 WHAT
DIVING PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
The sport of diving is safe, fun
and exciting. More than 20 million children participate in organized sports,
but only a few thousand of the most talented athletes will become divers.
Many young divers dream of the making
it to the Olympic Games, others dream of making their high school teams or getting
a college scholarship. No matter what size a child’s dream, it is important
that the dream is their dream. Parents should nurture these dreams and
help them come true.
Being a "diving parent"
is just one more facet in the challenging job of being a parent. The goal of
this booklet is to provide some pointers. Every situation is different, so
you should use your best judgment.
Through
Diving your Child can Acquire
•
Improved athletic and motor skills;
•
A positive self-image;
• Improved social skills from interacting with teammates and coach;
• An ability to deal with success and disappointments;
•
Sportsmanship and leadership skills;
•
A chance to travel, visit new places and make new friends.
What is AAU
 The
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was formed in 1888 to serve as a forum for athletic
competition among young men and women. The AAU is the largest nonprofit,
volunteer based, sports organization in the United States. It supports over
500,000 athletes in 34 sports on the local, regional, and national level with
more than 250 national championships. It was designed for all who share a
passion for athletics. The AAU has helped to mold and shape our young athletes
to become faster, stronger, and smarter.
Diving
Safety
Many parents express concerns about
the safety of diving. However, for an athlete who is properly trained by a
safety certified coach, diving is an extremely safe sport. “Diving Safety,
A Position Paper” published by United States Diving reports on a study conducted
by the Consumer Product Safety Commission which found that there were fewer
accidents related to diving and diving boards than to golf, bowling or bleachers.
A second study conducted by the National Spinal Cord Injury Data Research Center
found that half of all diving injuries occurred in rivers, lakes and oceans
and that most diving injuries “result from horseplay and injudicious behavior.”
As Olympic Coach Ron
O’Brien has explained: The sport of diving has suffered a poor image through
association with accidents involving a dive into water, but having no connection
to the sport of diving itself. These accidents occur in the shallow end of
the pool, not the deep end, and they usually involve people who are not divers,
have received little instruction and whose activities are not properly supervised.
A
Diving Parents’ Responsibilities
•
Make sure the diver is at practice on time and ready to dive. Siblings and career
obligations often make this difficult. Car pools with teammates are often the
best solution.
•
Encourage your child without pressuring them. Always show interest and enthusiasm.
•
Try not to coach your child. During practices and meets, allow the coaches
to do their job. Some coaches find that divers perform better and more effectively
when parents are not present or are seated further away.
•
If your child misbehaves, a coach has some responsibility to discipline them,
but the ultimate responsibility for discipline remains with the parent.
•
Do not criticize coaches, officials or other divers in front of your child.
•
Let your child know that you will be there for them, even if a practice or competition
does not go as well as hoped or anticipated.
•
When asked, help out with team or meet activities. When at a meet hosted by
another team, remember to thank coaches, officials and other meet volunteers.
Putting on a meet is a tough job; expressions of appreciation are always welcome.
How
To Prepare Your Child For A Competition
•
Most divers do not need a pep talk from their parents before a meet. Divers
usually get excited about competing, and do not need to get “fired up.” Let
the coach set the mood and the tone.
•
If your child seems nervous, help him or her to focus on their goals. Always
be positive with your encouragement and comments.
•
Diving is a sport that is better performed when the athlete is relaxed. To reduce
stress, it is important that the diver’s self esteem (or the parents’) does
not depend on the outcome of a meet or the performance of a particular dive.
It is important to remember that a poor performance at a competition is not
a negative reflection on the diver or the parent. Win or lose, a diver must
know that he or she has his or her parents support and approval.
How To Handle A Poor
Performance
It
is impossible for an athlete to give a top performance at every meet. Dealing
with disappointment can be much more difficult than dealing with success. A
parent should focus on some aspect of the competition that went well. Examples
include performing a new dive for the first time in competition, or visible
improvements such as a better toe point or higher jump. Allow your diver to
be disappointed before trying to cheer them up. A diver needs to know that
they can fail and still be supported. Then focus on up-coming events.
Try
not to say the following:
•
Oh, it’s not that important.
•
If only you had...
•
Why did you balk?
•
We pay a lot for you to train, and this is all we get?
•
It wasn’t your fault, it was the judging.
•
If only the coach let you do another dive.
Proper Eating
For
good practices and meets, it is important that the diver eat well. Many divers
have trouble eating before the meet, but they should eat something. If a diver
runs out of fuel in the middle of a meet, it is too late to do anything about
it.
Complex
carbohydrates such as apples, yogurt, pancakes, pasta and whole grain breads
are ideal pre-meet foods. Before practices and competitions, divers should
avoid foods high in fat such as hamburgers, french fries and sausage.
What Age Group Is
My Child In?
Competition
levels are divided into the following age groups: 9 & under, 10-11, 12-13,
14-15 and 16-18. A diver’s age as of the last day of the meet determines the
age group for that meet. Thus, if your child turns 14 on the last day of a
three-day meet, your child will compete in the 14-15 age group for that entire
meet.
Communicating with
the Coach
A diving
coach can have a positive and long-lasting relationship with your child. He
or she can help a diver to perform well and make diving a pleasant experience
for your child.
As a parent,
you may find it difficult to approach a coach with a question or a concern.
Remember, you and the coach are working together in the best interest of your
child, and you should feel comfortable discussing with the coach any issue that
affects your child.
The best
time to approach a coach is before or after a practice or a meet, not during
the event. It is helpful to remember that a coach is most likely concerned
with long-term goals and may have a different perspective than the parent.
Also, remember that a coach is concerned with the best interests of the team,
as well as those of your individual child.
A misunderstanding
or miscommunication should be addressed early on before it turns into a more
serious problem. Approach the coach with your concern and listen to the coach’s
explanation. Some misunderstandings may be a miscommunication on the part of
the child. Occasionally a parent may want to remove a child from the sport
due to an unpleasant experience. Before making any abrupt moves, a parent should
talk to the coach to see if a less drastic step may improve the situation.
Working
together, parents and coaches can create a positive atmosphere for a diver.
Please remember, it is the parents’ job to support the diver and the program,
and the coach’s job to coach.
Diving Meets - Everything
You Need To Know
The following
suggestions are geared to help you through your first few diving meets. These
are general rules. You should always check with your coach to find out specifically
what he or she expects of divers and their parents.
Before the Meet Starts...
•
Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a healthy meal prior to the
competition.
•
Be sure that you know what time the coach expects you at the pool. Give yourself
plenty of traveling time so that your child will arrive at the pool before the
scheduled warm-up begins. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
• If the meet is an “away” meet, make sure the coach knows where you are staying
so that he or she may get in touch with you if needed.
• Check with the coach before leaving for the meet to learn if your child should
sit in the bleachers with you or report to the deck. Some teams sit together
on the deck, so look for familiar faces.
• United States Diving insurance regulations do not allow parents on deck unless
they are serving in an official capacity (i.e., working the scoring table).
• Have your child contact his/her coach so that they know you have arrived. Follow
the coach’s instructions on what to do next. It is important to remember that
coaches are generally very busy at meets, but will spend time with each child
when it counts the most - during their warm-up and during their event.
• Find the registration table. If your child is registered, check in and pick
up a diving sheet(s). If your child is not registered, you should pay the registration
fee, fill out all appropriate entry forms and releases, and pick up a diving
sheet(s).
• Diving sheets describe what dives your child will be doing and in what order.
They are used by the announcer and the scoring table to record scores. If your
child has never before filled out a diving sheet, and does not know how to do
it, check with the coach. Sometimes, a more experienced diver from your team
will be available to help your child. Some coaches recommend filling out a
practice sheet the week before the meet and reviewing it together.
• Once diving sheets are filled out, turn them in at the appropriate place (usually
the registration table or look for large envelopes hanging on the wall).
The Competition
It is important for every diver to
know when their event begins, and at what time the coach expects them to be
ready to compete.
Once the event has begun, the diver
should know their order in the event, and always be prepared to dive when their
name is called. Usually, the announcer will call the current diver and the
“on-deck” diver (the next diver in the order).
All questions concerning a judge’s
call, the conduct of a meet, or the meet results should be directed to the coach.
The coach will pursue the matter through the proper channels.
If you are looking for something
to do, check with the parents’ organization running the meet. You may be able
to help in some way, such as working at the scoring table, or you may want to
bring a good book or some work from home
After the Event,
A Parent May Want To
•
Make sure the child is available for any award ceremonies if applicable.
• Tell your child what a great job they did and how proud of them you are.
•
Help them to relax if they are preparing to dive in a second event.
•
Make sure they are eating and/or drinking the proper foods.
•
Once the diver has finished competing, check with the coach before leaving (to
find out about the next practice or warm-up times for any upcoming events).
What To Take To The
Meet
•
Bathing suits - one for warm-up and one for competition.
•
A sammy or chamois towel, so that the diver may dry off in between dives.
• Towels -your diver will be there for awhile, so pack at least two.
• Team outfit.
•
Sweat suit or terry cloth bath robe.
•
Playing cards, walk-man, games - diver may have some free time between events.
•
Food - don’t count on the snack bar at the meet to provide nutritious foods.
A cooler with healthy food such as fruit, yogurt, granola bars and juice is
usually a better choice.
•
For you - a book or some work from home. You’ll have some free time in between
warm-ups and events.
•
Remember, pools are usually very warm and humid. Therefore, you need
to make sure you dress appropriately - layers are recommended.
In Closing,
being
a diving parent has many rewards, but it is not always easy. This booklet was
designed to help make your role as a diving parent a little more straightforward.
This is only a starting point. We hope it is useful.
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Diving Team Parents
