Sports Medicine Institute offers world of experience

Athletic development director’s worked with Olympians, college and pros

CROWN POINT Frank Eksten has been around the block, and the globe, more than once in the widening world of athletic development and sports performance.

These days, he’s back home as director of athletic development at the new Sports Medicine Institute (SMI) at Saint Anthony Medical Center’s new Franciscan Point health complex. Eksten served in the same position for three years at the SMI at a previous, smaller location in Crown Point.

Eksten and Dr. Keith Pritchford, SMI medical director, who is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine fellow, tag team the program, along with Dr. Timothy Mullally, medical program director of the nonsurgical portion of the institute. The SMI is overseen by Kevin DeBraal, Saint Anthony assistant vice president of administrative services.

Eksten, 48, of Crown Point, got the Franciscan Point SMI program up and running in September after returning from his role as team leader of the U.S. Olympic Weightlifting team in Beijing last summer. That job entailed planning down to the last detail to make sure the team had everything it needed in terms of logistics to ensure a smooth stay.

Eksten had served in a similar position with the U.S. team in the Pan American games and as a strength and conditioning coach for 12 years at Indiana University in Bloomington, where his duties included working for former championship basketball coach Bob Knight. Eksten also has worked with Al Vermeil, strength coach of the Chicago Bulls.

Among his influences, Eksten credits his experiences with Knight, along with legendary former IU soccer coach Jerry Yeagley and late swim coach James “Doc’’ Councilman -- who also were regarded as tops in their fields -- as invaluable to his career.

Eksten, who has a master’s degree in kinesiology and applied sports science from IU, left the university’s athletic program and brought his expertise to Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in 1998. His work there also has included overseeing athletic development operations at Omni 41 Health and Fitness Connection in Schererville.

Eksten’s program offers sports-specific strength and conditioning training, with an emphasis on injury prevention, for children through professional and Olympic athletes.

“The program is sort of unique in that it is modeled after college and professional programs but at a level that fits individual needs. It is a circle of care,” Eksten says.
That is evidenced in a 400 percent increase in participation since the Franciscan Point SMI location opened.

Clients include school teams sent by coaches to work on speed, agility and strength training, college-bound athletes, such as the sister of Olympic track champion David Neville, of Merrillville, injured players and youngsters and adults who just want to get into shape.
Eksten puts a lot of emphasis on well-being of youngsters, regardless of whether they show athletic promise.

“It can’t be all about being an athlete. It also is about the mission of kids working hard to improve in other aspects of their lives. There are educational and lifestyle components. Sports is a fun way to be active and it should be fun,” Eksten believes.

He encourages parents to be realistic in expectations of children becoming big-time star athletes.
“The percentages of that are miniscule. It’s not about the end, it’s about the journey and what they get out of it along the way – work ethic, being on time, following a plan, being accountable,” Eksten says.

After working with some of the nation’s best athletes and coaches, Eksten likewise is realistic in expectations for his clients.

“Not everyone can perform at the highest levels. You adjust for them, encourage them and make it fun.”

Eksten’s involvement with weightlifting began when he was 13 and wanted to get fit and improve his performance as an athlete. He played football, basketball, baseball and ice hockey while growing up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

“Sports and training had a positive effect on my life,” he says.

After his second year at IU as strength and conditioning coach, he began employing Olympic weight-training for basketball players – a relatively new concept. He worked with athletes in all of the university’s programs, except for football.

That led to his running a community service weight-training program at IU’s Assembly Hall where he taught local youngsters, among them future Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who grew up in Bloomington.

From there, Eksten went on to coaching at weightlifting competitions, including world-class events, to team leadership roles at the Pan Am games and on to the Olympics, which brought a new set of experiences, on and off the fields of competition.

“It was a tremendous opportunity – a lot of work – sometimes 20 hours a day,” he recalls of the five weeks in China. “But, everybody is so positive and you feed off of it. The USOC (United States Olympic Committee) personnel were outstanding.”

So were the opening and closing ceremonies.

“I’ve walked into a lot of stadiums and seen a few Final Fours (college basketball championship tournaments), but nothing compares to that. It was unbelievable.”

On the downside, there were cases of international politics that sometimes reflected anti-American sentiment.

But that wasn’t the case with Chinese university student-volunteers, who assisted the Olympic team. Eksten describes them as hard-working, intelligent and inquisitive about the United States, but proud of their homeland.

“They want to know what we think of China and want to know about America, but they are very proud of their country. They see volunteering as a national duty. Nationalism serves and permeates every aspect of their culture.”

Saint Anthony’s DeBraal says Eksten has proved invaluable in his role.

“Frank’s background and training, with a master’s in kinesiology and applied sports science and 12 years working at Indiana University with healthy athletes, as well as helping athletes return from injury, brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to the sports medicine and athletic development programs.”

Besides athletic development, the Sports Medicine Institute offers medical management and rehabilitation of sports injuries.

The institute, located at Franciscan Point Saint Anthony Health Complex, is about one-half mile east of Interstate 65 along U.S. 231.

Franciscan Point, which opened in August, also offers immediate care for non-life-threatening cases, diagnostic testing, physical, occupational or speech therapies and other specialty services.

For more information on the Sports Medicine Institute, call (219) 681-6757.