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.

How Diving Prepares Children for Life

Gymnastics and diving naturally go together. Watch divers and gymnasts and you’ll see many of the same somersaults and twists being executed by each group. Competitive divers often enhance their skills with training in a gym using a simulated springboard, called a dry board, over a foam pit, along with harnesses and belts for safety. Divers use such facilities to learn new dives without the worry of landing in the water with a smack and to perfect dives they already know.

Children as young as 5 years of age can begin learning these techniques. If your child is interested in learning to dive or participating in a competitive program, rest assured that this activity provides multiple benefits that reach far beyond the pool.

Benefits
Competitive diving offers a multitude of benefits that will serve your child throughout life. In addition to the development of athletic and motor skills, it also teaches several cognitive and social skills necessary for success in school and career.

Among the most important skills is the ability to set realistic goals. Your child may enter our program with plans to win an Olympic gold medal, and while that would be thrilling indeed, it doesn’t just happen. A new diver needs to master the basic forward dive before moving on to dives with somersaults and twists. Coaches work with their athletes to set appropriate short-term goals along the path to the bigger dream. Along the way, your child can also learn how to apply this method to everything from school projects to career planning.

Navigating the emotional ups and downs of competition contributes to a child’s ability to deal with both success and disappointment. After a successful competition a young athlete may think that practice is a thing of the past, until the next meet! Competitive diving can also help your child learn how to deal with momentary disappointments without derailing long-term commitments and goals.

A Word about Safety
The dangers of diving receive publicity whenever a swimmer is hurt in such an accident. However, studies have shown that most diving injuries occur when unsupervised or untrained divers behave recklessly without adhering to common safety precautions. One of the advantages to supervised programs is that young athletes learn how to balance safety and risk, so they can enjoy the thrill of slicing into the water while avoiding injury.