This is another attempt to persuade the powers that be that some mandated certifications are not necessary for all coaches. Aside from the research on the Safety of the Sport that is highlighted on this site, other considerations are ignored.

The first is my biggest and longstanding disagreement. I can't enter my pool for practice without a lifeguard sitting in the chair (on duty). No guard, no practice is my dilemma. Why am I forced to complete First Aid, CPR and deep water back boarding? Even if I had all of those certifications, I couldn't be in the pool without that guard in the chair. The following is a new practice that has surfaced in my area. The pool where I run my high school practice has just added a lifeguard for supervision this year. It is a municipal swimming pool leased for high school practices. It appears that they are doing something that I discussed 3 years ago in my arguments with US Diving people. It is a Park District facility and they are taking responsibility for what happens in their swimming pool. If there is a program in that facility, they put a lifeguard on duty to supervise that program. As in my summer program, I do not have a choice. "No lifeguard, no practice!"

I would agree with US Diving's approach if I had the keys and was the only one on deck during my practices. But coaches like myself are not on the deck alone. There is a lifeguard present, who on a weekly basis, has in service training including any updates that may occur. To insure that their skills are at the appropriate level, they are audited at various times during the season. When does any of that take place with the current group of certified coaches? In some states, you cannot be a lifeguard and a coach. You can do one or the other but not both at the same time. If there is already one certified lifeguard on deck with the above certifications, why does US Diving insist that there be another? Since the inception of this idea, it has grown to become a headache to the person who has to keep track of it.

Many things have been discussed for the last 3 years that apply mostly to the coaches who have a facility available to them almost anytime they want to use it. The facilities are usually the best one can find with many of them having access to trampolines, dry land boards, spotting belts and rigs, spargers, mats and crash pads. These are ideal facilities which many age group coaches will never have access to. If I had that stuff available to me, I would be in full agreement with all of the certifications.

I do not have any of the equipment described above. I fight to get limited pool time for practice and still have to share it with others activities. I stand at the poolside, usually near a lifeguard, and coach. My coaching includes making suggestions for dive improvement and/or for attempting a new dive. The only time I move from that position is to assist a new diver with a back dive fall in. This is the only time I physically assist or touch any diver. Once the diver does it by her/himself, I am back at the side of the pool observing and suggesting. I do not subscribe to the hand spotting techniques of the Dive Safe Gold program. I have many reservations about that program but will not add to the length of the article at this time. I feel that in this day and age, I am not willing to put myself in a position for a possible lawsuit. That's a risk I am not willing to take. I don't understand why US Diving sees the need to force its membership to consider being put in this position by offering that program. The only equipment available to me and my divers are the diving boards and the water.

I have been trying to understand the risk I pose as compared to the coaches with all or some of the above equipment? When you can physically manipulate a diver, your risk becomes greater if there is an injury. The more a diver can be physically manipulated by a coach, the greater the risk that something can go wrong. This has been my argument concerning all of the certifications. The more certifications one has the higher the standard one will be held to in court. I want that standard to be as low as possible.

Many lower level part time coaches for US Diving fall into the same category as I. We can not use any of that equipment and yet we still produce many fine divers. We are the people US Diving has alienated with the mandated certifications. It may be expedient to require everyone to be certified but the reality of circumstance shows that everyone doesn't need the same level of certification. If all coaches had the same equipment available, then all coaches should be certified equally. Until that happens, then serious consideration should be given to the idea of graduated certifications. As a coach feels the need to use a variety of equipment, certain certifications should be included because the risks increase with each piece of equipment that is put into use. This idea should also apply to the CPR, First Aid and deep water back boarding certifications. If there is a lifeguard on duty during practices and/or meets, that coach should not be required to be CPR, First Aid or back board certified.

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