Fear Management
If you think about it, diving is kind of crazy. As coaches, we sit on the side of the pool and ask young people to attempt things that a normal person would never even consider. Ours’ is a sport of real risk. Every time a diver steps onto the board, he or she risks a wipe out. While the risk of serious injury is very low, the threat of real pain is ever-present.
As a result, all coaches must deal with the anxieties and fears of each individual athlete, as well as the group dynamics that result from unsuccessful dives. I refer to this process as fear management. Certainly good progressions and care will help to prevent many crashes. And a diver who smacks less will tend to have fewer issues with fear. But, even when we do everything right, somebody’s going to belly-flop sooner or later.
The question is how do we react to smacks? The coach is often looked to as the barometer of the team. How he or she responds to various situations will set the tone for the rest of the team to follow. Do you coddle your divers, hugging and consoling them after a smack? Are you the Drill Sergeant that wants to rip into a kid for not spotting while he is still trying to get the water out of his eye sockets? Here are some ideas to help you determine when the time is right for which kinds of reactions. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules when dealing with athletes and other types of human beings, but these concepts will help you to make your pool less fearful and more focused on improving skills.
Remember, kids love attention. In fact, most humans love attention, and we learn more than we realize by conditioning. Example: Little Kristin lands on her back on a front flip from one meter. Coach stops practice to see if she is all right, and the other four girls in line rush to the side of the pool to console her as well. Now Kristin doesn’t know anything about diving, but judging from the reaction she sees from the coach and her teammates, she can deduce that she may, in fact, be dying. So, Kristin’s first smack is painful, and the pain is supported by a complete stop of practice while everyone rushes to her aid. If she is like most little kids, when everyone gathers around, she will burst into tears. The whole situation adds up to a mild trauma that this kid will never forget. Add into this the fact that everyone in your practice just saw this drama unfold, and kids who were not afraid before are now a little spooked as well. And don’t forget, Kristin was the center of attention during her crying episode, which is actually a powerful reward for behavior.
Let’s try another scenario: Same situation, Kristin smacks, she comes up and the coaches’ reaction is minimal, encouraging her to swim to the side, assuring her she will be okay. At the same time, the coach instructs the next diver to go, hardly missing a beat in the practice session. If divers are tempted to rush to Kristin’s aid, the coach can wave them off, saying, "She’ll be fine, stay in line." Now the coach has minimized the drama surrounding a smack, and can call Kristin over for a little talk, perhaps telling her, "I know that hurt, but it doesn’t hurt as bad now as it did when it first happened, does it? And in a few minutes it will be almost completely gone." This is a good opportunity to assure her that no one ever died from a one-meter smack, although sometimes it kind of feels like you are going to.
The same principle applies when a diver makes contact with the board. The vast majority of board hits are very minor. In fact, you probably do more damage when you stub your toe walking in the dark at your own house. If a diver hips a back dive in a little bit and also leaves it short of vertical, he or she might just tap a toe or heel on the board. This will not result in a lifelong debilitating injury. However, if you freak out and turn it into a giant scene, there is a good chance the kid will never forget that moment, and shortly thereafter they will probably join the swim team. Of course sometimes it really is more serious. Even if someone is actually bleeding, the best thing to do is stay calm. Lead by example, assess the situation and respond appropriately. Panic is never, ever appropriate or helpful.
The key is compassion without drama - reacting in accordance to the real severity of the situation. The benefits to your team when you institute these practices will become apparent over time. First, you must change the way that people perceive a smack. Smacking is a simple fact of life for divers. If you play football, you get tackled. In gymnastics you eat the mats. And in diving sometimes you smack. That’s what makes it a sport, rather than a game. So participants must recognize and accept that risk. And if you can help them to minimize the drama surrounding this inevitability, or even find some humor in it - you have helped your team tremendously.
Think about it: Where else in an average person’s life would one fly through the air in a full body flail? Most people who experience such things have just stepped into an empty elevator shaft, or fallen off their roof. But almost every diver has had this experience at one time or another, where they forget what dive they are doing or lose a leg in the middle of a trick. It is a truly unique experience to go through without being actually injured. So when the momentary terror is over, it is perfectly reasonable to laugh yourself sore. Laughter can take the fear right out of a pool.
When a coach truly understands how to manage fear, the team is transformed. Welts from the occasional smack are regarded as badges of courage. Divers take a hit and giggle about it. New dives are much easier to get off the board, and therefore training sessions are much more efficient. Teach your athletes to accept smacking as part of the sport. Demand proper progressions, and continually educate yourself to ensure that your teaching methods are minimizing this unpleasant occurrence. Then, when it does happen, react with compassion and humor, because sometimes it really is funny.