AboutTom Trapp Expertise I can answer any questions pertaining to all levels of springboard and platform diving including : beginner lessons, intermediate, advanced, high school, Junior Olympic, AAU, Masters (Adult), Collegiate and Senior diving. Questions about training, technique, competitions, dryland training including trampoline and dry board.I can also answer questions about how to judge/referee diving events. I cannot answer questions about swimming (how to dive off a starting block) or SCUBA diving.
Experience 3 time U.S. Diving National Team Coach. Coached World, International and National Junior Olympic individual and team champions. Collegiate level experience (Junior College and Division I)Chairman, U. S. Diving Region 10 and Northern California Diving Associations. Professional diving referee, judge and meet director including U.S. Diving Junior and Senior Nationals, National Qualifying events and Division I collegiate events. Head Referee for the Big 12 and ACC Conference Diving Championships.
Organizations U.S. Diving. AAU Diving. Professional Diving Coaches Association
Education/Credentials B.S. in Recreation and California Teaching Credential in Physical Education/Aquatics. U.S. Diving Safety Certified Coach.
Awards and Honors U.S. Diving National Award of Excellence.
Northern California Diving Association Coach of the Year.
U.S. Diving Region 10 Coach of the Year
Expert: Tom Trapp Date: 7/10/2008 Subject: diving lessons in Berkeley area
Question Hi,
My daughter would like to take springboard or platform diving lessons. She is 9. She started two years ago when we lived in Florida, but stopped. We did not have time to continue. Now she wants to start it again because she loved doing it a lot. I have trouble to locate the diving school. We live in Berkeley,CA.
Answer Hi Natalya -
The Berkeley / Oakland area is not known for diving for kids that age. There is a very good team at U.C. Berkeley, but I think it is only for college age divers. You could try contacting the diving coach there (Tom Davidson) but he may not have a coach for kids that age.
The next closest diving pool you are going to find to where you live is in Lafayette. You need to contact Steve Sherman, owner of the Sherman Swim & Dive School. He has a diving program for all ages and ability levels. His pool has a one and a three meter board but no platform. The only platforms in the Bay Area are in Santa Clara County. To get there, take Hiway 24 to Lafayette and get off at Pleasant Hill Rd South. The town is about a half hour from Berkeley.
You can learn more about his school by going to www.shermanswim.com. I am sure that he will have a program for her that she will enjoy.
