diving lessons in Berkeley area

Question
Hi,
My daughter would like to take springboard or platform diving lessons. She is 9. She started two years ago when we lived in Florida, but stopped. We did not have time to continue. Now she wants to start it again because she loved doing it a lot. I have trouble to locate the diving school. We live in Berkeley,CA.

Answer
Hi Natalya -

The Berkeley / Oakland area is not known for diving for kids that age. There is a very good team at U.C. Berkeley, but I think it is only for college age divers. You could try contacting the diving coach there (Tom Davidson) but he may not have a coach for kids that age.

The next closest diving pool you are going to find to where you live is in Lafayette. You need to contact Steve Sherman, owner of the Sherman Swim & Dive School. He has a diving program for all ages and ability levels. His pool has a one and a three meter board but no platform. The only platforms in the Bay Area are in Santa Clara County. To get there, take Hiway 24 to Lafayette and get off at Pleasant Hill Rd South. The town is about a half hour from Berkeley.

You can learn more about his school by going to www.shermanswim.com. I am sure that he will have a program for her that she will enjoy.

Good luck with your pursuit of this great sport.

Tom Trapp