Diving through the Fear

From the end of a springboard the surface of the water can look very far away. A beginner may take one look and then freeze up. Will it hurt to hit the water? What if I smack instead of going in headfirst? What if I get confused and land wrong? Even an experienced diver may remember those times when a dive didn’t go well. However, that experienced diver will also think about how much he has grown since his first attempts. And he will be pleased with the result.

Overcoming Fear

Everyone experiences fear from time to time. One response is to turn away and try to put the episode behind. However, this is not necessarily the best response. Walking away from a challenge can leave you feeling inadequate and allow the fear to continue to grow and fester, like an infection that just won’t clear up. The better reaction is to face that fear and tackle the challenge. This is harder to do in the moment, but in the long term it is much more beneficial. Conquering fear builds self-confidence and self-esteem.

In many situations, the big fear doesn’t need to be faced all at once, but can be broken down into smaller increments to conquer one at a time. This is true of overcoming the fears involved in diving. Nobody climbs up to the highest platform and executes a perfect reverse dive involving multiple somersaults and twists the first time they ever dive. Even Olympic-level divers begin by learning a simple forward dive and then adding more difficulty as they gain the required skills.

Benefits of Competitive Diving    

                        

While the physical benefits of participation in a diving program, such as improved coordination and growing strength, are relatively easy to see, kids also learn life skills that will benefit them both in school and adult life. They come to understand what a commitment is through the necessity of practicing skills over and over. They also learn how to concentrate in a noisy and distracting environment, as well as how to handle the ups and downs of competition.

So let your new diver worry. Then share in his triumph as he conquers his fear.