DIVE TEAM

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FAQ’s

How do I register my child for dive team? What does it cost?

You must first be a member of Phantom Lake Pool or a member of another Midlakes pool that does not already have a dive team.

Dive Team is $149 per diver for the 2024 summer dive season for Phantom Lake members. (Dive Team is $163 per diver for athletes who are members of another Midlakes club. Proof of Midlakes membership is required.)

Your diver's registration fee at Phantom Lake includes the fee for Midlakes Dive Championships. You will need to complete the Teams Registration Form, as well as several required forms. Details are available in the Requirements and Documents sections of the Dive Team area of our website.

Can my child try out dive team before committing to the whole season?

Trial class

· Your athlete can attend one trial practice without paying for the full season if their forms are completed.

· Before attending a trial practice, the following forms must be filled out - Lystedt Concussion and Risk of Injury; you may email the completed forms to plcdiveteam@gmail.com or bring them to the trial practice.

· If your child loves the trial practice and wants to sign up, just bring the check for payment of the season fees along with the forms you turned in.

Private lesson

· An alternate method is for members to schedule a private dive lesson with our coach.

· If your child enjoys the lesson and wants to sign up for the dive team, they can join partway into the season. All forms must be filled out – see Requirements.

· Bring completed forms, payment, and proof of your purchase of extended (AB) insurance coverage from AAU to the next practice.

Does our family have to be a member at Phantom Lake Bath and Tennis Club in order to join the Dive Team?

If you are not members here at Phantom Lake, you may still qualify to join our Dive Team. Your family must be members of a pool in the Midlakes Swim League.

· Your home swim club must not have its own dive team.

• Midlakes pools with dive teams

• All Midlakes pools

· Phantom Lake must have room on the team and be accepting non-members to attend the pool.

Does my diver need to buy a Phantom Lake Club team swimsuit?

· Purchasing a Phantom Lake Club team swimsuit is not mandatory. Many of our divers purchase one because they also belong to our Phantom Lake Club Swim Team.

· Any color of swimsuit the athlete chooses is fine. The swimsuit must be acceptable for competition standards (i.e. no two-piece swimsuits, no tie-backs, no t-shirts, etc.). Ask the Dive Team Coach or Parent Representative if you’re not sure.

· If your child would like to feel more coordinated with the rest of the team without purchasing a team swimsuit, they can simply wear a purple- or black-colored swimsuit.

Does my child need to be a great swimmer in order to join Dive Team?

· Your child must feel confident in the water. We recommend that he or she be able to tread water and swim half the length of the pool.

· You can schedule a private lesson with a swim or dive coach to help gain confidence before joining Dive Team.

My child does not feel comfortable going headfirst into the water yet? Will Dive Team help with this?

· Any experience level including novice is fine for joining our Dive Team.

· We recommend that your child feel confident in the water before joining. Have them join us at a practice to watch and see if it feels like something they can do.

· You can also schedule a private lesson with a swim or dive coach to help gain confidence before joining Dive Team.

How do I arrange a private dive lesson? Does my child need to belong to Dive Team in order to have a lesson?

You can schedule a private lesson with a swim or dive coach to help gain confidence in the water before joining Dive Team or just for fun and learning.

· Dive lessons can be arranged directly with the dive coach. Lessons cost $30/half hour and $50/50 minutes similar to other lessons for swim. Payment is made in advance to the pool office. Contact us for information on purchasing lessons.

Do I have to volunteer if my child is on the dive team?

It is expected that all parents volunteer for at least one dive meet and preferably twice. You can either serve as a volunteer judge or work at the scoring table. Announcing for the home meets is another option. We understand that everyone is busy, and some are able to help more often than others. Please make every effort to help since we cannot have dive meets without volunteers.

I'm not clear on how to be a judge for a dive meet.

Dive meets require volunteer dive judges. You learn so much more by judging as you watch each dive more closely than you might normally. Judging can be fun too!

To be a judge, you will evaluate three parts of each dive – 1) the approach + hurdle, 2) the flight, and 3) the entry – and give a final score. Each family should have a parent/guardian attend the online judge training on the Midlakes website. All training is free.

If you have questions, contact our Dive Team parent representative at practice or at plcdiveteam@gmail.com. Talk to other parents who have helped judge at meets and then you can help at the next meet. Judging the younger divers is usually easier since their dives are simpler than the senior divers.

What is involved in working at the scoring table?

We need three or four volunteers for the scoring table at home meets. The scoring jobs are fairly straightforward and training is available on the Midlakes Dive website. All training is free. Scoring can even be learned in the course of the meet without the training. This is a great first volunteer job.

What age bracket is my diver?

A diver’s age for the Midlakes summer season is determined by their age on or before June 15th of that season without exceptions. The age divisions are 8 & Under, 10 & Under, 12 & Under, 14 & Under, and 15 & Over (including the summer after high school graduation). Divers in younger groups may not “dive up” to an older group. There is no official minimum age to join the dive team, however a diver must feel confident in the pool and on the diving board, so 5 years old is the recommended minimum age.

Why are some divers listed as “A” divers and others are “B” divers? What is that based on?

The Dive Coach is responsible for designating diver level as “A” or “B”. Essentially, “A” divers have won two or more competitions in their age group or they won dive championships the previous summer or continued as an “A” diver in the same age group from the previous year. A year-round club diver may also get a special coach designation as an “A” diver based on their experience.

“A” and “B” divers receive the same amount of training time at Midlakes dive team practices, however younger “A” divers are expected to do an extra dive at meets. Regardless of level, the focus should be diver fun and personal growth. Private lessons are available for a more personalized focus.

When does Dive Team start /end?

Dive Team runs from late-June through the end of July.

For 2024, Phantom Lake dive practices are M-F from June 20 through July 26.

Does my diver need to attend a certain number of practices or meets?

No, and a little bit yes. Dive Team does not have specific attendance minimums and we understand that families may have other commitments. Participation at practices is important to gain confidence on the diving board and to compete safely at dive meets. Older divers are required to perform more dives at competitions than younger divers, so practice time is important to learn new dives.

In order to compete at the Dive Championships your athlete must have competed at two regular season meets. So, you can see it's "no, and a little bit yes" in terms of attendance requirements.

My athlete doesn’t respond well to pressure situations. How much pressure is there in dive?

Diving is both a physical and a mental sport. Often divers put more pressure on themselves than is put on them by coaches and parents. Some divers get quiet, some get determined, some get chatty, some lament and complain, some get fierce, and some act distracted; these are all ways to relieve their nerves as they face a challenge. The dive coach has experience with being encouraged, getting “pushed” out of the comfort zone, and also with being allowed to back off and do something “easier” at times.

If you have concerns about your athlete’s temperament, it’s best to discuss your thoughts with the dive coach at the start of the season and talk about coping strategies. The more the coach knows about your diver, the better. A private discussion is better so you don’t sap your diver’s confidence.

My question wasn’t answered here.

You can reach out to the Phantom Lake Club’s Parent Representative at plcdiveteam@gmail.com with additional questions. More information is also available on the Midlakes website.

In the end, Dive Team should be fun for ALL kids. Kids have many different reasons for joining our dive team such as the social experience, to do cool stuff that others can't, and some love the competition. The most important thing is that your child enjoys their involvement with our team.

What is your refund policy?

Team fees: Team fees are non-refundable. If a team member suffers an injury that would prevent them from participating, with doctor documentation, a refund will be issued if submitted no later than 14 days after the first team practice of the season. After 14 days no refunds will be granted without exception.

Request: Member submits a written refund request, attesting to reason of exception to clubmanager@phantomlakeclub.org.

Refund: For approved refunds, the club will withhold credit card processing fees (3%) as well as the Midlakes portion of the athlete registration fee if the athlete attended one or more practices (dive $18).

Documents for Dive team

Midlakes Hold Harmless Agreement - Printed and signed copy needs to accompany registration.

Lystedt Law (Concussion Form) - Printed and signed copy (signed by BOTH athletes and guardians) needs to accompany registration.

Risk of Injury - Printed and signed copy (signed by BOTH athletes and guardians) needs to accompany registration.