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.

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DIVING IS A CROCKPOT, NOT A MICROWAVE SPORT - SOMETIMES THIS IS HARD FOR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND! MOST DIVERS CAN CONTINUE DIVING UNTIL WELL INTO THEIR 30’S AT THE OLYMPIC LEVEL.   

 

 

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; Making good choices.

    •    A chance to travel, visit new places and make new friends.

   

 

    I.    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.

 

 

    2.     How to Prepare Your Child for a Competition

Most divers do not need a pep talk from their parents before a meet. Diver 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 give 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. 

 

    3.     What level will my child compete in?

 

Diving levels are broken down using two characteristics:  Age Group and Skill Level

 

Big Cat Diving, LLC participates in Four (4)  main categories:

 

    A.     Future Champion - this category focuses on the MASTERY of beginning skills a diver needs to acquire in order to succeed at the more difficult levels.  Future Champion is broken down in to three categories that focus on basic board-work, skills and safety that are needed to achieve more difficult dives successfully.  All athletes perform 5 basic jumps or dives and are scored by a panel of judges.  At this level, degree of difficulty is not awarded or used in calculating a diver’s placement in the final standings.  All divers should have a successful performance at one level (levels being Bronze, Silver and Gold) before moving on to compete at the next level.  These level of divers participate in meets at the local level.

 

    The age groups are broken down into 7 and under (for some meets), 9 and under (for most meets),  10 to 12 year olds, 13 and over.

 

    B.     Novice - this category mixes skills and dives in competition, rewarding maximum skill development along with giving a bit more “incentive” for divers obtaining more difficult “tricks”.  The older age groups are rewarded by using a “degree of difficulty” in the final calculations of scores to determine placement.  This level of divers participates in meets at the local and regional level.

 

    The age groups are broken down into 7 and under (for some meets), 9 and under (for most meets), 11 and under , 12 to 13 year olds, 14 and over.

 

    C.    Junior Olympic - this category focuses primarily on more difficult dives (or tricks) using a degree of difficulty calculation for all age groups and dives.  This level of divers participate in meets at the local, regional and national level.

    

    The age groups are broken down into 9 and under or Group E (for some meets), 11 and under (for most meets) or Group D, 12 to 13 year olds or Group C, 14 to 15 year olds or Group B, and 16 to 18 year olds or Group A.

 

    D.     UIL - Big Cat Diving supports athletes in their participation of UIL High School competitions.  This category of athletes participate in meets for their particular high school.  Big Cat prepares lesson plans to assist divers in obtaining the requirements to participate in their high school dual and championship meets.

 

    4.  What Age Group Is My Child In?

 

For an Age Group Meet, a diver’s age as of the last day of the current year determines the age group for that meet. Thus, if your child turns 14 on the last day of the current year, your child will compete in the 14-15 age group for that entire meet/year.

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    5.    What is the difference between United States Diving and the AAU - Amateur Athletic Union? 

United States Diving Inc. (USD) is the national governing body of diving, the successor to the Amateur Athletic Union. USD is an independent, not-for-profit corporation which has sole authority over selection of the United States National Team.  Your local association (i.e.. Gulf (our association), Florida, New England) is a subsidiary member.  Recently, United States Diving has focused primarily upon the development of divers at the National and International level.  

The AAU - Amateur Athletic Union - is the predecessor of United States Diving.  The AAU primarily governs developmental diving up to the Junior Olympic levels.  Most local and regional meets are sanctioned by the AAU.

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