Mentor New Coaches
By Kacee Hoffer
Diving is a fantastic sport! It is also very technically advanced. At the beginning level we talk about how the board works, what the different parts are called and learning the basic (front jump, back jump, the different between a jump, a lineup and a dive). Then the diver grows, gains new skills, becomes a better athlete, so they need different coaching. That coaching may range from learning their lists for junior Olympian status, learning harder dives to become more competitive, or drilling down their mechanics. It requires a higher level of coaching, but also each diver is different.
I remember when I was a new coach, it was during COVID. We had virtual meets, closed practices and of course masks. People weren’t talking to each other. So I only had my own knowledge to go off from; it wasn’t enough. Not only regarding the technical skills of diving and teaching the proper and the most safe way to learn new dives, but also the mental game that new athletes to the sport face.
When we were finally able to have meets again, it was like, as a coach, I could come up for air and say to a senior coach, “can you help me?”. I sat on judging panels and asked a million questions about “why did you give that score?”, and “can you watch my diver and see what you think?”. I traveled to other teams that were more advanced and spent practice time with those coaches. It was an incredible time for learning.
Our governing bodies talk about education, courses, videos and talking points for new diving coaches. We hear statements of “we need to educate the young coaches”. I agree, yes we do. Where we disagree is how that is best going to be done. We don’t need more courses. We don’t need more formal education for learning dive code or the rules of a judging panel. We need human interaction.
Every new dive coach needs a mentor. Someone they can reach out to, send a video and say how do I make this diver better. The generation before us have seen a lot as coaches, they coached us and empowered us to love the sport enough to turn around and coach the next generation. Be open enough to spend time with a new coach, walk them through ensure through how you approach a dive, technical changes you focus on and even how you approach each diver differently that needs different coaching (because we all know some kids needs the extra push and others need to be told i’m happy to see you).
This is an incredible community that is there for each other. Let’s be there for new coaches to educate them on the job. Teach them what you wish you had known starting out and what you’ve learned from all your years.
