About Us

Shamrock Diving Club is based at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. For any enquiries about joining us, or about the benefits of being in our club, please use the Contact Us page.

 

Shamrock Diving Club is an independent volunteer organisation and is not responsible for the delivery of daily teaching/ coaching sessions. The clubs role is to facilitate the athlete’s registration to the National Governing Body, Swim Ireland, which is compulsory for anyone wishing to participate in competitive diving. The club aims to promote a positive experience for all those involved in the “Diving Training Squads” by running social events, providing club kit and organising the logistics behind competitions at home or away

 

The National Sports Campus is responsible for the management and delivery of “The Learn to Dive Academy” and “The Diving Training Squads” that operate at the National Aquatic Centre. The programme is delivered by a team of professional coaches, led by Olympic coach Damian Ball. For the purpose of competition diving, athletes from the “Diving Training Squads” are invited to become members of Shamrock Diving Club.

All members of Shamrock Diving Club are part of Training Squads with each Squad dependent on each individuals diving level. Diving Levels are continuously assessed by the Coaching Team during the course of the year allowing individuals the opportunity to progress up through the various Squad Levels when the time is right. The squad structure follows on from the Learn to Dive Program. The commitments, expectations and standards required increases as progression is made through the structure. Each level of the squad structure is carefully linked to the National competition framework set out by Swim Ireland and follows the philosophies behind of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD).


The National Sports Campus is the employer of the coaching staff and the programme manager. Swim Ireland are the National Governing Body whom Shamrock Diving Club affiliate to. Their role is to provide insurance cover to registered athletes, to set a National Competition framework, and to select athletes for International events and squads.

General relationships:

We welcome any queries through our Contact Us page.


Diving Skill Levels:

Learn to Dive

Learn to Dive 1: Learn to dive 1 is the first stage of our Academy pathway. This course is designed for complete beginners, during each 30 minute session you will learn the fundamental and basic skills of diving. Courses will be made fun and exciting and will cover basic progressions from poolside and low level diving boards.

Learn to Dive 2: Learn to Dive 2 gradually increases the difficulty of basic diving skills. Here you will develop forward diving skills on poolside on the low level boards.

Learn to Dive 3: Learn to Dive 3 builds on the skills learnt in Learn to Dive 1 and Learn to Dive 2. Difficulty will be increased again on the basic diving skills. Here you will develop backward facing dives and be introduced to diving backwards from the poolside.

Learn to Dive 4: Learn to Dive 4 develops both the forward and backward increasing in difficulty. Both dive groups will be taught on poolside and the lower diving boards. The forward skills will be built up to 3m. Learnt to Dive skills 1, 2 and 3 will still be recapped.

Learn to Dive 5: Learn to Dive 5 is the last level of the Learn to Dive Academy. This level will look for all skills learnt in Learn to Dive 1-4 and will continue to be assessed on those skills. This level will teach techniques used in diving ready to move on to harder dives. Once passed Learn to Dive 5, a move will be made into Diving Squad Groups.

Teens Classes: Teens Classes are set up for teenagers and for those aged 12+ that may feel more comfortable with an older peer group. Lessons are varied in skill, using the lower level boards up to 5m.

Adult Classes

Adult classes are very popular with the Learn to Dive academy. The classes range in ability and all ages are welcome from 20+ years.

Adult Beginner courses are designed for complete beginners. The course covers the basic Learn to Dive 1-5 skill set along with jumps on the higher boards up to 10m.

Adult Intermediate courses take it a step further and learn dives in different directions plus somersault rotations.

Adult Advanced courses are for those that have dives and rotations in different directions but would like to increase their difficulty from different board heights.

Masters: Masters diving training sessions run twice a week for divers that have a skillset in order to compete at Master Level internationally. 20+ years.

Class details:

  • Level 1 Diving Classes:
    – 30 minute long sessions
  • Level 2-5 Diving Classes:
    – 45 minute long sessions

Movement Assessment (Learn to Dive 1-5):

  • Participants are assessed during week 8 of every academy block
  • On completion of assessment, participants will receive an email indicating whether the participant will move up a level or stay at the same level.
  • Only on satisfactory completion of the set skills to the pre-determined standard will participants be able to move up a level.

SQUADS

Beginners Squad

After you complete our Level 1 to 5 the Learn to Dive Academy, you will be invited to join our first phase of squad training which is Beginners squad. The Beginner Squad forms the base of our Training Squad structure and acts as the bridge from our Learn to Dive Academy. The aim is to introduce a squad environment where divers participate in more than one session per week and are introduced to the fundamentals of dry land training. Beginner Squad consists of two training session a week for both dry dive and pool. Athletes will have the option to take part in grass roots competitions, through a recognised diving club, and the coaches will take a detailed approach to tracking and monitoring how athletes are progressing.

Novice Squad

The Novice Squad is our main stream Novice Skills competition squad. This is a progression from our Beginner Squad where divers will increase their training hours and attend a more enhanced dryland and pool-based training programme. The Novice squad consists of three dry dive and pool sessions. The Novice Squad key focus is to prepare athletes for the major novice skills competitions, while at the same time working on new dives required for the transition to Age Group competitions.

Intermediate Squad

This is a side path to the Novice squad and a progression from the Beginners Squad. The Intermediate squad trains three times a week, both dry dive and pool sessions. The main focus of Intermediate Squad is to improve on dives previously learnt as well as learning more. Divers in this squad will have the option to part take in grass roots competition.

Advanced Squad

This Squad is for adolescents from 14 years up, who like to dive, developing dives they would like to learn and compete in occasional competitions. Competition can be either skills or age group competitions, this is dependent on which dives they perform.

Talent Squad

This Squad has four sessions each week, pool and dryland. These children are preparing for competitions inside or/and outside of Ireland, to push them to the highest level they can achieve. The Talent Squad is the pinnacle of our training squad programme. A serious commitment to training is required and athletes must demonstrate an elite and professional attitude at all times. Athletes receive a bespoke training programme working towards optimum performance in significant International events.

Performance Squad

This is the ‘competition’ Squad. These children are slightly older than the children from Talent Squad and compete in competitions. We aim to develop to the highest level possible, that means competitions in Ireland and also outside of Ireland. Access to this squad is strictly controlled by the Head Coach and invitations will be given to those athletes who have demonstrated potential to perform in Age group only level competitions. The demands and commitment levels are much higher than squads in our main stream pathway. Coaches will use a detailed approach to tracking and monitoring progress to ensure athletes are maintaining or moving towards performance in competitions through a recognised diving club.

Talent Identification Program

The TID Squad is generated from specialised Primary School talent identification projects and forms the base of our Talent Pathway. Access to this squad is strictly controlled by the Head Coach who uses their expert eyes and judgement to access a child’s potential to reach an elite level in diving. Participants take part in multiple sessions per week, following a dry land and pool-based training programme, and athletes will have the option to take part in grass roots competitions, through a recognised diving club. Coaches will regularly monitor progress and development to ensure that athletes remain on a pathway towards an elite level.

For information about the Club please view or download the Club Constitution. Important areas covered here are:

Club Rules

  • Memberships and Subscriptions
  • Committee roles and duties
  • The roles of Swim Ireland

shamrock-diving-club-constitution