good people,” he said. “The Denison faculty and administration, and the people in the community. They have made it all worthwhile.” dweidig@gannett.com 740-973-4503
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