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I’ve seen a few of these in action at one of my DDs former gyms. The age/level groups were definitely mixed, with my 15 yo L6 training directly next to a 5 yo L4 and a 16 yo elite national team member. When my DD had a pretty spectacular fail at her first meet, the HC applauded her in front of the whole team at the next practice. He told them she might have failed (a little bit) but she gave it her all and laughed it off and did her next pass well. We all adored that atmosphere and it left a mark on us all in terms of knowing what good training looks like.
 
Thanks for sharing!

My DD recently left the gym and has just started diving. She's certainly at the basics portion of learning, but thankfully, the rest of her team is currently refreshing them, too. They spent their last practice mostly going in off the side of the pool. She currently practices alongside boys from her former club, as well as a couple of young girls who were compulsories and switched over. And yes, they are encouraged to do all of the events.

What surprised me is how supportive the team is, and how laid back the sport seems. I'm sure it helps that it's a more uncommon sport in our area, so perhaps there's just less competitiveness, but from coaching downward, there seems to be much less pressure. More an atmosphere of "I really would like to make my coach and team proud" rather than "I must perform well or my coaches as team will be disappointed and there will be consequences".

Kids are also encouraged to compete for their high school teams, despite it meaning they'll only practice/compete 1m, and that it means taking 3 months out of the club pool.

Somehow, despite all of this laid-back attitude, all of their senior divers received D1 scholarships this year. Now, I don't think that's common, and I don't think it's my DD's goal, but I think it's a testament how this sort of attitude can keep kids in a sport and learning. :)

Hey, not a single kid has been kicked out of the pool for failing to make a correction, fear, attitudes, etc. They talk it out and figure it out.

And YES. So much applause for failures. And then more applause when they try again.
 
Around us there seems to be lots of #3... but very limited on #2/6/7. Great article... but there is a definite reason why there are so many gymnasts in diving.
 
I do not think the picture is as rosy as is painted. Everything I have seen in elite diving it is as tough as gymnastics. Chinese coaches are very, very tough. The culture is different.

Applauding the failures may seem like a nice thing, but landing like in that video, flat from 10m, there is a real risk of internal injury. If one of my kids did that i’d be getting them checked by medics.
 
I do not think the picture is as rosy as is painted. Everything I have seen in elite diving it is as tough as gymnastics. Chinese coaches are very, very tough. The culture is different.

Applauding the failures may seem like a nice thing, but landing like in that video, flat from 10m, there is a real risk of internal injury. If one of my kids did that i’d be getting them checked by medics.

I do think that maybe there is elite diving, and then Chinese elite diving. And perhaps the video was created with rose tinted glasses, and perhaps it downplayed some if the intensity.

Must divers be serious and safe? Yes. Do coaches yell if the kids horse around or spend too much time relaxing under the warm water? Yes. I've never had an issue when true misbehavior is corrected. I'm not certain how to word this precisely, but it's a much more laid back/fluid/understanding experience for my DD overall. Is X not working? Then try Y today. It's as if fears are more expected, anticipated, and accepted.

As far as that dive off the 10m platform, I was also a little shocked - wondered where the bubbles were at the very least!
 
The overall issue with diving in my area is the fact that there is really only one place to dive... Schroeder Aquatic Center (only real place I know of in the Milwaukee area). The local high schools really really struggle when they get a gymnast with tons of trampoline experience.

Unexperienced diving coaches take gymnasts straight to their max ability and don't spend enough time on basics.
 

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