The club team Sunrise Springboard Diving has stepped off the pool deck and into the warehouse for the winter.

The after each season the divers move practices to their indoor facility. Inside, they use the equipment to train and prepare for the upcoming season. They have two trampolines and a variety of workout equipment.

“Being able to use the trampolines in the winter is very helpful,” Canon F. (8) said. “It lets you get the feel of where you are in the air as you learn new tricks. Then when you transfer it back over to the pool deck it’s a lot easier of a transition since you already know how to execute the skill.”

Warehouse season involves mainly games and a break for the divers following the rigorous high-school season. Bill Talbot is the diver’s coach and the owner of the warehouse.

“I like to have the divers train in the warehouse during the winter so they can get new skills easier,” he said. It also helps prevent them from getting sick since they are inside and not in and out of the water when it gets cold outside. I also at least want each diver to get three to four new skills at least during the time at the warehouse before heading back onto the pool deck.”

The divers use a belt on one of the trampolines so when they are hoisted in the air they can have a controlled fall. That way they are able to learn the dive without worrying about hitting the water and instead can just land safely back onto the trampoline.

“I like being able to take a break from the pool deck and train inside.” Canon F. said. “Coach also makes it such a fun experience and lets us have some free time to play games and still work on achieving our goals before next season.

The divers will be in the warehouse up until the spring. After they will be heading back to the pool deck to get an early start on pool preparation for the upcoming school and AAU meets.

“Just a tip for anyone out there who might be interested in trying something new, warehouse season is the best possible time to give diving a shot,” Talbot said.

By Lillian Altmann