Let’s do a little exercise, all right? Imagine a sport where one has to flip their body upside down, right to left, back and forth. Now replace that image of starting on the solid, sturdy ground to one of a springy diving board a meter in the air. To complete that thought, imagine the person doing those twists and turns into a deep pool of water below. Not so easy anymore, huh? What may seem impossible to many of us is the daily reality for diving student athletes, and although they have won many championships–13 in the last 28 years–it isn’t always so easy for them either.
Take senior Tamara Lum ’25, for example. Even though she has six years of experience under her belt, she acknowledges the difficulty of the sport. “You have to think about, kind of trying to stay over the board, which is something you don’t want to do because in your brain, like you don’t want to hit the board at all,” she said, “Naturally you’re going to want to go out, and you kind of have to go against your natural instincts sometimes.” When asked to elaborate, Lum replied, “It is physically taxing, but it’s not as intense as [track and field.] […] It’s a different kind of pushing yourself, where you push yourself a bit more mentally.”
Mental health plays a big part in how one acts and performs, both as a human being and an athlete. That’s why, in a sport as mentally taxing as diving, it’s important to have the right mindset; not only in general, but also in how one responds to both wins and losses, and perseveres regardless of the outcome.
One such advocate of having a winner’s mindset is Coach Scott Taylor, the new diving instructor. When asked about his response to the teams past victories and losses, he shared an interesting approach. He said, ”My philosophy has always been the moment you finish celebrating the trophy that you just won, it no longer matters, and the only thing that matters is next season. So I’m extremely happy and proud that they’ve done well. But this year, we have new challenges, new opponents, new obstacles, and I don’t want to reside on or take comfort in legacy.” He also explained that, to him, what matters is not how you’re doing against your competitors, but rather how you’re advancing individually against yourself.
Coach Taylor’s thoughts lead to the next pillar of having a good mindset: perseverance. Vance Maeshiro ’25, another senior on the diving team, explained that one thing he really likes about diving is that it instills values of dedication; of how when learning, the best way to memorize something is through repetition. Upon being asked what motivates him to be so resolute, he said, “I don’t want to settle for mediocrity, because that’s not satisfying. […] you want yourself to know that you did a good job.”
So diving isn’t just doing some pretty flips in the air; it’s a sport that requires complete focus at all times, and to have extreme confidence in one’s own abilities. And even though the diving team did not end up coming home with the first place trophy, placing instead in a still impressive second, it doesn’t matter that much. Because after all, “We’re only human. You can’t strive for perfection.” said Maeshiro. His final closing on the interview: “Aim for the heavens, but if you fall short, you’re in the stars.” So if you’re ever stuck facing a problem, take a step back, relax, and breathe. Because the only thing between a person and success is how they approach the subject; the only thing limiting and stopping them is their own mindset.
