Flop Free

Confession time: I can't dive. 

 

I can swim, but I've never been able to dive.

So when JR asked if he could take diving lessons, I was all for it. 

 

Yesterday was JR's first diving meet. I posted on Facebook that if he didn't belly-flop or hit his head on the diving board Greg Louganis style, I was considering it a success.

 

 

Well, it was a success.

 

 

I've never been to a diving meet, and honestly have only seen it on the Olympics, so I had no idea what to expect. 

There were 5 rounds of dives, and two judges.  Each judge held up their score after each dive.

 

 

First Round: Front Tuck Jump Straight

(jump off diving board, tuck your knees, land feet first)

I don't have a good picture of this one, but here he is about to jump.

Second Round: Back Jump Straight

(jump backwards into the water staying completely straight the entire time)

Watching the other divers with his teammate AJ. 

There were probably about 25 kids competing.

Third Round: Approach Front Dive

(take 3 big steps, jump, and dive)

Fourth Round: Back Dive (this one is self explanatory)

The beginners are able to have their coach help them, although they can't score as many points.

Warming up in the pool before the 5th round. 

Fifth Round: Fall-Off Front Dive

(a dive without jumping)

The kids aren't divided up by ability, just age and gender, so JR was competing in the boys 9-11 group. 

There were 5 boys in his group, and JR got 4th.

 

I was so proud he didn't come in last he might as well have won an Olympic gold medal!

(JR was super proud of himself too.)

A well earned 4th place smile!