High School Coaching

Question
Hi Tom,

I am a new high school diving coach, without much coaching experience.  I did diving for only one year in high school, but had done gymnastics for about 10 years.  I have a couple divers who dove last year and have some basic dives.  They can do a back dive in the straight position, but they throw their head back and arch a lot. They also enter the water way too far from the board. When they do 202 C, they also throw their heads back very early.  How can I help them fix this?  Should I make my new divers learn 201C first?  

My new divers are constantly entering the water WAY too far from the board on all front dives.  What can I do to get them closer?  

Although their 101's aren't the proper distance from the board, should I continue to progress them to learn 102?  I feel pressured to build their dive list so they can start competing for this short fall season.  They are brand new divers.

Last question:  How can I teach them reverses!  Should I have the divers from last year learn 302 before 301, since they can do 202C but not 201C?  What drills can I do so that they ACTUALLY go for the reverse?

Answer
Nina -

I am going to give you some suggestions to help you solve some common problems you are having with your divers. Understand that coaching divers or helping coaches over the internet in writing is difficult since I really need to see your divers mistakes but I will do the best I can.

FRONT GROUP - Divers new to the sport typically go out to far in this group. It could be that you have by-passed some very basic skills and drills that begin by using the side of the pool. Have your divers stand on the side with arms over head squeezing their heads with their biceps. Hands should be grabbed by placing one palm facing straight up and the other hand grabbing the back of the top hand. The divers should then push into a front dive tuck or pike making sure there is no grab of the shins or touching of the toes. They should be landing about 2 to 3 feet from the side. If they cannot do this, take a simple plastic hulu hoop and float it in the water about 3 feet from the edge.Have one diver hold it so it does not float away. Make it a contest to see who can dive through the center of the hoop. Once the divers can do this, then take the same skill to the board but do not use the hulu hoop. Instead use a simple garden hose with a sprayer attachment that sprays out a narrow diameter spray about 20 feet. Place the hose close to the water perpendicular to the board about 5 feet from the tip. Create another contest to see who can land inbetween the board and spray. If they hit the spray, it is just water and won't get hurt.That is why you do not use the hoop.Once all the divers can do this, do the same skill only add on the arm circle and do front dive tuck with a shin grab and front dive pike with a toe touch. If they can do this discontinue using the hose. The next skill is instead of doing a full 3 or 4 step approach, have the divers do a one step hurdle until they can land the same distance as the standing skills. Use the hose again of they cannot. When this accomplished have them do their full approach with the goal of landing about 3 to 4 feet from the tip. Only teach the 102C when they are the right distance from the board.

BACK GROUP - Try doing these fundamental skills. For the back dive straight, have the divers stand the same way they did in front group only you will not be using the side or the hulu hoop. Use only the 1 meter. Divers should practice a jump until they are the distance you want them from the board. If they cannot do it on a jump they won't be able to do it on a dive. Once they are the right distance go to the next skill. This involves using the synthetic chamois that most divers have (a Sammie#. If they do not have one, a simple wash cloth will work. Have them place the sammie on their collar bone and then grab it with their chin. The object of the skill is to hold onto to the sammie throughout the back dive until you say 'look'. You say they throw their head back on this dive. The sammie under the chin will prevent this. The reason they arch so much is because they look back for the water while they are right side up instead of when they are upside down. So when you say 'look', make sure it is at the end of the dive when they are upside down.When they look, the sammie will fall off which is OK. When this accomplished, have them add on the arm circle. And yes, you should teach the 201C but all divers need to know how to do a fundamental back dive straight as described.The trick with the sammie will also work on the 202C only you will not be saying 'look'. See who can do a back flip holding onto the sammie the whole time. If you make these skills fun contests they are more likely to want to do them.

When it comes to the reverse group, they will have to very good at 201C and 202C before you teach 301C and 302C. I very often have taught the 302C before the 301C. I teach them to do them standing instead of with a hurdle. Use the sammie again only for this group, the sammie is placed about 3 feet from the tip floating in the water. Have there divers do a front jump tuck looking down at the target and jump over the sammie landing about 5 feet from the board going in the water at a slanted angle backwards. Slant a little more each time until you feel they are ready to do a 302C.Once they can do a 302C, add on the one step hurdle. The do a full approach. Use the same methods on the 301C.If they are too close to the board, it means they do not have the skill level to do this group. Better to be too far away on reverses than too close.

Here are some websites to go to and get some educational material:

www.usadiving.org - Scroll down the bottom of the homepage and click on Educational Materials. There are some good low priced DVD's you can order such as 'Skill Development Clinics 2 and 3'. Also at this site you could find a local club team to go to and attend some of their workouts and watch advanced coaches teach dives. Click on Join USA Diving and then Find A Club. Enter IL and a list of teams will come up.

www.aaudiving.org. Click on Merchandise and then Dive Videos. On the next page look on the left hand side for 'Diving #6#'. Click on that link and look for videos by Jeff Huber. A good one is 'Skills and Drills for Success'.

www.diving.about.com. Site that explains the sport. Enter 'lessons' in the search box and read articles that interest you.

Hope all this helps. Good luck with your season.