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Spring break was a relaxing time for me and a time to reflect on the things that have happened in diving over the last four years. I have always suspected that what has occurred is a matter of perspective. What one person perceives as important may not be perceived as very important by someone else. Those perceived notions are the directives from our National Governing Body. This appears to be the reason for the non-bending character that is seen in that association.
The original certifications were put in place as a reaction to Diving Safety. With people questioning the safety of the sport, the organization felt that it was in our best interests to have some sort of certification. The USOC decided to step in and eventually it became a requirement for the coaches that aspired to coach at the National and International levels. Because the budget relies heavily on USOC funding, the organization over-reacted and mandated the certifications for every coach. We went along with it thinking that it would help us maintain good insurance coverage.
In an article, A Short Summary of the Safety Material, it was discovered that there were 3 reasons why diving boards were disappearing.
None of these reasons had anything to do with the safety of the sport or insurance. It should be obvious to the reader that if diving was truly dangerous; insurance would be hard to find at any price. Just look at how inexpensive it is through USD. There is diver insurance, club/coach insurance and third party insurance to cover your facility. If Safety was the driving force, the first million dollars would be the hardest coverage to find. Repeating a statement from earlier articles, the same coverage offered by USD can be found in the open market at a cheaper rate than offered by the organization. In another article, A National Governing Board, it was suggested to give an option of selecting or passing on the USD insurance since most of our kids are covered under their parents' health plan anyway. That would cut the membership cost in half and might entice more divers to sign up.
In any case, the organization continued increasing mandates in reaction to the misinformed safety focus. In the LRP they were highlighting change with the continuation of the Plan by saying that it would be all-inclusive. Unfortunately, they don't see that those two concepts are diametrically opposed when put into practice. It has created friction within the membership but it is conveniently ignored for the greater good of the sport. That greater good definitely is not for the coaches that recruit divers into the activity.
If the above is true, then the organization should react to the needs of its coaches by reconsidering all of its mandates for the following reasons.
Another thought that came to mind was that things are somewhat different depending on which area of the country or state programs are operating. Even though the same problems are present, the way they are handled are different. In densely populated areas, rules and regulations seem to be stricter than those of sparsely populated ones are. Maybe this happens because of the actuarial mentality that occurs in urban risk management. Regardless, different areas present different problems for the coach. The blanket policy that USD has set does meet the needs of some areas but are a duplication of what is already in place for many others. That duplication is not necessary. If you have to have lifeguards on deck during practices/meets, USD could accept a letter from that facility verifying this information. It would be a less cumbersome process for both USD and the coaches.
In another article, How Deep Is Deep Enough?, emphasis was on determining what a minimum Safe depth is. Deeper could mean the demise of the sport in many pools across the country. These pools are old and in need of repair. When they look to upgrade, they find it very expensive to do. They look to USD, FINA or the NCAA for the recommendations. It is unfortunate that those governing bodies and the owner/operators can't make the distinction between World Class Diving as opposed to the other levels that are not World Class. Someone has to make that decision based on the purpose for building/remodeling these facilities. Thank God they can follow the American Public Health Standard, State and/or Local pool codes or even the High School Federation's guidelines. If it weren't for these other organizations, USD wouldn't have much of a Junior or Grass roots program.
In closing since a representative of US Swimming was involved in the initiation of our certifications, it might be wise to say that they have the same dilemma as we do. Many local US Swimming programs also have lifeguards on duty during practices/meets. Those coaches are now beginning to question the validity of their certification process. If we have reacted to things that have occurred in the past and those same influence have changed, then why aren't we reacting to that change too?