What Some Coaches Will Do To Get Kimball's Help!

Now that Kimball is "retired" -- he travels around the country helping other coaches at camps and clinics and is in constant demand. It is amazing how some coaches still feel about him.

TEN, TEN, TEN!!

If you are a diver and perhaps a bit superstitious, then today is your day!! October 10, 2010 -- the 10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year of the century (or the millennium). Abbreviated, today is 10/10/10!!

This day will only happen once in your lifetime so if you have a diving meet today -- hopefully, today's date will impart some kind of good luck to you. If you do not have a meet today but will be attending practice -- it might be a good idea to really put in some extra effort so that someday in the future you just might hear the announcer reading your scores as today's date!! 10/10/10!!

REMEMBER: According to the new FINA Diving Judging Chart, a "10" does NOT mean perfect -- a "10" means EXCELLENT so go out there and try to be excellent today!

Congratulations to the TOP NCAA Diving Coaches!

Now that the all six of the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships have ended, it is time to recognize the Top Diving Coaches in NCAA Division I, II and III. The following coaches have been named 2010 NCAA Diving Coach of the Year as presented by the College Swim Coaches Association of America:

Division I Women: JANE FIGUEIREDO (University of Houston)

Division I Men: ADAM SOLDATI (Purdue University)

Divison II Women: DAVE HROVAT (Clarion University)

Division II Men: DAVE HROVAT (Clarion University)

Division III Women: STAN RANDALL (Trinity University)

Divison III Men: JOHN MOORE (S.U.N.Y. Oswego)

Best Wishes to these and all diving coaches for a safe and successful 2010 and beyond! Keep up the GREAT work you are doing!

The "Bad" Side of TIVO

Recently, while judging the SEC Championships at the beautiful University of Georgia Aquatic Center, I made an observation which really got me thinking.

Like many pools around the country where competitive divers train, the TIVO is an integral piece of equipment that is used on a daily basis. (For those who do not know, a TIVO is a device that looks like a VCR and which records and then plays back what was recorded on a delay set by the coach. This allows the diver to instantly see the dive they just performed and is considered a "must have" training tool for divers).

What I noticed is that most of the divers in the competition would do their dive and then go right to the TIVO to watch their dive BEFORE looking to their coach for corrections and suggestions for improvement. My thought was that this was BACKWARD. The diver should go to the coach FIRST to get coaching on the dive and THEN go to the TIVO to watch the dive paying close attention to what the coach told them they needed to do on the next attempt. This way, the diver does not fall into the potentially bad habit of coaching themselves and thinking they know the best way to make corrections to their dive.

Without a doubt, a TIVO is a great asset for every diving team because it certainly helps the divers improve at a faster pace by giving instant feedback about the dive HOWEVER; it is my humble suggestion that the following rule be established: The diver first comes to the coach to get advice and corrections on the dive BEFORE going to the TIVO to watch it.

When To Replace Spotting Rig Components

I often get asked the question "when is it time to replace components of a spotting rig?"

Certainly, a quick visual inspection of your spotting equipment should be done before every use. Are the ropes frayed? Are the swivel clips bent or broken? Does the spotting belt have any loose stitching? Is the rope running smoothly through the pulleys? etc. etc.

But the real answer depends on many factors including:

• How often is the spotting rig used?
• How big are the kids being spotted? (College age? High School? Age Group? Lessons?)
• How often is the spotting rig "shock-loaded"?
• How old are the ropes? The Pulleys? The Clips?
• What is the environment where the spotting rig is used? (Indoor? Outdoor? Near the ocean? Heavy chlorine environment? Direct sun?)
• How experienced is the person doing the spotting? (Very experienced? Novice?)

It is my suggestion that the coach or facility maintenance staff should closely inspect the entire spotting rig including the ropes, the pulleys, the swivel clips, the links that attach the pulleys to the spotting rig or the ceiling clamps, the rig itself or the ceiling attachment clamps at least twice per year -- more if the spotting equipment is used daily.

It is always best to err on the side of caution -- when in doubt or if not sure -- replace.

NOTE: Make sure the components you use are RESCUE RATED and designed and intended to be used for overhead lifting of human weight -- not the cheap imported rope and hardware sold at Big Box stores. Remember that Good Spotting Equipment is NOT Cheap and Cheap Spotting Equipment is NOT Good!

NEW F.I.N.A. Degree of Difficulty Table

With the newer and increasingly more difficult dives being performed in international competition as well as the rumors of "super difficult" dives being attempted in the farthest corners of the world, it was time that FINA updated the Degree of Difficulty Tables.

Numerous new and incredibly difficult dives have been added to the DD Chart that just 20 years ago were unthinkable. When you think back to the 1980's, it was thought that the dives being done then were the most difficult that could ever be performed. Now -- those "hard" dives are the norm for both men and women and for those divers dreaming of Olympic and International glory, the difficulty bar has been raised -- not by inches, but by feet!

Click here to see the new and approved FINA Degree of Difficulty Tables for both Springboard and Platform.

So, what is now the dive with the highest degree of difficulty? It is a 309B -- Reverse 4 1/2 somersaults in the pike position from the 3M Springboard with an eye-popping 4.8 Degree of Difficulty. If your athletic ability will not allow you to do this dive on 3M -- you do have the option of doing it from the 10 Meter platform -- but you LOSE a tenth of D.D. -- it is only a "paltry" 4.7!

I wonder what dives we will be seeing 20 years from now? Kind of exciting just thinking about it!

NEVER Let Your Divers Use This!

One of the most important physical attributes for any successful diver is upper body strength. The ability to "throw" a dive and perhaps even more importantly, the ability to "hold an entry" (aka RIP a dive) especially when hitting the water at 35 miles per hour!!

One easy way to work on upper body strength with your divers on an almost daily basis is to have them CLIMB OUT OF THE POOL AFTER EACH DIVE. DO NOT LET THEM USE THE LADDER!! If your diver does 50 -75 dives per practice, this amounts to 50-75 "dips" or push-ups that they do at every practice and over time this does wonders for the biceps, wrists, tri-ceps, lats and shoulders.

It may be difficult at first -- but in the long run, it will make a big difference!

First Piano Recital / First Diving Meet

The other day, my wife, in-laws and I attended a piano recital in which our eight year old twins were first-time participants. There were about 15 students -- all were beginners or advanced beginners. For me, it was very interesting to observe the behaviors of the kids and the parents and I started thinking back to the old days of coaching. I started having flashbacks to my first diving meet as well as the first diving meets of my former divers.

It was like deja vu -- different arena; different participants; different activity -- SAME RESULT.

What do I mean? Well first, the parents (myself included) were more nervous than the kids. They wanted so badly for their child to do well and to have a positive experience. They all had video cameras to record the moment -- even at the expense of they themselves missing it "live" while they fumbled with their camcorders. As expected, most of the kids were nervous too as this would be the first time they performed in front of a crowd of people -- most of whom they had never met.

The order of performers was printed in a program -- much the same way a dive order is posted at a diving meet. I could tell my kids were getting more and more nervous (and excited) with each passing performance knowing that they would soon hear their name called and have to walk to the front, bow to the audience, and then take their seat on the freshly polished piano bench in front of the Baby Grand Piano to play their two 15 second songs.

A lump formed in my throat as I watched them sit motionless for a few seconds, then take a deep breath, and then play what they had practiced many times before. As with diving, when you practice your dives over and over again, all usually goes well and according to plan and this was their end result too!!

At the conclusion of their performances, they each closed their books, bowed to the crowd and with a huge smile on their face, excitedly walked back to where the family was sitting. We were all beaming with pride and joy. We gave them a hug and congratulated them on a job well done. Not surprisingly, each of them whispered in my ear -- "I was not nervous at all, Dad!" YEAH, RIGHT!

How Carving Pumpkins and Coaching Diving are Related

It is my favorite time of the year -- the leaves are changing colors, a chill is in the air, fires are crackling in the fireplace and my kid's most favorite "holiday" is just around the corner -- HALLOWEEN and the weeks leading up to it. They love decorating, costume shopping, apple cider, fall festivals, corn mazes, hay rides and of course selecting and carving the perfect pumpkin.

We carved our pumpkins the other day and I, the diving geek that I am, found some strange similarities between carving pumpkins and coaching diving. Here goes:

• Going to a pumpkin farm and searching for the perfect pumpkin is like a diving coach attending a summer league championship meet scouting new talent for your team. There are many that appear to be acceptable -- but to the trained eye, there are but a few who make the grade. You have an idea of what you want and it is your mission to sort through all of them to find the right one or two.
• There are many pumpkin carving kits available on the market today just as there are many different ways to coach diving. You choose the way you think will work the best with your personality, strengths and weaknesses and those of the divers you coach. Keep in mind that YOU may need to make changes or adapt depending on the pumpkin you are carving or the diver you are coaching.
• There are many tools in a pumpkin carving kit that can help you get the desired result. Diving coaches also have many tools from which to choose that can help them help their divers reach the desired result. It is up to you the coach (or carver) to make use of these tools and to choose the correct tools to help do the job.
• In pumpkin carving kits, there are different levels of carving difficulty -- the more difficult the pattern, the larger the potential payoff as far as contest success, accomplishment and pride. The same could be said for coaching (and learning) diving.
• When learning to carve a pumpkin, it is best to start with an easy pattern before moving up to more complicated, time-consuming and difficult patterns. Coaches need to make sure their divers are well-schooled in the fundamentals of diving before moving on the more challenging and difficult dives.
• And finally, take your time; use all the tools at your disposal; be patient and most importantly -- pay close attention to detail. If you cut corners while carving a pumpkin, the end result will be less than satisfactory -- ditto for coaching diving.

May all your pumpkins be perfectly carved and may all your divers learn from you how to jump high, spin fast, enter vertically and disappear under the water with nary a splash!! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy 95th Birthday LYLE DRAVES!!

One of the true coaching legends of the sport of diving turns 95 years old today -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY to LYLE DRAVES!! Here is the biography from the International Swimming Hall of Fame on the 1989 Inductee:

LYLE DRAVES (USA)1989 Honor Coach

FOR THE RECORD: Lyle Draves was the first pure diving coach developing 3 Olympic Champions: Vicki Manalo Draves (his wife), Pat McCormick, Sue Gossick. Vicki was the 1st woman to win the Platform and Springboard at the same Olympics (1948). McCormick followed by becoming the first double, double Olympic gold winner (1952, 1956). Gossick won the Springboard in 1968. Draves coached female divers to 12 Olympic medals and 35 National Championships. His Olympic silver medalists include Paula Jean Myers and Zoe Ann Olsen, each of whom took a bronze. His divers Olympic medal count reads 7 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze.

Lyle Draves was America's first great diving coach beginning an era when diving coaches could specialize in divers and not coach swimmers too, or vice versa. He was a Hollywood film editor and his show biz background has helped his coaching or again, vice versa since Draves was diving in and then producing, top rated diving water shows before he became a film editor.

An Iowa farm boy, Draves met Fred Cady at a swimming meet in Iowa. Fred invited him to California where Lyle began coaching divers at the Lido Club at the famed Ambassador Hotel and at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. One of his first pupils was a 12 year old girl named Zoe Ann Olsen. Next, they both moved to the Athens Athletic Club in Oakland where he met Vicki Manalo. He later married Vicki, who was given away by 1948 and 1952 platform winner, Sammy Lee. Vicki and Zoe Ann took first and second off the springboard in the 1948 London Olympics. Vicki became the first woman diver ever to win gold medals in both tower and springboard at the same Olympics, narrowly beating Zoe Ann on her last springboard dive. After the Olympics, Vicki and Lyle toured the United States and Europe with Buster Crabbe and Dick Smith.

They quit barnstorming to raise 4 boys, all divers. Lyle returned to his coaching, first at tennis champion Jack Kramer's Athletic Club and then at UCLA. His Olympic medal winning divers, in addition to Vicki and Zoe Ann, include Hall of Famers Pat McCormick, Sue Gossick, and Paula Jean Myers. The Draves boys are Acapulco and World Champion high divers who have followed the show biz side of their father's heritage doing high and trick dives in such places a Magic Mountain, Sea World and Marineland.

Lyle lives with his wife Vicki in Palm Springs, California and says Fred Cady was the most brilliant man he ever met and that the secret to success in coaching diving is to follow Sir Isaac Newton and his 3rd law of motion.

** Special thanks to the International Swimming Hall of Fame for this biography of Lyle. Next time you are in Fort Lauderdale, FL -- be sure to check out the ISHOF -- it truly is an incredible collection of aquatic sports memorabilia from the past 100 years!!

YES -- I Do Play Favorites!

Have you ever been accused by a parent of "playing favorites" on your diving team? I think every coach has at one time or another. Of course, the complaining parent is almost always the parent of the diver who is NOT among the "favorites."

Well my answer to this nonsense is "YES -- I DO PLAY FAVORITES!"

• My favorites are the divers who come to practice on time; all the time.
• My favorites are the divers who do what I ask them to do it without complaining.
• My favorites are the divers who are eager and willing to hear what I have to say.
• My favorites are the divers who bring a good attitude and positive energy to practice.
• My favorites are the divers who want to get better -- no matter what.
• My favorites are the divers who work hard; who try hard and who pay attention to me.
• My favorites are the divers who give great effort all the time (without me having to constantly badger them!!)
• My favorites are the kids who try and try and try again.
• My favorites are the kids who stay late to get in extra work on the trampoline or dry board or in the gym.

Yes -- these are my favorites. Now to become one of my favorites, all a diver needs to do is show up; work hard; try hard, do their best and pay attention to me. If you pay attention to me, then I will most likely pay attention to you. I would much rather work with a total non-athlete who really wants to become a better diver than a physically gifted, super athlete who thinks they know it all and can do it all by themselves.

I DO NOT, CAN NOT and WILL NOT reward lack of effort, bad attitudes, disruptive behavior, or the like. I ignore these things (READ: I do not pay attention to these divers -- i.e. certainly not one of my favorites). So to paraphrase Bo Diddley "before you accuse me, take a look at your (kid)!"

Blues Legend BUDDY GUY and the Sport of Diving

Recently, I had the opportunity to see BUDDY GUY in concert at a small, cozy outdoor amphitheatre nestled in the rolling farmland of central Kentucky. The music and the show were great -- especially when the 73 year old Blues Legend left the stage and started walking through the crowd singing and playing (See picture above). In addition, the warm-up act for the concert was a 12 year old guitar phenom who blew away the crowd with his abilities.

Being the diving geek I am -- I could not help but think how the sport of diving parallels Buddy Guy playing the Blues. So here goes:

• Playing the Blues or involving yourself in the sport of diving is something you can do for a lifetime. (Diver / Coach / Administrator / Volunteer / etc.)


• Buddy Guy still travels the country and the world doing what he loves -- opportunities that the sport of diving can provide to coaches and athletes and volunteers.


• Buddy Guy, even at age 73, keeps working to improve his skills and put on a good show every time he performs -- just like diving coaches and divers should strive to do.


• Buddy Guy really seemed to be having fun -- a must for any diver or diving coach to help yourself stay fresh and not get "burned out."


• Buddy Guy -- Blues Legend -- takes the time and effort to mentor young guitarists just as the legendary coaches in our sport mentor young coaches (Hobie / Kimball / Ron O'Brien / Narcy / etc.) and hopefully the next wave of legendary coaches will continue to do as well.

My Diving Hopes and Wishes for 2009 (and beyond)!!

• I wish that the sport of diving continues to grow, thrive and prosper -- not only in the USA, but around the world.
• I hope that USA Diving continues to move forward and keep improving as we work our way back to the top.
• I hope the coaches will keep communicating with each other and continue to share ideas and techniques that will help to improve the sport.
• I wish more companies would see the benefits of aligning themselves with USA Diving in the form of sponsorships and partnerships. Your support is needed now more than ever.
• I hope the current administration of USA Diving continues to listen to the membership and to keep coming up with more and better ways to make diving a viable profession for coaches.
• I wish the insurance industry would take note of the incredible safety record of organized and supervised springboard and platform diving and create separate underwriting guidelines that insures quality insurance is available and affordable to coaches, clubs, schools, pools and parks and rec. departments. Stop lumping us together with anything and everything that contains the word "diving"!!
• I hope that Duraflex will continue to innovate and keep coming up with ways to make diving equipment better, stronger and more flexible which will give divers the opportunity to "create" newer and more difficult dives.
• I hope that more and more parents will have their kids try the sport of diving at an early age and realize all the positive things that can be acquired from this "lifetime sport."
• I wish that all young divers would quickly learn that good form and good entries are the KEYS TO DIVING SUCCESS at an early age and beyond.

Finally, from the Voellmecke Family and Springboards and More, we wish you and your family (and divers) a Safe and Successful 2009!! LET'S DIVE!!

"IRON MIKE" Fund Update

It is hard to believe that Mike Lyden has been gone for nearly eight months. The highly regarded and very accomplished former diving coach at the University of Kentucky succumbed to Cancer in early April after a hard fought two-year battle. He was a HUGE LOSS not only to his family and friends -- but to the entire diving community as well.

A fund was established to collect donations in Mike's name for the benefit of his wife and three children. The response from the diving community has been nothing short of incredible. To date, more than $30,000.00 has been donated to the "Iron Mike" Fund.

His wife Emily and his three children Jessica, Jack and Brittany are so grateful for the outpouring of support and they want to say thanks to all who contributed or helped in some way during these difficult times. The Lyden Family will always be a part of the "diving family" and we continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers over the holiday season.

It is not too late to contribute -- you can still send your tax deductible donation (check made payable to "Wildcat Aquatics, Inc. / Iron Mike Fund") to:

IRON MIKE FUND
c/o Springboards and More
P.O. Box 268
Milford, OH 45150
USA

THANK YOU DIVING COMMUNITY FOR YOUR VERY GENEROUS SUPPORT!!

The ART of the High School Diving Sheet (Part 2 of 2)

See the blog posting below this one for my Rule #1 - #5.

RULE #6: It might seem obvious to many, but you would be surprised at the number of divers who do not follow the correct format as dictated by the rules. (EXAMPLE: Six dive format or 11-dive format) Follow the rules!!
RULE #7: Choose and use Voluntary (“Required”) Dives that consistently score the most POINTS – not necessarily the Voluntary Dives with the highest degree of difficulty.
RULE #8: Always end your dive list with your “money dive.” This is the dive that you can always count on to score well and one that you can perform well even under pressure. (Usually, the final round of diving gets scored a little bit higher so use this to your advantage – do a GOOD dive and get VERY GOOD scores).
RULE #8A: Never finish the meet with a “chuck” dive – that is, one that you just “chuck” off the board and hope it gets scored well. “Hide” this dive somewhere else in your list. (Often this is a reverse or twisting optional dive)
RULE #9: Both the diver and the coach should double check the diving sheet and be sure that both diver and coach sign the sheet where indicated. Never rely on an official or other person to check your sheet.
Rule #10: Make sure that your properly completed and double-checked diving sheet is turned in to the correct person or place ON TIME!

EXCEPTION TO RULE #8: If you are “on the bubble” to make it through all the cuts, you may need to re-structure your list slightly – perhaps moving your “money dive” to the 8th round in order to help you make the final cut and then be able to do your last three dives.

Prior to filling out your diving sheet, write down on a sheet of paper all of your dives grouped by category and listed by dive number. EXAMPLE: Forward Group – 101B, 105C; Back Group – 201A, 203B; etc. Making sure that you follow the correct format as required by the rulebook for the order of your dives, begin filling out your dive sheet. As you add a dive to your dive sheet, cross it off the written list you created. Once your sheet is completely filled out, go back and write an “R” for required (or “V” for Voluntary) next to each Required or Voluntary Dive. Then write an “O” next to each Optional Dive. This is especially important if you use non-standard dives for your voluntary dives. (5231D instead of 5111A or 103B instead of 101B for example)
After you (the diver) check your sheet for errors (correct dive number; correct position letter, correct written description and correct degree of difficulty), have your coach double check your sheet for errors. As a coach, I always found it helpful to READ the dive list back to the diver as a means of checking it. Occasionally, I would even “change” a dive number or position letter to see if my diver was truly paying attention while we checked the sheet together.

Finally, both diver and coach should sign the sheet and turn it in to the correct person or place ON TIME. The bottom line is to take your time, follow the rules and verify your dive order and dive sheet.

The ART of the High School Diving Sheet (Part 1 of 2)

Setting up your list for an 11-dive championship format diving meet is both an art and a science. Having coached high school divers for more than 20 years, it has been my experience that the way you set up your dive list is directly related to how well you finish in the final standings. I have TEN GOLDEN RULES -- Here are the first five:

RULE #1: Diving is a headfirst sport and therefore, headfirst dives almost always score better than feet-first dives. (203 instead of 204 or 301 instead of 302)
RULE #2: Never start the meet with a “blind entry” dive. (EXAMPLE: 301 or 203)
RULE #3: Never follow a multiple-spinning somersault dive with a less multiple spinning dive in the same direction and in the same position. (EXAMPLE: Never do a 105C followed by a 403C unless they are different positions – 105C followed by a 403B would be okay)
RULE #4: Never follow a multiple twisting dive with a less multiple twisting dive in the same direction. (EXAMPLE: Never follow a 5225D with a 5223D or 5233D)
RULE #5: Group similar dives or takeoff directions together. (EXAMPLE: 201 followed by 203 – or 201 followed by 203 followed by 5221 – all “back” takeoff dives in a row allows you to get into a rhythm).

Check back in a few days for RULES #6 - #10 as well as some other pertinent information that you might find interesting!

Until then -- Jump HIGH; Spin FAST; Kick TIGHT and GO IN STRAIGHT WITH GOOD FORM!

The "Perfect" Diver!

It has been said that the "perfect" diver is an orphan with a trust fund. This tongue in cheek joke makes reference to a diver who does not have meddling parents and one who would have no problem paying team and coaching fees in a timely manner.

Of course, all coaches know that there is no such thing as the "perfect" diver but a "near perfect" diver would definitely have:

1. DESIRE -- You cannot force a kid to want to be a good diver.
2. ATHLETIC ABILITY -- In order to compete at a high level -- the diver must be physically able to successfully complete the big dives required.
3. MENTAL TOUGHNESS -- The diver must be able to block out any and all distractions while they are on the board.
4. COMPETITOR -- The diver must not crumble under the pressure of a big meet and they must be able to "answer" when necessary during a meet.
5. WORK ETHIC -- The diver MUST and MUST WANT TO put in the time necessary to be a good diver. (See #1 above)
6. FOLLOWS DIRECTIONS -- The diver must LISTEN to the coach and try their very best to make the correction each and every time.
7. SUPPORTIVE PARENTS -- The kind of parent that brings their kid to practice on time, every time; pays their fees on time, every time; never engages in negative talk about another diver, parent or coach; lets the coach do the coaching; is a team cheerleader and helps the team whenever and however asked.

If you can find a kid that has most of these qualities, chances are good that they will be successful in this sport. If the diver is missing some or all of these characteristics, you will be fighting an uphill battle.

Immerse Yourself!

When it comes time to teach a "big" dive or learn HOW to teach a "big" dive -- both the coach and the diver need to IMMERSE themselves in the dive.

Both diver and coach should watch video of the new dive; the coach should talk to other coaches who have divers doing the dive or have had a diver do the dive. The diver should talk to other divers who are doing the dive. Ask them what steps they did to prepare for the first attempt. What type of dryland skill work was done? Ask them to describe any pitfalls or problems they encountered when teaching or learning the new dive. Ask if there are any drills or skills that should be practiced over and over to help the diver prepare for the dive. Does this new dive require the coach to make a "call" that they have never made? Should you wait until you are able to do the dive in an over-the-water spotting harness or have access to a "Bubbler Machine"? The list goes on and on. Immersing yourself in a dive is not easy -- but it is well worth your time.

Coaches should be willing to help out other coaches; divers should be willing to help out other divers. Besides just being good sportsmanship -- it can only help to improve the sport.

Diving Program Tool Box and Accessories

This past weekend, I attended a college diving meet -- simply to watch a former diver compete and somehow got roped into announcing the meet so I missed most of the watching!!

Anyway, when it came time to start the meet, the home team could not find their diving judge scorecards, DD Calculators, etc. which made me stop and think about my next blog entry.

Every coach (or at least every diving program) should keep some basic (and pertinent) diving supplies together (and nearby) so that when needed, they can be easily accessed. My suggestion is to buy a small plastic tool box with removable top shelf. The box should have the ability to be "locked" so it cannot open as you run down the pool deck trying to start the first event on time! In this "diving supplies box" should be:

1. Diving Judge Scorecards (At least three -- maybe five or seven depending on what kind of meets you host)
2. Degree of Difficulty Slide Calculator (At least one -- two to be safe)
3. Numerous pencils and pens, pencil sharpener, colored markers, stapler, (solar) calculator, paper clips, etc.
4. 1/2", 9/16" and 15/16" combination wrenches. These three wrenches will tighten (or loosen) every nut and bolt on a Durafirm Diving Stand.
5. Grease gun with tube of grease (for your fulcrum)
6. Small can of 3 in 1 Oil (for your hinges)
7. Small tube of powdered graphite (for your twisting belt)
8. A couple repair parts for your fulcrum or hinge -- just in case something breaks during your next meet.

Best Wishes for a Safe and Successful Diving Season!

You Can't Get A Great Score Without......

I cannot stress this enough to divers and coaches. You CANNOT get a great score on a dive without a great entry!

I know what the rule book says. I know what they tell you in judging clinics -- BUT it is nearly impossible to get a great score on a dive that does not have a great entry. Cheating? No! Biased? Maybe. Incorrect? Perhaps. But if you watch enough diving at meets or on television you come to understand that a dive with a great entry is looked upon very favorably by the judges. A great entry actually seems to camouflage some deficiencies in the dive. Right or wrong it is reality so you as coaches must learn how to "play the game."

What Does This Mean?

It means that you as coaches should take the time necessary to teach your divers how to get into the water with little or no splash. Make sure they know how to grab a flathand, line up and lock out on every dive. It makes no sense to teach your diver more difficult dives if they cannot do their current dives vertically, with good form and a AT LEAST a good entry. A good dive with a good entry will get a good score but in most cases you will find that you cannot get a GREAT score without a GREAT ENTRY!

Now get back to the pool and have your divers do some more lineups (both forward and backward) to perfect this most important of skills!