FAQs and Parent information

What experience does my child need to dive?

None!  Ages 5-18 are welcome and the ability to swim unassisted and safely from the diving board to the ladder is our only pre-requisite.  If your child loves to jump off the diving board at the pool they're exactly who we are looking for.

What are the age groups for divers?

Age categories are determined by birthdate as of 1 June in current year.

• • • Freshman divers = age 10 and under

    • Junior divers = age 11 and 12

    • Intermediate divers = age 13 and 14

    • Senior divers = age 15 and up

 If 5 year olds and 10 year olds are in the same age group, how is that fair?

The focus for divers age 5-7 is 1) to gain familiarity and comfort around the boards and in meet scenarios, 2) to learn basic skills early and 3.) bond with and be inspired by older divers and mini coaches.  Divers who begin young have a big advantage because, as they grow into the top of their age group, they can use their newly gained body control and strength to excel at the foundations they already have while those who join as older freshman must learn foundations before becoming competitive.  

At the end of each season, NVSL holds a Championship meet called Cracker Jack which gives novice divers of all ages the opportunity to compete with divers across the league their same age.  Our divers tend to perform very well at Cracker Jack, gaining confidence and interest!  We highly encourage your new diver to plan to compete at Cracker Jack and for your family to attend and cheer them on.

What is the difference between A meets and B meets for dive?   How do you qualify?

To qualify for an A meet, divers must be able to safely perform required and optional dives assigned to their age group.  Requirements are as follows:  all ages must perform a forward (100 category) and backward (200 category) dive.  In addition, Freshman must perform one optional dive from any category, Juniors must perform 2 optional dives from two different categories, Intermediate must perform 3 optional dives from 3 different categories and Seniors must perform an inward dive (300 category) and 3 optional dives from 3 different categories.  Because our team is small, all divers who qualify to dive A can and should dive the meet, we will let your diver know when they are ready.  A new diver who does not score high will in no way "hurt the team's chances" so we hope all qualifying divers will choose to dive as part of our team!   We encourage divers who don't yet qualify to attend A meets with the team, cheer us on and join us at Cold Stone afterwards if we win. 🍦

B meets have more relaxed rules in the Freshman age group:  10 and under can divers substitute jumps or fall-ins for required dives.  In some cases "Cracker Jack" rules may be established to make it easier for novice divers of other age groups to participate without the normal number of optional dives.  Experienced divers may participate in B meets as mini coaches or to try a new dive, age group or position in a scoring scenario.

What are dive catgories (or groups)?

NVSL Springboard diving has 5 groups: forward dives (100 category),  backward dives (200 category),  inward dives (400 category), reverse dives (300 category) and twisters (5000 category).  In addition, each dive is performed in a position: straight (A), pike (B), tuck (C) or free (D).  To learn more about categories and groups, click here.

How does scoring work?  What should my diver expect?

Your diver will work with their coaches to plan their dive sheet for an upcoming meet which lists the dives they agree to perform for each round of the competition.  The first two rounds of diving are the same regardless of age group, round one is always a forward dive (100 group) and round two is always a backward dive (200 group).  

Each dive has a degree of difficultly assigned to it.  For example a 101A forward dive straight is always 1.4, a 101B forward dive pike is always 1.3 and a 101C forward dive tuck is always 1.2.  The dive written on the dive sheet will be announced so that the 5 judges know what to look for and once the dive is executed, each judge will hold up a score 0-10.  The highest and lowest score will be dropped and the remaining 3 scores will be added together and multiplied by the degree of difficulty assigned to that dive at the table.

Each diver's sheet will be different according to what they are capable and willing to perform.  Its a little like Pokemon trading cards: you want your dives to evolve into  progressively higher DD's in order to do more "damage" with your final score: having a great double/Charizard is better than a 1 1/2/Charmeleon is better than a sommersault/Charmander... if one were to make dive/Pokemon comparisons! 

The best divers are always willing to push past fear to learn new things so that they can play a progressively better hand at meets.  They must also play the odds - is it better to do the simpler, lower DD dive and receive a higher score or a new dive with a higher DD but potentially lower score?  (Divers tend to like math too.)

How do you teach new dives?

A coach will only suggest a new dive once your diver has demonstrated mastery of certain prerequisite skills.  For example, a diver with a solid front dive tuck and a strong back jump away from the board can attempt an inward dive but not until they show the coach they can do both these things proficiently.  Our coaches look for readiness and make suggestions but the diver must decide for themself.  If your diver is resisting a necessary new skill, coaches will work on helping them understand how the dive works as well as practicing pre-requisite skills to build their confidence.  If your diver gets stuck, we will reach out to let you know.  We cover tools for supporting your diver during our parent meeting so be sure to attend!

Once or twice a season the team will host a "Twinkie Day" where coaches give Hostess products to divers who attempt something new whether it's trying a new position on a standard dive or adding a 1/2 rotation or twist.  We also get sneaky and use games: you may see us split to group and pit one board against the other to see which board can get the most twists or rotations.  (This gets loud!)

Progress is entirely up to your diver.  No one gets kicked off the team or shamed for what they won't do, there is room for all paths on all timelines.  We also know that fear can build so we work very hard to see your diver through these episodes.  This can take time, seasons even.  We also know that once they finally execute the dive, the pride they feel is out of this world!  We want that moment for them so please give your diver the time and support they need to move forward at whatever pace they choose.

Divers progress and regress - it's very common to score lower on established dives while learning something new or to get "the yips" on a dive they had proficiency with just last season.  Please give your diver space to go through the ups and downs of learning and don't get caught up in scoring.  The most supportive thing you can alway say is , "I love to watch you dive!"

What is the scoring criteria?

• • a) Attend a judges' clinic to find out!  Even if you don't plan to judge (which we hope you will), you'll see how a dive is assessed by standard criteria, no matter which dive is performed from the board.

  • b) Check out the online handbook on the NVSL dive website

What are parent volunteering requirements for dive?

We require the help of our community to run each and every meet so if your child is scheduled to dive, we need each family to sign up a parent for one job opportunity on the circulated Sign up Genius.  If your family is new to sport, consider signing up for meet set up or tear down, getting ice, working concessions or working the table (training will be available).   If you are new to Truro we hope you will sign up for a swim team social event, its a great way to meet people!  And if you have one season under your belt we ask that you attend a judges' clinic - not only will you have a much greater appreciation for all the things your diver is learning and excited to share with you but having a large pool of judges means that we can rotate the duty and give all judging families at least one meet "off" to simply enjoy as spectators.  

If you have judged for one season we hope you will consider the referee's clinic.  This year we are seeking a new meet secretary and a back up announcer as well.

And remember: the best judges are NOT diving experts.  The best judges strongly believe in fairness  and aren't afraid to call it as they see it, even when they see it differently from everyone else.  Does that sound like you?  Please attend a clinic, we need you!

Where do I find meet results?

• • Meet results are posted on NVSL Dive Meet Results

My child enjoys diving. Where can s/he continue diving after summer league?

Three dive clubs are easily accessible from our area. These clubs work with divers of all ages and skill levels. Each club offers instruction year round. To discover the club that best meets your child's interest level and needs explore the following:

• • • Alexandria Dive Club (ADC)

    • Dominion Dive Club (DDC)

    • (will get back to you - there is a new club at Mason, we're seeking info)

  • In addition, check out the Fairfax County Parks and Recreation program, which offers beginner dive lessons: Partakes

  • Some Fairfax County RECenters have dive wells with open board time. Check out their schedule online to find a time for your diver to go off the boards. 

What do I do if my diver is having a problem or if I have feedback to share?

Reach out to your team reps  ASAP- that's what we're here for!  If you have feedback or a question for a coach, please do not approach them during practice time - it's important that their focus stays on the boards for both safety and logistical reasons.   All questions about the program or issues with coaching performance should come to your team reps to address.  We appreciate your trust and want your feedback for building the best program possible.

Can we tell you MORE?  We'd love to: please reach out at dive@trurohomes.org