Update -- January 6, 2008

Dear Divers, Parents, and Supporters,  

Welcome to 2008 :)

We kicked off the New Year with a great set of meets this weekend (see High School Diving Section), but also encountered our first sad news of the year -- Justine, whose family is relocating to Texas in the Spring, is not going to be diving with us (regularly -- she is still welcome to drop in on occasion when she feels like visiting!) as she gets ready for the move over the next few months.

BE PREPARED FOR HEAVY DRYLAND OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS!!! Please come to workout with shoes and loose-fitting/exercise clothes for dryland!!

VERY IMPORTANT!!!! USA Diving Registration

Remember, it is time to register (or )re-register for USA Diving, if you have not already.  Unfortunately, USA Diving's website shows only three currently registered members -- me, Tate, and Samantha.  I know several others have registered, but I guess the waiver forms are missing or something -- I searched the member database for at least two of you, and did not find your names at all...Please follow up by contacting Pam Majors at USA Diving  (pam.majors@usadiving.org or 317-237-5252). 

Also remember that there are now the  "Competitive Blue" and "Competitive Gold" membership categories.  Here's a link to let you read more about them:  usadiving.org news.  Please register as a Competitive Blue or Competitive Gold athlete for 2008 ASAP (including faxing in the required waiver -- or doing the electronic waiver that now seems to be in place) -- you will not be allowed to dive in the 2008 season until you do.   Remember, the Competitive Blue price is only $20 for the whole year, and allows you to compete on the Junior level in Invitationals and Association meets!  Competitive Gold price is $75 and allows you to compete on the Regional, Zone, and National level to which you qualify.  So please get on this right away!  New members to the club who have not yet done so also need to register to be covered by insurance, so please review the instructions on "How to Join USA Diving" and get to this right away!

I WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO ATTEND PRACTICE AFTER JANUARY 13 WHOSE NAME DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE USADIVING MEMBERS LIST ON WWW.USADIVING.ORG!!!

January 5 Meets

Congratulations to Ashley, Khoral, Kai, Beau, and Mark for their fine performances at the Iolani and Kalani Invitationals on Saturday.  Kalani was the first varsity meet of the season (Ashley is JV, but allowed to dive exhibition as varsity), and for Mark and Beau, their first competition ever!  Ashley and Khoral went to Iolani, where they shined in the Intermediate and JV events

Kalani Invite Highlights:  Braving the cold Hawaii Kai morning with tepid water in the "hot tub" and 16 competitors practicing on the boards, our troupe did well.  Ashley competed her 104C for the first time in a high school meet, and Kai competed a new dive -- 5221D.  Mark learned his 302C during Friday's practice to complete his varsity list, while Beau came back from three weeks of no practice due to illness and a trip and had only two practices in which to get comfortable again (these two have each learned 11 different dives, including two inwards and two reverses, in under 2 months -- wow!).  

Ashley -- nailed her 401B for 7s and her 403C for 6s, and earned at least three 5s on every dive except her 5111A to score 293.45 and qualify for the State Championships (she did so also at her pre-season meet).

Kai -- finished 3rd, hit a beautiful 401B for 6s and better, and earned mostly 5s on his 403c, which he has been a little wary of lately...did a great 5121D that I thought was underscored for 5-5.5s 9I gave it a 6).  Will be bucking for a state qualifying score at the next meet on January 12th.

Beau -- hit most of his debut dives for 4-5s.  Stood his 201A up nice and high and maintained good form throughout.  Nailed his recently learned 5122D (only guy on the team to do that one consistently).  Would have finished 4th had he interpreted the announcer correctly on his 302C -- he did a 402C -- and the dive had to be failed.  I bet he learned a valuable lesson there, though!  heheh

Mark -- hit his 5211A for 4.5-5s, and made all the rest of his dives, doing all the positions correctly (this has sometimes been an issue :).  Has mastered the art of doing a 402C that is not painful, and did a nice one in the meet.

Iolani Highlights:  

Khoral -- threw three new dives (401B for 5.5s, 102B for 4-5s, and 5211A for 4.5s), all with more difficulty than her last meet, and improved her score greatly, finishing 2nd (less than a point from first!)

Ashley --  hit several dives better than she had in the morning varsity event, namely her 202A for 6s, her 5111A for 5.5s, and her 104C for 4.5-5s, winning her first ILH Invitational JV event.

The Kaiser crowd has next week off from competition, while the Khoral and Ashley have a meet at Kamehameha Schools on Saturday at 2:30 (warm-ups at 1 PM).

For the most up-to-date High School Season Info, please see the High School Diving Section.

TLDT 2008 Competitive Schedule

We will attend the Spring Region 9 Championships in Scottsdale, AZ, April 5-6 and those who finish in the top 6 in any event will attend the West Championships in Columbia MO, April 25-27.

We will attend the Summer Regionals in either  Tucson, AZ on June 13-15 or Santa Clara, CA, June 20-22 (depends on affordability and how we are feeling with school having just gotten out :)  Those who place in the top 15 will move on the the Zone Championships in Los Angeles, CA, July 10-13 and those who place in the top 12 at the Zones will move on to Nationals in Rockville, MD, August 12-15.

For a look at the complete schedule for 2008, please see the HDA Calendar of Events.

Oh, and by the way, in order to be eligible to go to the Regional level, TLDT Divers must have a complete Junior List in the events they plan to compete.  For the 12-13, 14-15, and 16-18 age groups, this includes doing optional dives that have an average degree of difficulty of 2.0 or higher, which basically translates to front doubles, 1 1/2s in every other direction, and twisters with at least 1 1/2 somersaults or 1 1/2 twists.  So, if you are interested in getting to this level, let's take advantage of all the trampoline and dryland work we will do over the next few months to get us ready!

REST OF JANUARY WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Mon, Jan. 7, 10:00 AM - Noon at Schofield (awaiting feedback from team members regarding attendance...)

Mon, Jan. 7, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Tues, Jan. 8, 10:00 AM - Noon at Kaiser High School 

Tues, Jan. 8, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Wed, Jan. 9, 10:00 AM - Noon at Schofield  (awaiting feedback from team members regarding attendance...)

Wed, Jan. 9, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Thurs, Jan. 10, 10:00 AM - Noon at Kaiser High School 

Thurs, Jan. 10, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Fri, Jan. 11, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Trampoline at HCDB or workout at Kaiser High at 3 PM

Sat, Jan. 12, 10:00 AM - Noon at Kaiser High School 

Sat, Jan. 12, 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm ILH Invite at Kamehameha Schools 

Sun, Jan. 13, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Mon, Jan. 14, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Tues, Jan. 15,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Wed, Jan. 16, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Thurs, Jan. 17,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Fri, Jan. 18, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High

Sat, Jan 19, 8:30 AM - Noon -- ILH Invite at Iolani School

Sat, Jan 19, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM -- OIA Relays at Kaiser High School

Sun, Jan. 20, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield

Mon, Jan. 21, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Tues, Jan. 22,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Wed, Jan. 23, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Thurs, Jan. 24,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Fri, Jan. 25, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High

Sat, Jan 26, 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM -- OIA JV Championships @ Kaiser

Sat, Jan 26, 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM -- Sandra Serai Invite at Punahou

Sun, Jan. 27, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield

Mon, Jan. 28, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Tues, Jan. 29,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Wed, Jan. 30, 3:00-5:00 PM at Kaiser High 

Thurs, Jan. 31,  3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

ASL CORNER

As always, this reference is here so you all can learn to communicate with our deaf diver/s: check out the ASL Corner,  do the lessons as you want to, ask me for help as you need.

Okies, That's all for now! 

Jeff