NSWIS is holding a talent identification day to find next Matt Mitcham
The NSWIS is holding a Talent Identification Day in an attempt to unearth the next Matt Mitcham.
Inner West
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Matthew Mitcham is a one of a kind athlete, but the coaching gurus at the NSW Institute of Sport are confident that by casting the right net they may be able to find a young Aussie boy and turn him into the next Australian Olympic gold medallist diver.
Australia has had mixed success in the diving pool, but Mitcham has been the shining light in the men’s program.
With his sights set on the 2020 Olympic Games and beyond, four-time Olympic coach and NSWIS diving head coach Chava Sobrino, and his team of coaches, are holding a talent identification day to search for the next star.
“For the first time in Australia, we’re hosting a boys only talent identification day,” Sobrino said.
“Last time we hosted a TID we had over 90 kids come, but most of those were girls.”
The NSWIS currently have 30 divers across their elite squads, and only four of these are boys, which is a trend Sobrino says is found in diving programs Australia-wide.
“Diving is a great sport, it’s fantastic, and to describe it could be like touching on an extreme sport, and it’s very artistic as well,” Sobrino, who coached Mitcham to an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, said.
“You’ll learn to do things you couldn’t even envisage doing.
“I think we lose boys to other sports like football and cricket, but in other countries diving is a big male sport.”
Sobrino said that the TID day on Sunday at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre will be the first of its kind in Australia, and Mitcham, who turned 27 yesterday, is the first to agree that a TID program is the best way to get kids involved and find a potential diving superstar.
“This type of talent ID has never been done just for boys, so it’s great to see the NSWIS trying something new in an effort to find our next champion diver,” he said.
“The coaches and facilities at the NSWIS are world-class, so everyone who goes along to the event will be taught by the best.
“There’s no reason why we won’t be able to find the next Olympian through this talent ID day.”
Mitcham came to diving from a background in trampolining, where he was a Junior World Champion, and Sobrino said that while an aerobic or gymnastic background would be great that any boys could come to the tryouts on Sunday.
Boys aged eight to 14 are invited to register to come to the event, which will be headed up by Sobrino, two-times Olympian and Commonwealth gold medallist Vyninka Arlow, and two-time Olympian and World Championship silver medallist Joel Rodriguez.
“It’s a great sport for boys to get into because it’s fun and competitive, and one day you might be wearing the green and gold at the Games,” Mitcham said.
Mitcham believes that through a quality program, an Aussie male diver could have success in 2020.
“The great thing about diving is that when you start you don’t have to have any experience, but because it’s so fast and intense you learn everything quickly,” Mitcham said.
“It doesn’t take long before you’re flipping into water and getting the adrenaline pumping.”
Sobrino said that TID programs had a track record of success and he was confident of results on Sunday.
“Talent Identification has worked here before, and Brittany is proof of that,” Sobrino said.
“She came from testing and went through the whole spectrum to the Olympics and won silver.
“Countries like China, Mexico and Russia — who are the powerhouse diving countries — have shown that if you can find talent at the beginning then you can create champions.
“The boys that make it through on Sunday will then do a 12-week phase two program, and after that if the match is right they could be training alongside divers like Matt Mitcham and Melissa Wu.”
Do you have what it takes to be an Olympic diver?
WHO: Boys aged 8-14
PERSONALITY: Dedicated, hard working, and committed to being involved in an elite program. A desire to compete for Australia.
BACKGROUND: Background in trampolining sports, aerobics, gymnastics or similar are preferred but not essential.
EXPERIENCE: No diving experience is necessary
WHEN: March 8
BOOKINGS: Essential, contact vyninka.arlow@nswis.com.au
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