Is Division III College Diving for You?

            NCAA Division III College Diving is a very unique world all its own in the vast panorama of diving. Due to its uniqueness I thought it useful for the age group or high school diver to learn a little bit about the advantages and disadvantages of Division III diving. Division III diving is a great opportunity for the advanced diver seeking a solid educational experience and seeking to be a big fish in a small pond. And it is a place where a diver with limited experience can grow and mature into a diver capable of helping out the team in dual meets and placing in Conference meets and possibly even the National Championships. As you read through this article keep in mind that because of the wide variety of Division III programs I will make certain assumptions and generalizations that may not be true for every Division III Institution and I strongly suggest that each prospective student athlete familiarize themselves with each coach and College they look into to determine exactly what the program can and will offer their student athletes.

            What makes a school a Division III Institution? Size mainly. Division III schools are smaller in total undergraduate student enrollment than Division I and II schools and offer NO ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS. Scholarships based upon need and academic proficiency are available to student athletes. For the most part a Division III school is a private institution, however, there are some smaller State schools represented in Division III Swimming and Diving. As a general rule, Division III schools offer a liberal arts education to its student population, however, there are several tech based schools and programs designed towards a specific discipline, such as teaching, computers or engineering, etc. Therefore, as you begin to look at schools be sure to verify the curriculum first to determine that your chosen course of study is available at the institution or if you are unsure what course you wish to follow then be sure the school has a liberal arts based program to allow students the freedom to switch between majors as they find their niche. One of the many advantages of a Division III education is that class sizes are smaller and student athletes are students first and athletes second. This mindset is pervasive throughout most of Division III because the schools take pride in offering a very high standard of academics to their students. At most Division III schools coaches believe that a student athlete’s primary focus for his/her 4 years in college is to obtain the best education possible to train them for entering the “real world” after college. Being a member of the Diving Team is a bonus activity designed to help teach the student athlete to be a well-rounded individual and to keep the individual physically fit. This does not mean that Division III coaches take their jobs and duties less seriously than other coaches. What it does mean is that the coach recognizes that many student athletes choose a Division III school because their top priority for coming to the college is to obtain an education and not to be an athlete.

            What does Division III offer to a diver? Here the answer is simple; The chance to be involved in diving in college. There are hundreds of Division III schools across the country with Swimming and Diving programs. Facilities vary from institution to institution so be sure to look into what each has to offer. Check to see if the pool has a separate diving well, whether the school has a trampoline or dryboard with spotting rigs and if the coach has the ability to spot a diver in the belt. Division III divers compete only on 1m and 3m springboard. There are no tower events for Division III divers. Also, look into whether the coach is a trained diving coach since some institutions have only one coach for their Swimming and Diving Team and the coach must do double duties. Many Division III coaches are also US Diving coaches and run an age group program out of the college. This is a big plus because the diver knows that the coach is a dedicated professional diving coach certified by US Diving as being trained in safety techniques and knowledgeable of skill progressions. The level of diver involved in Division III diving programs ranges from the beginner, who is new to the sport, to the nationally recognized diver coming out of a US Diving program. Most High School divers have limited 3m experience and come from a three month per year program. Many Division III programs have a “no-cut” policy for divers. Anyone willing to put in the time and effort to learn and remains dedicated to the team is encouraged to continue to participate. This means that Division III diving is a great place for high school divers, gymnasts, dancers, cheerleaders and other former athletes to get re-involved in competitive sports on the college level and for divers with limited previous experience to learn 3m dives and harder optional dives on 1m. Gymnasts, dancers and cheerleaders especially have many of the tumbling/twisting skills and the strength and grace/poise necessary to become great competitive divers. Transference from these sports to diving is usually very quick and easily done. Many of the best Division III divers were recruited by Division I schools but opted for the education offered by the Division III school and the ability to be a “big fish” in a small pond rather than a “little fish” in a big sea. The top divers at NCAA Division III Nationals are comparable to their counterparts at Division II Nationals and are strong enough in the sport to be a contributing team member on most Division I schools. Another one of the lures of Division III is the ability to be a multi-sport athlete. This is a rarity in Division I, but very commonplace in Division III. Several of the best Division III divers in the country over the last few years were 2 or 3 sport athletes in college.

            What can a Division III coach do to help me decide whether the school is a good fit for me? First off, you must explain to the coach your academic situation and your diving level of ability. Because there is such a wide variety of academic levels in the schools in Division III it is imperative that the coach know your academic background and the course of study you believe that you want to pursue to be certain that the school is right for you. Next you have to determine if you and the coach appear to have the same interests in mind for you as a student athlete member of the diving squad. Be sure to query the coach about the diving program and his/her qualifications as part of your discussions. Remember, the coach is determining whether to recruit you and at the same time you are interviewing the coach to see if the school is right for you too. Once you have narrowed down your choices and submitted applications for admissions to all the schools that you believe are a good fit academically and athletically you should contact the coach from each school and let them know that you have applied. Even though Division III schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, the coach still has a recruiting list of candidates that he monitors throughout the application process. He/she usually has a meeting with the dean of admissions to discuss the strengths of each prospective student athlete’s application and credentials on his/her “wish list”. A coach that knows a prospective student athlete really wants to attend the school will usually put that applicant near the top of their recruiting “wish list” and use the most energy to push that individual’s application along in the admissions process. Most Division III schools do not admit students without proper qualifications, however, when the playing field is equal on the academic side of things it is certainly a positive factor to the dean of admissions for the applicant to be on a coach’s “wish list”. And even more influential when the applicant applies early decision or early action to the college.

            In summary, Division III diving is a great avenue for divers of all abilities, those new to the sport, divers with other interests or sports and divers wishing to compete at the national level at NCAA Division III Championships, to compete as a member of the Swimming and Diving Team for their chosen schools. Division III diving is not for everyone, however, it is a great place for divers of all abilities to learn and compete in college and who desire a small school atmosphere for their learning environment. There are a number of coaches and programs in the Division III ranks all across the country that offer the student athlete a program designed to allow the student athlete the chance to excel in the classroom as well as in the pool. Division III diving team sizes, levels of experience and proficiency vary school to school and even diver to diver within the same school, but one thing all programs have in common is that they offer the chance for a dedicated athlete to pursue their dreams of diving in college.

Written by Jim Brainerd
Diving Coach at Brandeis University
March 2003