Summer Club debuts a new practice structure - find out why...

A closer look at the Chinese Diving team's recent success inspired a change in practice structure.  Read the article below & watch a bit of the video to see how the Chinese  structure their training so that old & young train side by side.  

While AVA has always encouraged kids to "play up" in tourneys, it's clear we can do more training together.  Summer Club 2015 will be our first attempt:  Age groups will overlap by 30 minutes.

Aside from the hotbed of talent coming out of the Chinese Diving program, there are other principles reinforce an inclusive practice environment:

• Ignition ("I want to hit like that") - read the article here
• Neuroscience & how the brain learns - watch the lecture here on mirror neuron
• Connections - players connect with where they came from and are going to
• All players get to play "up" - not just a chosen few

The article is from a blog entry at The Talent Code Blog.  

10 SURPRISING TRUTHS ABOUT THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL TALENT HOTBED, by Rett Larson

1. WE MIX AGES LIKE CRAZY: The juniors aren’t all lumped together like they are in most systems — instead, three-time Gold medalists train with top 10-year-olds.  Each diving coach might be responsible for five athletes – three Olympic veterans and two juniors.  The juniors get to mirror the elites all day, from training to eating to bedtimes. It also creates a sense of humility in the juniors, who have likely dominated in their provinces since they were six years old.

2. WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME WORKING ON SUPER-BASIC DIVES: The Chinese have a higher training volume than the rest of the world – often more than 100 dives per day.  But many of those dives are very basic.  The first ten dives of the day might all be starting with your butt on the edge of the platform and falling into a simple dive. That’s it — and that’s the point.

3. WE APPLAUD SPECTACULAR FAILURES: For the past decade China has won almost every competition by doing simple dives very, very well.  Their technical proficiency is incredible because they practice longer and harder than any other country.  But, they also know that they have to push themselves and innovate.  You’ll see in the video a male diver attempting to be the first human to do four flips from the 10-meter board starting from a handstand. He doesn’t make it — spectacularly. What you don’t see is the ovation he gets from the rest of the team after his failed attempt.


Click here to read the full blog article.