You’re On Deck: The Last 30 Seconds Before the Dive

Jul 11, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Francois Imbeau-Dulac of Canada competes in the men's 3m springboard final during the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Photo Courtesy: Erich Schlegel/USA Today Sports Images

By Danielle Repper, Swimming World College Intern

Picture yourself standing at the bottom of the steps of the diving board during a competition. Imagine the thoughts racing through your head, your palms becoming sweaty, and the sound of your heart beat. What may feel like an eternity waiting at the bottom of those steps, is only about 30 seconds, a very crucial 30 seconds. You’re on deck!

There is nothing quite like the anticipation of being the next diver on deck, standing at the bottom of the stairs while the diver before you takes their plunge. Listening to the crowd, hearing the board as it rebounds, and being mindful of the crowd’s reactions.

In between rounds, divers tend to have a fair amount of time. Every diver is different and will engage themselves in a variety of activities whether it’s listening to music or playing “Go-Fish” with other divers.  However, when it is almost time for your turn, the headphones and cards are put away, and all of a sudden you exit your bubble and are exposed to the commotion of the crowd, the announcer, and the other competitors.

You make your way toward the boards in search of your coach.  You listen intently as they give you specific details to focus on in your dive as well as a few words of encouragement. As you make your way over to the boards, you hear the announcer state your name, and you’re on deck.

Proper mental preparation is a large factor in achieving success, and with diving there is a time and a place to think and a time and a place to not.  As Laura Wilkinson, former United States Olympian once shared, “I dive stupid! I must turn off my brain.”

All the thinking should be done prior to your turn. The moment your name is called and you walk up those stairs, don’t think, just do! You have trained a countless number of hours and have practiced each dive an innumerable amount of times, your body knows what to do. You must trust your body. Overthinking can often hinder one’s performance.

Photo Courtesy: Matthew S. DeMaria

As I mentioned, each diver is different, and we all have a variety of strategies we use to calm down or pump ourselves up before a dive.  However, the most important detail is positivity. It is crucial to have positive thoughts before you dive.  You must also live in the moment. Avoid preoccupying your thoughts with your last dive, your next dive, other competitors’ performances, what place you need or score you must achieve.  This adds pressure that should not exist.  Focus on the things you can control in that very moment.

One of the most common techniques divers use while on deck and even a few divers before, is visualization. Visualization allows divers to picture themselves performing their dive to the absolute best of their ability, by honing in on the fine details their coaches have been emphasizing and the corrections they have made through practice.

Another popular method divers utilize, is physically going through each individual motion of the dive piece by piece focusing on details their coach emphasizes such as body alignment and head position at each point.

Many divers also talk themselves through their dive. State either in their head or out loud what they should execute during their dive. Again it is key to use positive phrases. Use phrases such as “I will follow all the way through with my arms,” and avoid phrases such as “I won’t stop my arms short.” Although these both essentially mean the same thing, the use of the phrase “I will” is stronger.

Make the 30 seconds behind the board count, walk up the stairs with confidence, the results will be worth it!

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