Anonymous
07/31/2024 19:52
Subject: Re:competitive diving for kids
By the way, I wouldn’t try to push your son into a certain sport just because he is small.
Anonymous
07/31/2024 19:51
Subject: competitive diving for kids
Anonymous wrote:Definitely throw him into some basic gymnastics so he can learn to control his body in the air and build some strength before he’s good enough to add drylands for dive.
Boys can start dive later than girls because there are fewer of them. Most boys don’t have the control or attention to detail to make their dives tidy until they’re 12-13, so there are developmental reasons to wait. My DD is a diver and the best girls either start at 9-10 or switch over from gymnastics in middle school. Athletic and smaller boys regularly stroll in at 13ish from soccer or another sport and rise quickly through the ranks. The one concern for smaller boys is that responsible coaches won’t let them go off higher than a 3m until they reach certain milestones- every coach is different but my DD’s requires them to have a specific dive list on the 1 and 3m and reach certain weight, height and strength requirements to start 5m and then 10m training. If your DS is very small, he might be put off by the wait.
Dive and swim attend summer league, HS and college meets together, but otherwise dive is just its own standalone thing. Most divers I know were never on swim team or were 8&u dropouts. One exception is a sophomore who just joined DD’s club because he was bored with swimming.
Where is there a 10m diving board around here? The highest I’ve seen is Oak Marr and I think that one is 5m.
Anonymous
07/31/2024 19:19
Subject: Re:competitive diving for kids
OP here. Thanks for the responses this is very helpful!
Anonymous
07/31/2024 15:41
Subject: competitive diving for kids
Anonymous wrote:
-Would it be weird to do diving if we never did swim team? DS knows how to swim, but is OK, not amazing (mostly because he just hasn't practiced the way you would if you were on a swim team).
I was a diver as a child specifically because I could not swim. I mean, I could stay afloat and get to the edge of the pool, but I could not (still can't) do formal strokes. In the neighborhood I grew up life revolved around the swim club in the summer so wanting to be included while not on the swim team meant joining the diving team. Totally normal.
Anonymous
07/31/2024 11:05
Subject: competitive diving for kids
Greg Duncan, who grew up in this area and is now in the Olympics for diving, started at like 12, I think.
Anonymous
07/31/2024 01:22
Subject: competitive diving for kids
Definitely throw him into some basic gymnastics so he can learn to control his body in the air and build some strength before he’s good enough to add drylands for dive.
Boys can start dive later than girls because there are fewer of them. Most boys don’t have the control or attention to detail to make their dives tidy until they’re 12-13, so there are developmental reasons to wait. My DD is a diver and the best girls either start at 9-10 or switch over from gymnastics in middle school. Athletic and smaller boys regularly stroll in at 13ish from soccer or another sport and rise quickly through the ranks. The one concern for smaller boys is that responsible coaches won’t let them go off higher than a 3m until they reach certain milestones- every coach is different but my DD’s requires them to have a specific dive list on the 1 and 3m and reach certain weight, height and strength requirements to start 5m and then 10m training. If your DS is very small, he might be put off by the wait.
Dive and swim attend summer league, HS and college meets together, but otherwise dive is just its own standalone thing. Most divers I know were never on swim team or were 8&u dropouts. One exception is a sophomore who just joined DD’s club because he was bored with swimming.
Boys can start dive later than girls because there are fewer of them. Most boys don’t have the control or attention to detail to make their dives tidy until they’re 12-13, so there are developmental reasons to wait. My DD is a diver and the best girls either start at 9-10 or switch over from gymnastics in middle school. Athletic and smaller boys regularly stroll in at 13ish from soccer or another sport and rise quickly through the ranks. The one concern for smaller boys is that responsible coaches won’t let them go off higher than a 3m until they reach certain milestones- every coach is different but my DD’s requires them to have a specific dive list on the 1 and 3m and reach certain weight, height and strength requirements to start 5m and then 10m training. If your DS is very small, he might be put off by the wait.
Dive and swim attend summer league, HS and college meets together, but otherwise dive is just its own standalone thing. Most divers I know were never on swim team or were 8&u dropouts. One exception is a sophomore who just joined DD’s club because he was bored with swimming.
Anonymous
07/30/2024 21:35
Subject: competitive diving for kids
If you want him to be good, he really should concurrently pick up gymnastics too.
Anonymous
07/30/2024 21:34
Subject: competitive diving for kids
Where do you live? Some of the Montgomery County summer pools have diving teams.
Anonymous
07/30/2024 21:24
Subject: competitive diving for kids
I've been thinking about having my 10 year old DS try diving lessons, but would like to hear more from parents whose kids do/have done this. DS is very short and skinny, but super athletic and coordinated. He is currently pursuing another sport, but we are rapidly approaching the point where his size will put him at a real disadvantage so I'm interested in exploring other options.
- Is diving something a kid can reasonably take up this late and, assuming they have the skill and drive, be competitive? I'm not thinking about college yet, just would like DS to be able to compete locally, since he tends to enjoy competition.
- My impression is that being small and skinny isn't a disadvantage for diving--I think that's true, but would welcome feedback if not.
-Would it be weird to do diving if we never did swim team? DS knows how to swim, but is OK, not amazing (mostly because he just hasn't practiced the way you would if you were on a swim team).
Anything else worth knowing?
- Is diving something a kid can reasonably take up this late and, assuming they have the skill and drive, be competitive? I'm not thinking about college yet, just would like DS to be able to compete locally, since he tends to enjoy competition.
- My impression is that being small and skinny isn't a disadvantage for diving--I think that's true, but would welcome feedback if not.
-Would it be weird to do diving if we never did swim team? DS knows how to swim, but is OK, not amazing (mostly because he just hasn't practiced the way you would if you were on a swim team).
Anything else worth knowing?