Coach's  History

Jeff Stabile

In His Past Life

Jeff started diving with two-time National Age Group Coach of the Year and 2000 Olympic Team Leader Van Austin in 1980. Despite a few temporary forays to other coaches in the early days, he remained with Van throughout his competitive career. As a diver, he won a then-unprecedented four NCAA Division III crowns (sweeping both springboards in 1985 and 1986) while representing UCSD.  After his sophomore year, he transferred to UCLA and reached the NCAA Division I Championships before graduating with a BA in Psychology.  Jeff continues to compete on the both the Masters and Seniors levels, and has won nine individual titles and four synchro titles at Masters Nationals over the last 10 years. In 1996, he had the honor of serving the Southern Pacific Association as the Athlete Representative to the US Diving Convention.

Jeff started coaching professionally in 1990.  At the collegiate level, he has produced 16 Conference Champions, eight NCAA Zone Qualifiers, five NCAA qualifiers, and 2 NCAA All-Americans at Occidental College and UC Santa Barbara.

On the club level, Jeff has developed many national-level divers, including 30 Junior National finalists and 10 Senior National qualifiers in 1996-1998.  Coaching awards and honors include publication in the Professional Diving Coaches Newsletter in July, 1992, being named Zone D Age Group Coach of the Year in 1993, serving as Southern Pacific Association President 1997-1999, and being named to the East/West All-Stars International Coaching staff in May, 1999.

Since Moving to Hawaii

Jeff moved to Honolulu in September, 1999, after having been here for the Masters Nationals the month before. Working as a math teacher at the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and the Blind in Waikiki, he coached the Iolani School team and produced four first-time State qualifiers, including one finalist, during the 1999-2000 season.

The following summer, at the suggestion of her daughter's diving camp coach (and as it happens Jeff's good  friend) Scott Smith, Nancy Monden contacted him and secured some workout time at Schofield Barracks' Richardson Pool. Thus was born the Rainbow/Tropic Lightning Diving Team.

Over the past five seasons, Jeff has coached over 35 divers to over 70 Aloha State Games medals, three divers to 25 top-twelve finishes at U.S. Diving Junior Regional Championships,  one diver to five appearances at various East/West Championships,  three divers to the finals of the AAU National Championships, and one diver to the finals of the US Junior and Senior Nationals.

He continues to be active in United States Diving on the coaching and administrative levels.  Within USD, he has served on the Junior Olympic International Subcommittee and Nominations Committee from 1999-2000 and 2005-2006, the Finance Committee from 2002-2005, the Junior Rules Subcommittee in 2002-2004, the Long Range Plan Review Committee in 2003, and is currently a member of  the Governance and Rules Committees. 

Jeff enjoys the sport in other ways as well, providing online color commentary at the 2000 US Diving Olympic Team Trials, judging at the 2000, 2005, 2006 Junior Nationals, the 2000 and 2003, 2004, and 2006  Senior Nationals, the 2002 Junior World Team Trials, and the 2004 -2006 East/West Championships.

He is also actively  involved  in the renewed Amateur Athletic Union diving scene, serving as AAU's Hawaii District Coordinator and also on the National Diving Media Blitz Campaign Committee.  In Fall of 2006, he will serve as one of the Hawaii District's representatives to the AAU National Convention.