site to start a team in the east bay

Question
I'm getting my safety certification this month in Denver, and I am looking for a pool site to start a club, that meets or exceeds the minimum Fina dimensions for diving facilities for 1 and 3 meter springboards, in the east bay area of San Francisco?  

Answer
John-

I spent many years coaching in the S.F. Bay area so I am familiar with the area you want to start a program. The best way I can answer your question is tell you what organized teams there are in the East Bay so you know what to expect on pool availability:

The best team is the Diablo Divers of Walnut Creek coached by my long time friend Phil Tonne. Phil is also the coach at U.C. Davis.He uses a pool(s) run by the City of Walnut Creek. He has one of the best male divers in the US - Kristian Ipsen. His is not a large team but a good one. He would be a good person to get to know to find pools. Look up his contact info at the U.C. Davis Athletic Department wesbite.

Another long time friend is Steve Sherman who runs Sherman Divers out of his swim school in Lafayette. Google Sherman Swim School to get his contact info. Another good source to find a pool.

Monte Young runs All Valley Divers in the East Bay Area (Livermore). He has struggled for many years to find a good pool. He uses a high school pool but only gets it a few days per week. You can find his contact info at the USA Diving website by clicking on clubs.

There is new coach at U.C Berkeley but I do not know his name. He may need someone to run a club team for him but I do not know for sure. Contact him at the U.C Berkeley athletic department website.

There is junior college in Concord/Pleasant Hill area called Diablo Valley College. Good pool with 4 boards but I do not know about its' availability. There is a college coach there but do not know his name or about a club team.

There is a great high school pool in Orinda called Campolindo that has a separate diving well with four boards. I do not think there is a club team there, just a high school coach. Google the Soda Aquatic Center for more info.

You can also try this website: www.swimmersguide.com. It can find pools in any zip code and has facility descriptions.

Finally, there are two indoor pools in San Francisco with no club teams. St. Ignatius High School and the University of San Francisco. All of the above mentioned pools are outdoor as is most of the bay area.

Hope all this helps. Good luck in your search because it won't be easy - pools are dominated by swim clubs and water polo teams !!