3 Reasons You Should Volunteer at the Diving Table

Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

By Molly Lloyd, Swimming World Intern

We know, we know, diving isn’t the most straightforward sport there is, and looking at all the numbers the diving table has to deal with can seem pretty daunting, but there are plenty of reasons why you should volunteer at the diving table.

1. We could really use your help!

The diving table isn’t exactly the the most desired place to be, but we always appreciate when people are willing to help. Because people know so little about diving and because they automatically assume it is incredibly complicated and hard to follow, they are less inclined to help us out! But don’t be deterred, because we really need you! The diving world is small in and of itself, so sometimes we need help from the rest of the aquatic world – or even the non-aquatic world – to get us through.

2. You get to learn about how diving works.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - MAY 11: Brittany Viola of the USA dives during the Womens 10m Platform Semi Final at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center on Day 2 of the AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix on May 11, 2012 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brittany Viola

Photo Courtesy: Al Bello

So you’re not wrong…diving can be pretty confusing and tricky to understand, but one of the perks of working the diving table is finally being able to understand what all those weird combinations of numbers and letters mean. You’ll know that 303C means reverse one and half and you’ll know that 5233D means back one and a half with one and a half twists. You’ll understand what the degree of difficulty means and learn that something that has a DD of 2.8 is pretty impressive. What can you do with all of this new information? Well, first, it’ll give you a new appreciation for and understanding of the sport, but now you can also explain diving to all the people in your life who didn’t understand it before.

3. You get to watch some pretty cool tricks.

Underwater Diving World University Games Gwangju 2015

Photo Courtesy: Gwangju Summer Universiade Organizing Committee

As a diver, I may be biased, but I genuinely think that diving is one of the most interesting sports to watch. The skill it takes to do most of those dives is incredibly impressive and it’s always great to be able to sit there and appreciate the beauty of those dives. Sometimes, there’s nothing more entertaining than sitting there, being able to watch divers throw big dives, nail the entries, and score 6’s, 7’s, and even 8’s.

As a diver, I would like to thank all of the coaches, parents, officials, former divers, random people who were picked up off the deck, and whoever else for volunteering and working at the diving table at all the meets around the country – without all of you, dive meets would not run smoothly, or even at all. Your hard work is deeply appreciated by everyone in the diving community.

Honor all of the volunteers in your life this March by snapping their photo and posting with #1VolunTeam on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Tag @usaswimming and @swimmingworldmag too!

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