Diving program for a beginner

Question
Hi Tom,
I have a 9 year old daughter who has done gymastics for a year. She wants to try diving. We are in  Castro Valley, CA (San francisco Bay area) and looking for a good program. Based on some of your answers I was able to go to US Diving and find a club- All Valley Divers.
My questions to you- How does one rate the Diving program and the coach of a club? How difficult is it to start in this sport and be successful? Is 9 too late to be a college level competitive player?

Appreciate your help and advice.
Roop

Answer
Hi Roop -

There is no exact rating system for diving clubs and coaches but I can give you some suggestions.

Make sure the club and coaches are registered members of either USA Diving or AAU Diving. They should also be USA Safety Certified Coaches which means they have taken a course and passed a test. The All Valley Divers are members of both of these organizations and have been around a long time in Bay Area.

9 years of age is a good starting point. She is not too old by any means. She may be too young to start diving year round. I would suggest doing it seasonally when it is warm as there are no indoor pools where you live. There are only outdoor facilities so when it starts to get cold, she may not want to be at a pool. I would suggest diving 2 or 3 days per week for an hour each workout.

Gymnastics is different than diving in that you have to start young in gym. I know of a diver who did not start until she was 15. She quit gym, dived for 3 years, received a scholarship to a major university and went on to dive in two Olympic Games winning two medals.

Most of diving is comprised of girls between 10 and 24 and most of them are ex-gymnasts. She will not have a hard time learning diving because of her gymnastic background. I suggest she stay doing gym along side of diving and then later on when she is 12 or 13, choose the sport she can do the best.All the best divers incorporate gymnastics in their training program especially the use of a spring floor and a trampoline so make sure she is training in those events as well.

Good luck.