A Vision for Nova Meteors
In September 2023, I was hired by George Mason University to head up their NCAA Division One Diving program. Along with that position comes the opportunity to run a youth diving program out of the Mason pool - an opportunity I have eagerly pursued. My intent is to develop, evolve, and grow this program slowly, with an emphasis on quality of instruction, personal attention, and technically sound skill development. Our first offerings in early 2024 will be for currently competitive or aspiring junior olympic divers. These young athletes will serve as the foundation of our brand new team, and will train several times a week for 1.5 hours per practice. Our short term competitive goal will be to compete in the AAU Red White and Blue Qualifier Meet in 2024 .
In the Summer of 2024, the pool at George Mason University will be closed. If we can arrange for alternative pool and dryland time, we will offer limited training time over the summer. But we have developed strong alliances with nearby NVSL summer diving programs, and we will be sure to spend much of our time strengthening those relationships with the local diving community.
All of this relationship building will prepare us for the rollout of additional programs in the Fall of 2024. At that time we expect to hire additional staff and offer a more comprehensive selection of classes. Among the offerings we will consider: Masters Diving, Learn to Dive, High School Diving, and a team of 8 & under hotshots we have tentatively named the “Dino-Diver” program.
Nova Meteors intends to become an active and contributing part of the local diving community. Regular training clinics will be offered for high school and summer league divers, judges, and coaches. Facility leadership allowing, we will offer a variety of competitions for all levels of divers. We hope to run half-day competitions several times a year for area age-group and masters divers. After our organization of parents, athletes, local diving nerds, and coaches get some practice working as a team, I expect Nova Meteors to eventually serve as the host site for prestigious events such as the USA Diving Regional Championships and the AAU Diving Red White and Blue Qualifier. Ultimately, my intent is to create a Nova Meteors Invitational, our own annual competition here in Fairfax, drawing divers from around the country to compete on our boards.
With regard to our divers, I simply expect that they will work to better themselves and one another. With a little gracious professionalism and kindness, parents coaches and athletes will come together to build something wonderful in Fairfax for our community. We are going to make a ton of amazing memories for some hard working kids. Nova Meteors will be a name that makes us proud. Now it’s time to get to work.