Springboards and More wants to say a BIG THANKS to all of our customers -- both new and returning -- for your business and continued patronage of our company. Our goal for 2010 will be the same as it has been since we started this endeavor in 1999 -- to provide to you or your diving team high quality products at reasonable prices with great customer service!
Our family and staff hopes you and your family enjoy a very Merry Christmas and we offer our best wishes for a safe and magical holiday season. May your team and the sport of springboard and platform diving continue to grow and prosper in 2010 and beyond.
LET'S DIVE!!
** Springboards and More will be closed from 12/24/2009 - 01/03/2010. Orders can still be placed online, by mail or by fax, but please be aware that your order may not ship until Monday 01/04/2010 when we re-open for business as we will have very limited staff coming in during this time.
Showing posts with label diving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diving. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
DIVING "INSURANCE"
When the words "diving" and "insurance" are used in the same sentence, people think "uh oh -- big expense; hard to get; difficult to afford; etc.) But, I am not talking about this type of insurance -- rather I am talking about having "Dive Insurance."
"Dive Insurance" is making sure that you have a back-up dive or dives that you can substitute into your list at the last minute should one of your regular dives (for whatever reason) not be usable. Divers of course should practice their "list" of dives -- but they should also practice their "insurance dives". This is applicable to all levels of diving. Here are a few examples:
SUMMER LEAGUE DIVING:
Little Johnny learns an inward dive (401C) and it is really good. You are going to replace his 5111A (front dive with 1/2 twist) because he sometimes does not complete the twist all the way or his form is not good when he does the dive. However, during warm-ups for the meet, little Johnny starts getting too close to the board on his inward and gets scared. Johnny, (his mom) and you do not want to use that dive today. The insurance dive is his "questionable" 5111A -- might not be pretty, but at least it is safe.
HIGH SCHOOL DIVING:
Your diver learns a 105C (front 2 1/2 somersaults in tuck position) but goes to a meet at another high school where the diving board is not as good as the board on which your diver trains and they are having difficulty making the 105C on the "bad board." In this instance -- your insurance dive would be a 104C (front double somersault in tuck position) or 103B (front 1 1/2 somersaults in pike position).
COLLEGE DIVING:
Your diver learns a 5235D on 3M (Back 1 1/2 with 2 1/2 twists) and this will replace their 5134D (front 1 1/2 somersaults with 2 twists). During warm-ups the day before the meet, your diver starts "getting lost" on his 5235D. If you had your diver continue to practice the 5134D even after they learned the 5235D -- you could simply substitute the 5134D back into the list and not miss a beat.
As with any insurance -- you hope you never need it, but you gotta have it!
"Dive Insurance" is making sure that you have a back-up dive or dives that you can substitute into your list at the last minute should one of your regular dives (for whatever reason) not be usable. Divers of course should practice their "list" of dives -- but they should also practice their "insurance dives". This is applicable to all levels of diving. Here are a few examples:
SUMMER LEAGUE DIVING:
Little Johnny learns an inward dive (401C) and it is really good. You are going to replace his 5111A (front dive with 1/2 twist) because he sometimes does not complete the twist all the way or his form is not good when he does the dive. However, during warm-ups for the meet, little Johnny starts getting too close to the board on his inward and gets scared. Johnny, (his mom) and you do not want to use that dive today. The insurance dive is his "questionable" 5111A -- might not be pretty, but at least it is safe.
HIGH SCHOOL DIVING:
Your diver learns a 105C (front 2 1/2 somersaults in tuck position) but goes to a meet at another high school where the diving board is not as good as the board on which your diver trains and they are having difficulty making the 105C on the "bad board." In this instance -- your insurance dive would be a 104C (front double somersault in tuck position) or 103B (front 1 1/2 somersaults in pike position).
COLLEGE DIVING:
Your diver learns a 5235D on 3M (Back 1 1/2 with 2 1/2 twists) and this will replace their 5134D (front 1 1/2 somersaults with 2 twists). During warm-ups the day before the meet, your diver starts "getting lost" on his 5235D. If you had your diver continue to practice the 5134D even after they learned the 5235D -- you could simply substitute the 5134D back into the list and not miss a beat.
As with any insurance -- you hope you never need it, but you gotta have it!
Friday, January 2, 2009
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!!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
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.
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.
Monday, October 27, 2008
How Coaching Diving and Making Homemade Bread are Related
In my opinion, one of life's simple pleasures is the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven! This weekend, my kids and I made homemade bread. They love mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, eating the dough and finally enjoying the warm bread after it comes out of the oven. What they do not like is the time it takes to make homemade bread and the clean-up that must be done when finished.
It got me thinking about how making bread and the sport of diving are similar. First from a spectator point of view. There is something rather enjoyable about watching an elite level diver perform a difficult dive with grace and ease. The best divers in the world can make it look so easy that it is sometimes difficult to really comprehend how much time and preparation went into perfecting that dive. The same could be said for the enjoyment you might get after eating a slice of homemade bread -- it seems so simple and basic you sometimes forget the time and skill that went into making it.
From a coaching point of view -- think of yourself as the "baker" and think of your diver at the Nationals as the freshly baked bread that just came out of the oven. You (the baker) have your own special recipe that you use to create this freshly baked loaf of bread (your diver). As with most recipes -- especially bread recipes -- it is very important to follow the steps in a certain order for the recipe to turn out the way you want or expect. This is certainly true when training a diver. You must do certain prep work, and mixing, and kneading, and waiting, and finally baking -- a long and sometimes boring journey. There are no shortcuts to making homemade bread and there are no shortcuts to making an elite level diver. There is only hard work, discipline and patience combined with a little luck that will hopefully produce an unforgettable result.
It got me thinking about how making bread and the sport of diving are similar. First from a spectator point of view. There is something rather enjoyable about watching an elite level diver perform a difficult dive with grace and ease. The best divers in the world can make it look so easy that it is sometimes difficult to really comprehend how much time and preparation went into perfecting that dive. The same could be said for the enjoyment you might get after eating a slice of homemade bread -- it seems so simple and basic you sometimes forget the time and skill that went into making it.
From a coaching point of view -- think of yourself as the "baker" and think of your diver at the Nationals as the freshly baked bread that just came out of the oven. You (the baker) have your own special recipe that you use to create this freshly baked loaf of bread (your diver). As with most recipes -- especially bread recipes -- it is very important to follow the steps in a certain order for the recipe to turn out the way you want or expect. This is certainly true when training a diver. You must do certain prep work, and mixing, and kneading, and waiting, and finally baking -- a long and sometimes boring journey. There are no shortcuts to making homemade bread and there are no shortcuts to making an elite level diver. There is only hard work, discipline and patience combined with a little luck that will hopefully produce an unforgettable result.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
If You're Happy And THEY Know It.........
Tonight was my first night of diving practice for the 2008-2009 season. This begins my 23rd year of coaching age group diving -- more than half my life! My mentors include Charlie Casuto, Stan Randall, Greg Gunn and Hobie Billingsley.
I used to coach diving full-time -- it was my livelihood. I coached both diving team (Cincinnati Stingrays) and diving lessons (DIVE Cincinnati) 6-7 days per week / 50 weeks a year. I worked hard for nearly 15 years but I was starting to get burned out and my divers could tell. I needed a break but I needed a way to supplement my income as I had just been married and a few years later had twin babies. This is how I came to start "Springboards and More." Now nearly 10 years later, and with the continued growth of my diving equipment business, I do not need to coach diving anymore -- but I continue to do so because I ENJOY it! I really do love to see the expression on a kid's face when they learn a new dive. I get as much satisfaction out of teaching a Front 3 1/2 Somersaults to a great athlete as I do teaching a Front Flip to a non-athletic kid who never thought they would learn one.
Since I no longer rely solely on coaching diving for income AND I can quit when ever I want, I have a whole new outlook. I come to practice refreshed and enthusiastic. I enjoy myself and my divers enjoy themselves. In most cases, they leave practice with a smile on their face as do I. They are happy and so am I. They feel good about what they accomplished at practice and I feel good about what I helped them accomplish at practice. It makes me excited to come to practice the next time.
This "concept" is very important for coaches -- especially NEW coaches -- to remember. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, your divers will not enjoy what they are doing. If you are not in the mood to coach, your divers will not be in the mood to dive. If you are not enthusiastic about your coaching, your divers will not be enthusiastic about learning from you. YOU SET THE STANDARD!! You are the leader and your divers will follow suit. So put a smile on your face, and bring a positive attitude with you to the pool and INSPIRE your divers to be as good as they can be! IT IS NOT EASY, BUT THE REWARD IS WORTH THE EFFORT!
I used to coach diving full-time -- it was my livelihood. I coached both diving team (Cincinnati Stingrays) and diving lessons (DIVE Cincinnati) 6-7 days per week / 50 weeks a year. I worked hard for nearly 15 years but I was starting to get burned out and my divers could tell. I needed a break but I needed a way to supplement my income as I had just been married and a few years later had twin babies. This is how I came to start "Springboards and More." Now nearly 10 years later, and with the continued growth of my diving equipment business, I do not need to coach diving anymore -- but I continue to do so because I ENJOY it! I really do love to see the expression on a kid's face when they learn a new dive. I get as much satisfaction out of teaching a Front 3 1/2 Somersaults to a great athlete as I do teaching a Front Flip to a non-athletic kid who never thought they would learn one.
Since I no longer rely solely on coaching diving for income AND I can quit when ever I want, I have a whole new outlook. I come to practice refreshed and enthusiastic. I enjoy myself and my divers enjoy themselves. In most cases, they leave practice with a smile on their face as do I. They are happy and so am I. They feel good about what they accomplished at practice and I feel good about what I helped them accomplish at practice. It makes me excited to come to practice the next time.
This "concept" is very important for coaches -- especially NEW coaches -- to remember. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, your divers will not enjoy what they are doing. If you are not in the mood to coach, your divers will not be in the mood to dive. If you are not enthusiastic about your coaching, your divers will not be enthusiastic about learning from you. YOU SET THE STANDARD!! You are the leader and your divers will follow suit. So put a smile on your face, and bring a positive attitude with you to the pool and INSPIRE your divers to be as good as they can be! IT IS NOT EASY, BUT THE REWARD IS WORTH THE EFFORT!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
What Happened to TEAM USA in Beijing?
I must confess that I had high hopes for TEAM USA in Beijing but I watched the 2008 Olympic Games with a heavy heart and a somewhat perplexed eye. After judging the Olympic Trials and witnessing some spectacular diving up close and personal throughout that entire event, I felt very confidant that the 2008 U.S. Olympic Diving Team would come away from Beijing with at least one medal if not a few. I looked very favorably upon the team that was selected to represent the United States at these Olympic Games. The divers looked to be in great shape; appeared to be injury-free and were diving very well both nationally and internationally. In addition, the coaches had worked so hard over these past four years getting their divers ready for "The Big Dance" and the administrative support that many felt was lacking in the past seemed to be in place. Based on all this and more, I really felt that USA Diving had turned a huge corner in their comeback from a very drastic free-fall in the world standing of the diving community.
Then Beijing -- no medals once again! Granted, our overall placing was much-improved from Athens but in the past THREE Olympic Games, the United States has won only ONE medal. To put that in perspective: Out of a possible 72 Olympic Diving Medals given during the last three Olympic Games (eight events x three medals per event x three Olympic Games), the US has a record of 1-72. OUCH!
What is the answer? Is it coaching? Is it lack of knowledge? Is it training (too much or not enough)? Is it lack of competitive fire? Is it facilities or lack thereof? Is it "delusions of grandeur" on the part of the athletes and / or the coaches? Are we missing "swagger"? Do we need to recruit and / or find better athletes? Is it experience or inexperience? Is it the age of our divers? Did the Chinese get over-scored at their home pool? Do our divers wilt under pressure at big meets? Were our divers simply tired from the travel and drastic time change? Did our divers peak too soon (i.e. Olympic Trials)? I do not know the answer but I look forward to talking with our Olympic Coaches as well as the athletes to get their take on what needs to be done.
I certainly am not giving up and I hope the coaches, divers and administrators are not giving up either. I think USA Diving has made HUGE strides in the past four years and I think we will continue to improve and continue to chip away and slowly but surely make our way back to the top. GO USA!
Then Beijing -- no medals once again! Granted, our overall placing was much-improved from Athens but in the past THREE Olympic Games, the United States has won only ONE medal. To put that in perspective: Out of a possible 72 Olympic Diving Medals given during the last three Olympic Games (eight events x three medals per event x three Olympic Games), the US has a record of 1-72. OUCH!
What is the answer? Is it coaching? Is it lack of knowledge? Is it training (too much or not enough)? Is it lack of competitive fire? Is it facilities or lack thereof? Is it "delusions of grandeur" on the part of the athletes and / or the coaches? Are we missing "swagger"? Do we need to recruit and / or find better athletes? Is it experience or inexperience? Is it the age of our divers? Did the Chinese get over-scored at their home pool? Do our divers wilt under pressure at big meets? Were our divers simply tired from the travel and drastic time change? Did our divers peak too soon (i.e. Olympic Trials)? I do not know the answer but I look forward to talking with our Olympic Coaches as well as the athletes to get their take on what needs to be done.
I certainly am not giving up and I hope the coaches, divers and administrators are not giving up either. I think USA Diving has made HUGE strides in the past four years and I think we will continue to improve and continue to chip away and slowly but surely make our way back to the top. GO USA!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
University of Tennessee's Incredible New Pool (Diving Well)
Here is a photo of the incredible University of Tennessee Aquatic Center. The facility is set to open in mid-March and will host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Diving Team Selection Camp immediately following the 2008 Olympic Diving Trials. The University of Tennessee Diving Team is coached by Dave Parrington and the equipment was installed by Springboards and More. (www.SpringboardsAndMore.com)
Monday, March 10, 2008
Former PDCA President Keith Russell Named U.S. Olympic Diving Judge
Keith Russell, Diving Coach at Brigham Young University and former President of the United States Professional Diving Coaches Association, Inc. has been named Olympic Diving Judge for the United States. Springboards and More congratulates Keith and we know he will represent the United States and the Sport of Diving in a very positive light.
Sell Springboards And More Items At Your Next Diving Meet
Springboards And More offers consignment sales for many of our most popular items - Sammys & Aqua Towels, Meet Supplies, Wrist Grips, Books & Videos, Equipment Packages, and an assortment of diving related items. A great fundraising idea for your team! Visit our website at SpringboardsAndMore.com or contact us at (877) 348-3246 for more information.
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