Update -- August 22, 2007

Dear Divers and Parents,

Wow, two update letters in one week!  Imagine :) 

This is mostly a "business" update -- about the workout schedule and the upcoming meet we have tentative approved by the Richardson Pool Management.  Here goes:

NEW DAYS ADDED TO WORKOUT SCHEDULE

We have had sufficient interest in adding the Monday and Friday workouts, so I am doing so effective immediately (will start on Friday, August 24, 4PM...if ya get there earlier, and traffic allows me to as well, I'll pull some extra belts :)

These are not going to be "Oh, I have a choice of which days to show up" kinds of workouts -- if you signed up for T/Th, then stay there you shall.  However, if I have room and you notify me in advance, it may be possible to "make-up" for missed days on M or F, as long as the M/F workouts have enough room.

This development also allows me the opportunity to make room for more lessons folks on M and F, as we happily already have a waiting list!

REST OF AUGUST WORKOUT SCHEDULE

Thurs, Aug 23, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Fri, Aug 24, 4:00 - 6:30 PM at Schofield

Sat, Aug 25, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Mon, Aug 27, 4:00 - 6:00 PM at Schofield  

Tues, Aug 28, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Thurs, Aug 30, 3:30 - 6:00 PM at Schofield 

Fri, Aug 31, 4:00 - 6:30 PM at Schofield

Sat, Sept 1, 3:30- 6:00 -- INTRASQUAD PRACTICE COMPETITION/PARENT TRAINING SESSION FOR MEET ADMINISTRATION (See below :)

TROPIC LIGHTNING FALL INVITATIONAL

This meet has been tentatively approved for Sunday, September 23.  I asked for a Labor Day Weekend date as well as one either September 15 or September 23, and was told (unsurprisingly) that Labor Day weekend was out, and that September 23 worked better for the pool.

Timeline will be similar to the meet we just experienced, in terms of Warm-ups starting at 7 AM and first event at 9 AM.  We will do 11 and Under Future Champions 1M events at the same time as 12 and Older Future Champions/8 to 10-Dive List 3M events (cuts down on the number of people trying to use a board at the same time) and then switch.  We will follow these events with an all-inclusive platform event (and we will work on platform skills and dives over the next month to prepare you all!).  Depending on the number of entrants, I estimate we will be finished by about noon or so.

I will serve as Meet Director, and will train all the enthusiastic parents and siblings and supporters in how to run the tables, etc.  As a start, I have put together a guide to "Running a Diving Meet A-Z" as well as one for "Running a Scoring Table."

We will have at least two intra-squad competitions over the next month so that parents, siblings, and supporters (and divers, too!) can learn the ins and outs of running a meet and get comfortable with the various roles.  I would like for the first one to run on Saturday, September 1 and the second on Saturday, September 15, during normal workout hours.

I am posting the tentative Meet Information as well, but remember that this is pending approval from the pool management.

DIVING MECHANICS EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

As you might have seen recently, I added a section on Diving Biomechanics (entries and springboard approaches and basic dives have been added so far).  I also found a great trove of YouTube Videos that have one of the most successful college coaches in the country discussing the techniques he advises (which, I must say, mostly mirror mine :)  All this information can be found in the Diving Bio-Mechanics Discussions section of the website.  

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