The Speedo Junior National Championships opened Sunday with a style and flavor you will only find in Moultrie, Georgia. The standard athlete march-in was accompanied by the Drew Livingston Band, from Tallahassee, Florida. Once the pool was surrounded with athletes and coaches, Bobby Blank, the President of Moss Farms Diving, welcomed everyone to diving’s equivalent to the Field of Dreams, The Moose Moss Aquatic Center. In the middle of the National Anthem, The Moody Air Force Base of Valdosta, Georgia, performed a sensational fly-by in twin T-6 Air Force Trainer Jets. One of the pilots then addressed the crowd via his radio, and the two aircraft came back for another pass.

Then, William McIntosh, the Mayor of Moultrie, had some nice words to say before the floor was given to Candace Gottleib, USA Diving’s Vice President of Junior Diving. Candace introduced all of the Junior Divers who competed in the Olympic Trials this year, and honored them, and their coaches, with a “Junior Divers Rock @ Olympic Trials” t-shirt.

Finally, Matt Scoggin gave a great keynote speech concerning the importance of appreciating the journey to your goals, as much as the goals themselves. Every athlete could relate to the message, and everyone seemed to love the story of his great comeback from 2 nd to last all the way back to first to first at the 1987 Senior Nationals.