Thanks for sharing!
My DD recently left the gym and has just started diving. She's certainly at the basics portion of learning, but thankfully, the rest of her team is currently refreshing them, too. They spent their last practice mostly going in off the side of the pool. She currently practices alongside boys from her former club, as well as a couple of young girls who were compulsories and switched over. And yes, they are encouraged to do all of the events.
What surprised me is how supportive the team is, and how laid back the sport seems. I'm sure it helps that it's a more uncommon sport in our area, so perhaps there's just less competitiveness, but from coaching downward, there seems to be much less pressure. More an atmosphere of "I really would like to make my coach and team proud" rather than "I must perform well or my coaches as team will be disappointed and there will be consequences".
Kids are also encouraged to compete for their high school teams, despite it meaning they'll only practice/compete 1m, and that it means taking 3 months out of the club pool.
Somehow, despite all of this laid-back attitude, all of their senior divers received D1 scholarships this year. Now, I don't think that's common, and I don't think it's my DD's goal, but I think it's a testament how this sort of attitude can keep kids in a sport and learning.
Hey, not a single kid has been kicked out of the pool for failing to make a correction, fear, attitudes, etc. They talk it out and figure it out.
And YES. So much applause for failures. And then more applause when they try again.
