Groups
SWAT Diving is structured using USA Diving age groups along with progressive development levels designed to help athletes safely build skills, confidence, and competitive readiness at their own pace.
USA Diving Age Groups
USA Diving age groups are determined by the athlete’s age on December 31 of the competition year:
- Group A — 16, 17, or 18 years old
- Group B — 14 or 15 years old
- Group C — 12 or 13 years old
- Group D — Under 12 years old
Because each age group has different skill expectations and competition requirements, SWAT Diving uses developmental levels within each age group to support proper progression and individualized training.
Development Levels
Begin
Designed for athletes with little to no diving experience. Divers learn basic water safety, jumping mechanics, body control, board awareness, entries, and foundational diving skills in a supportive and encouraging environment.
Learn
Athletes begin developing confidence on the board while learning dives from multiple dive categories. Focus is placed on body position, hurdle mechanics, entries, listening skills, and consistent technique.
Develop
Divers continue building technical skills and consistency while working toward a competition-ready dive list appropriate for their age group. Athletes begin refining execution, approach mechanics, and overall dive quality.
Compete
Athletes have a complete competition dive list for their USA Diving age group and are actively participating in competitions. Training emphasizes consistency, confidence, refinement, mental focus, and competitive performance.
Advance
Athletes demonstrate increasing mastery of their competition list while continuing to expand dive difficulty and learn additional dives. Focus areas include advanced technique, higher-level progression, competitive excellence, and long-term athlete development.
SWAT Diving is committed to providing a safe, positive, and structured environment where athletes can grow both in and out of the pool. Placement within groups is based on safety, skill progression, coach evaluation, maturity, and overall readiness rather than age alone.
Placement
SWAT Diving operates practice groups based on age, developmental progress, skill level, safety readiness, and overall ability. While athletes are organized within USA Diving age groups, placement within the Begin, Learn, Develop, Compete, and Advance levels is always at the discretion of the coaching staff.
Each diver progresses at a different pace, and advancement is based on more than simply learning new dives. Coaches evaluate a variety of factors to determine appropriate placement and readiness for progression, including:
- Technical consistency
- Board confidence and body awareness
- Safety and control during skills
- Coachability and listening skills
- Strength, flexibility, and coordination
- Mental readiness and maturity
- Attendance and participation
Because diving is a progression-based sport with significant emphasis on safety, athletes must demonstrate proper technique and consistency before advancing to more difficult skills. Some athletes may progress quickly in certain areas while requiring additional time in others.
Athletes will be continually evaluated throughout the year. If a diver is unable to safely maintain the physical or mental requirements of a particular level, adjustments to placement may be made at the coach’s discretion to ensure a positive and productive training environment.
Regardless of level placement, all SWAT athletes are encouraged to attend practices consistently, support teammates, and participate in team activities and competitions appropriate for their developmental stage.