About Wolverine Diving Club!

At Wolverine Diving Club (WDC) our coaches teach the fundamentals of springboard and platform diving in a fun and safe environment while providing individual instruction that allows each diver to maximize their abilities. WDC is a twelve month membership club offering springboard and platform diving programs for all ages. We practice at the beautiful Canham Natatorium on the campus of the University of Michigan.

We are committed to providing a learning environment that both challenges and encourages athletes to reach their highest potential. We offer classes for all levels of diving starting with Learn to Dive level and continuing into the Junior Olympic program. To enroll in our Club, you MUST schedule an evaluation before registering with our Club. For more information check out our “Training Groups” page.

Our Coaches

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Ed Goodman

Head Coach

Ed Goodman has been an active diving coach for the last 25 years. Ed began his coaching career at the Sylvania Diving Club in Sylvania, Ohio in 1995. In 2000, Ed departed to Islamorada in the Florida Keys and founded the Islamorada Diving Club with help from Olympic Coach Dr. Ron O’Brien.

In 2004 Ed spent one year with the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team before moving to Moultrie, Georgia as the Head Coach for Moss Farms Diving Club. While in Moultrie, Ed coached a Senior National Champion, a Bronze Medalist in the Junior Pan American Championships, and an East/West National Champion. Ed was also the Head Coach for Colquitt County High School diving team. In that position, Ed had 7 High School State Champions and numerous high school All-American divers.

In 2014, Ed moved to Michigan and joined the coaching staff of Legacy Diving Club where he was most recently co-head coach. Since his arrival, Ed has coached a top national junior diver to 5 National Junior Championships as well as a 4th place finish at the 2019 Junior Pan American Games. At Skyline High School, Ed also coached 3 divers to State Championships and All-American honors. He also coached a diver to a State Championship while at Pioneer High School.
Ed’s accomplishments as a diver include Junior AAU National Champion in 1977. He was also an accomplished tumbler and trampolinist, winning 2 World Age Group Tumbling Championships.

Ed was formerly the Vice President of Junior Diving for USA Diving and is currently a FINA certified International Diving Judge.

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Cokey Smith Huffman

Club Director

Our previous Wolverine Diving Club Administrator, Cokey has joined the University of Michigan coaching staff as the Head Men’s and Women’s Diving Coach. Familiar to the program, Cokey spent the last two years as the assistant coach to former Head Coach, Mike Hilde. During that time, she assisted Mike in coaching and training the divers both in the water and on dry land, preparing them for the Big Ten Championships, Regionals and the NCAAs. She also was an active assistant coach in the club working with all levels.

Cokey Smith Huffman is a native of Ann Arbor and was a competitive diver for 22 years. For 14 of the 22 years, she was a member of the Kimball Divers, a USA Diving club out of Ann Arbor head coached by 5-time Olympic Coach Dick Kimball.  She went on to compete for the University of Michigan from 1996-1998 under the famed coach. In both 1987 and 1988, she was a finalist at the Big Ten Championships on both one and three meters. She also competed at the NCAA Championships where she placed 4th in the Platform competition. She was part of the beginning of 10 straight years of winning women’s Big Ten Championships, helping win the Big Ten title in 1987 and 1988. During her diving career, she accumulated may accolades including two USA Diving Senior national titles on 10-meter platform and was a platform finalist at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia. Cokey was a member of 12 USA Diving National teams.

After retiring, she coached for Chelsea High School from 1998-2006. While coaching Chelsea High School, she had many state finalists and two divers earn Division 1 scholarships.

Upon leaving high school coaching, she became a World Aquatics (formerly known as FINA-Federation Internationale de Natation) certified judge in 2007 and retains that status today. She recently stepped down as the chair of the United States Diving Judges’ Commission, a position she served for 10 years. She is a current member of the Technical Diving Committee of World Aquatics (AQUA). Between 2007 and 2016, she judged many National, Collegiate, and international competitions which ultimately lead to her nomination and service as a judge for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

Cokey holds a Bachelor of Science from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan.

Cokey has been a life-long resident of Ann Arbor and lives with her husband, Ed Goodman.

Cokey Smith Huffman is a native of Ann Arbor and was a competitive diver for 22 years. She competed for the University of Michigan from 1996-1998 under the tutelage of Dick Kimball. During her diving career, she accumulated may accolades including two USA Diving Senior national titles on 10 meter platform and was a platform finalist at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, Australia. Cokey was a member of 12 USA Diving National teams.

After retiring, Cokey coached for Chelsea High School from 1998-2006. While coaching Chelsea High School, she had many state finalists and two Division 1 scholarship divers.

Upon leaving high school coaching, Cokey became a FINA certified judge in 2007 and has held that certification ever since. Cokey is currently the head of the United States Diving Judges’ Commission and a member of the Technical Diving Committee of FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation). Between 2007 and 2016, Cokey judged many National, Collegiate and International competitions which ultimately lead to her nomination as a 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

Cokey resides in Ann Arbor with her husband and head coach, Ed Goodman.

Claire Bauer

Claire Bauer

Club Administrator/Assistant coach

Claire Bauer dove competitively for 12 years. She competed at 10 different age group and junior national competitions. Claire dove for and graduated from Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. She then went to study at the University of Hawaii, earning a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She has coached for 8 summers in the WISC league and have been coaching High School diving since 2021. Claire has been coaching with Wolverine Diving since 2021.
Daniel Gironza

Daniel Gironza

Assistant Coach

Kameron Liberman

Kameron Liberman

Assistant Coach (Beginners)

Coach Kam is entering his fourth year at the University of Michigan and his fourth year on the Michigan Swimming and Diving Team. He has helped coach the Michigan Diving Camp for 3 years and has spent the past year with Wolverine Diving coaching the beginner group. Outside of the pool, Kam studies Neuroscience on a pre-med track.
Alexander Broadwater

Alexander Broadwater

Assistant Coach (Beginners)

Alex Broadwater is a national-qualifying platform diver entering his second year of coaching. Alex was an MHSAA State-Finalist during the 2022-23 season. He previously dove for the University of Michigan during the 2023-24 season, and studies Business with a minor in German Language Studies.
Logan Hepner

Logan Hepner

Assistant coach (Learn to Dive, High School)

Frequently Asked Questions

We require that participants be 6 years old and be able to swim 23 yards.
No, we have a Beginner class for children with no experience. Explore the "Training Groups" tab for more information. Child must be evaluated before registering.
Yes, there are boys and girls locker rooms and showers. Most divers bring their personal belongings to the on-deck bench area during practice. Please don't consider the locker rooms or pool deck as safe and secure. There are restrooms located at the other end of Canham for parents, friends and family.
No, boys and girls dive together in all of our programs.
Competitive divers may be required to dive 3 Meter. Beginner divers are encouraged to learn the skills and dives that they are ready for, but it is not mandatory. Beginners will be required to learn basic skills on three meter. Intermediate and JO Group divers are required to dive 3m and Platform unless they have an injury/condition that prevents them from doing so.

It is highly recommended that all divers compete in meets offered. Group requirements for dive meet attendance are listed below:

  • Beginners: Required to attend at least one MDA meet
  • Intermediate: Required to attend all MDA meets and strongly recommended to attend at least one USA Diving meet
  • Junior Olympic: Required to attend all meets offered
A diver will compete in the age group determined by their age as of December 31st of that year. For example, if the diver will age up to 13 years in June, they will compete as a 13 year old during all of the calendar year.
There are Future Champion/Novice events and Junior Olympic events for both 1 Meter and 3 Meter springboard, Synchronized diving and Platform diving. Future Champions/Novice is a program offered by Michigan Diving and USA Diving that geared towards beginning divers. The divers perform the dives they have learned, and are also judged on a variety of skills that are important in a diver’s progression toward a Junior Olympic list of dives.

For Future Champions/Novice, "skills" are categorized are competable actions that are either jumps or lineups. They differ from actual dives in that they do not have any somersaulting action and/or jump/approach. Both dives and skills can be competed at the Future Champions level.

  • Front jump (with a hurdle)
  • Back jump
  • Forward line-up (from the end of the board)
  • Back line-up
  • Front jump twist
  • Front jump
  • Back line-up
  • Forward dive tuck
  • Forward somersault
  • Back dive
Not necessarily. There are 7 levels of Future Champion competition. Depending on a diver’s specific set of dives and skills, they will be assigned a level and compete against other divers assigned to the same level. Each level has different requirements of skills and dives. Divers move up through the levels by learning new dives in a variety of groups to replace the skills in their competition list.

Each judge scores a dive between zero and 10 points, in half-point increments. Scores are defined as follows:

  • 10: Excellent
  • 8½-9½: Very good
  • 7-8: Good
  • 5-6½: Satisfactory
  • 2½-4½: Deficient
  • ½-2: Unsatisfactory
  • 0: Completely failed

Judges evaluate the following parts of a dive to determine an overall score:

  • Approach: Three or more steps forward to the end of the board before the hurdle and takeoff. Should be smooth but forceful, showing good form.
  • Takeoff: A diver’s lift from the board prior to execution of the dive. Must show control and balance, plus the proper angle of landing and leaving for the particular dive being attempted.
  • Elevation: The amount of spring or lift a diver receives from the takeoff greatly affects the appearance of the dive. Since more height means more time, a higher dive generally affords greater accuracy and smoothness of movement.
  • Execution: The dive itself. Form: A judge watches for proper mechanical performance, technique, form, and grace.
  • Entry: The entry into the water is significant because it’s the last thing the judge sees. Judges favor a graceful, vertical entry along with a minimal amount of splash.

A diver’s overall score for an individual dive is calculated in the following way:

  1. Each of the seven judges awards a score to a diver for his or her dive. (Ex: 6-5-5-5-5-5-4)
  2. The two highest and two lowest scores are eliminated. (Ex: 6 and 4 and two of the 5s are eliminated.)
  3. The remaining scores are totaled. (Ex: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15)
  4. This total (15) is then multiplied by the predetermined degree of difficulty rating associated with the particular dive performed to calculate the overall score. These degree of difficulty ratings range from 1.2 to 4.1, in one-tenth increments. (Ex: 15 × 2.0 = 30)

A balk is an illegal movement by the diver. A balk constitutes as:

  1. False start in which a diver makes an obvious attempt to start the approach but does not complete the dive.
  2. Takeoff for the hurdle from both feet.
  3. Loss of balance on an armstand dive causing feet to touch the platform.
  4. loss of 2 points will be deducted if a balk is announced by the judges.

There are six groups of dives. The first four are classified by the direction the diver rotates.

  • Forward group (100): The diver faces the front of the board and rotates toward the water. Dives in this group vary from simple front dives to difficult forward, four and one half somersaults.
  • Backward group (200): Dives in the backward group begin with the diver on the end of the board, with his or her back to the water, so as to rotate away from the board.
  • Reverse group (300): Formerly called “gainers,” these dives begin with the diver facing the front of the board but then rotates toward the board.
  • Inward group (400): The diver stands on the end of the board with his or her back to the water and rotates toward the board.
  • Twisting group (5000): Any dive that uses a twist (excluding armstands) is included in this group. There are four types of twists: forward, backward, reverse, and inward.
  • Armstand group (600): The diver assumes a handstand position on the edge of the platform before the dive. (Armstand positions are never used on the springboard.)

BODY POSITIONS

A dive may be performed using one of the following four positions.

  • Pike: The legs are straight with the body bent at the waist. Like the straight position, arm placement is dictated by the particular dive or by the choice of the diver.
  • Tuck: The Body is bent at the waist and knees, with thighs drawn to the chest and heels kept close to the buttocks. Feet and knees should be kept together and toes should be pointed.
  • Straight: No bend at the waist or knees. Depending on the dive, there may be an arch in the back. Arm placement is the diver’s choice or is defined by the dive performed.
  • Free: Indicates the diver’s option to use any of the above three positions, or combinations thereof, when performing a twisting dive.

Specific dive numbers are created by using these guidelines:

  • All dives are identified by three or four digits and one letter. Twisting dives utilize four numerical digits, while all other dives use three.
  • The first digit indicates the dive’s group: 1 = forward, 2 = back, 3 = reverse, 4 = inward, 5 = twisting, 6 = armstand.
  • In front, back, reverse, and inward dives, a ‘1’ as the second digit indicates a flying action. A ‘0’ indicates none. In twisting and armstand dives, the second digit indicates the dive’s group (forward, back, reverse).
  • The third digit indicates the number of half somersaults.
  • The fourth digit, if applicable, indicates the number of half twists.
  • The letter indicates body position: A = straight, B = pike, C = tuck, D = free.

Examples:

107B = Forward dive with 3 1/2 somersaults in a pike position
305C = Reverse dive with 2 1/2 somersaults in a tuck position
5253B = Back dive with 2 1/2 somersaults and 1 1/2 twists in a pike position

The Junior Olympic level of diving refers to competitive divers who have learned all of the dives required by their age group. Each age group has a dive list requirement for competition for each age group Junior Olympic category.

There are as follows:

  • 11 and Under
  • 12-13
  • 14-15
  • 16-18
The Michigan Diving Association holds all of the in state competitions including our State Championships. Your membership allows you to compete in all the local meets.
Most diving meets we attend are also USA Diving meets, and most host clubs follow USA Diving rules. Your membership allows you to compete in all these meets. It also serves as a secondary form of insurance in the off chance that the athlete is injured during practice or compeition.
We require that participants be 6 years old and be able to swim 23 yards.
No, we have a Beginner class for children with no experience. Explore the "Training Groups" tab for more information. Child must be evaluated before registering.
Yes, there are boys and girls locker rooms and showers. Most divers bring their personal belongings to the on-deck bench area during practice. Please don't consider the locker rooms or pool deck as safe and secure. There are restrooms located at the other end of Canham for parents, friends and family.
No, boys and girls dive together in all of our programs.
Competitive divers may be required to dive 3 Meter. Beginner divers are encouraged to learn the skills and dives that they are ready for, but it is not mandatory. Beginners will be required to learn basic skills on three meter. Intermediate and JO Group divers are required to dive 3m and Platform unless they have an injury/condition that prevents them from doing so.

It is highly recommended that all divers compete in meets offered. Group requirements for dive meet attendance are listed below:

  • Beginners: Required to attend at least one MDA meet
  • Intermediate: Required to attend all MDA meets and strongly recommended to attend at least one USA Diving meet
  • Junior Olympic: Required to attend all meets offered
A diver will compete in the age group determined by their age as of December 31st of that year. For example, if the diver will age up to 13 years in June, they will compete as a 13 year old during all of the calendar year.
There are Future Champion/Novice events and Junior Olympic events for both 1 Meter and 3 Meter springboard, Synchronized diving and Platform diving. Future Champions/Novice is a program offered by Michigan Diving and USA Diving that geared towards beginning divers. The divers perform the dives they have learned, and are also judged on a variety of skills that are important in a diver’s progression toward a Junior Olympic list of dives.

For Future Champions/Novice, "skills" are categorized are competable actions that are either jumps or lineups. They differ from actual dives in that they do not have any somersaulting action and/or jump/approach. Both dives and skills can be competed at the Future Champions level.

  • Front jump (with a hurdle)
  • Back jump
  • Forward line-up (from the end of the board)
  • Back line-up
  • Front jump twist
  • Front jump
  • Back line-up
  • Forward dive tuck
  • Forward somersault
  • Back dive
Not necessarily. There are 7 levels of Future Champion competition. Depending on a diver’s specific set of dives and skills, they will be assigned a level and compete against other divers assigned to the same level. Each level has different requirements of skills and dives. Divers move up through the levels by learning new dives in a variety of groups to replace the skills in their competition list.

Each judge scores a dive between zero and 10 points, in half-point increments. Scores are defined as follows:

  • 10: Excellent
  • 8½-9½: Very good
  • 7-8: Good
  • 5-6½: Satisfactory
  • 2½-4½: Deficient
  • ½-2: Unsatisfactory
  • 0: Completely failed

Judges evaluate the following parts of a dive to determine an overall score:

  • Approach: Three or more steps forward to the end of the board before the hurdle and takeoff. Should be smooth but forceful, showing good form.
  • Takeoff: A diver’s lift from the board prior to execution of the dive. Must show control and balance, plus the proper angle of landing and leaving for the particular dive being attempted.
  • Elevation: The amount of spring or lift a diver receives from the takeoff greatly affects the appearance of the dive. Since more height means more time, a higher dive generally affords greater accuracy and smoothness of movement.
  • Execution: The dive itself. Form: A judge watches for proper mechanical performance, technique, form, and grace.
  • Entry: The entry into the water is significant because it’s the last thing the judge sees. Judges favor a graceful, vertical entry along with a minimal amount of splash.

A diver’s overall score for an individual dive is calculated in the following way:

  1. Each of the seven judges awards a score to a diver for his or her dive. (Ex: 6-5-5-5-5-5-4)
  2. The two highest and two lowest scores are eliminated. (Ex: 6 and 4 and two of the 5s are eliminated.)
  3. The remaining scores are totaled. (Ex: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15)
  4. This total (15) is then multiplied by the predetermined degree of difficulty rating associated with the particular dive performed to calculate the overall score. These degree of difficulty ratings range from 1.2 to 4.1, in one-tenth increments. (Ex: 15 × 2.0 = 30)

A balk is an illegal movement by the diver. A balk constitutes as:

  1. False start in which a diver makes an obvious attempt to start the approach but does not complete the dive.
  2. Takeoff for the hurdle from both feet.
  3. Loss of balance on an armstand dive causing feet to touch the platform.
  4. loss of 2 points will be deducted if a balk is announced by the judges.

There are six groups of dives. The first four are classified by the direction the diver rotates.

  • Forward group (100): The diver faces the front of the board and rotates toward the water. Dives in this group vary from simple front dives to difficult forward, four and one half somersaults.
  • Backward group (200): Dives in the backward group begin with the diver on the end of the board, with his or her back to the water, so as to rotate away from the board.
  • Reverse group (300): Formerly called “gainers,” these dives begin with the diver facing the front of the board but then rotates toward the board.
  • Inward group (400): The diver stands on the end of the board with his or her back to the water and rotates toward the board.
  • Twisting group (5000): Any dive that uses a twist (excluding armstands) is included in this group. There are four types of twists: forward, backward, reverse, and inward.
  • Armstand group (600): The diver assumes a handstand position on the edge of the platform before the dive. (Armstand positions are never used on the springboard.)

BODY POSITIONS

A dive may be performed using one of the following four positions.

  • Pike: The legs are straight with the body bent at the waist. Like the straight position, arm placement is dictated by the particular dive or by the choice of the diver.
  • Tuck: The Body is bent at the waist and knees, with thighs drawn to the chest and heels kept close to the buttocks. Feet and knees should be kept together and toes should be pointed.
  • Straight: No bend at the waist or knees. Depending on the dive, there may be an arch in the back. Arm placement is the diver’s choice or is defined by the dive performed.
  • Free: Indicates the diver’s option to use any of the above three positions, or combinations thereof, when performing a twisting dive.

Specific dive numbers are created by using these guidelines:

  • All dives are identified by three or four digits and one letter. Twisting dives utilize four numerical digits, while all other dives use three.
  • The first digit indicates the dive’s group: 1 = forward, 2 = back, 3 = reverse, 4 = inward, 5 = twisting, 6 = armstand.
  • In front, back, reverse, and inward dives, a ‘1’ as the second digit indicates a flying action. A ‘0’ indicates none. In twisting and armstand dives, the second digit indicates the dive’s group (forward, back, reverse).
  • The third digit indicates the number of half somersaults.
  • The fourth digit, if applicable, indicates the number of half twists.
  • The letter indicates body position: A = straight, B = pike, C = tuck, D = free.

Examples:

107B = Forward dive with 3 1/2 somersaults in a pike position
305C = Reverse dive with 2 1/2 somersaults in a tuck position
5253B = Back dive with 2 1/2 somersaults and 1 1/2 twists in a pike position

The Junior Olympic level of diving refers to competitive divers who have learned all of the dives required by their age group. Each age group has a dive list requirement for competition for each age group Junior Olympic category.

There are as follows:

  • 11 and Under
  • 12-13
  • 14-15
  • 16-18
The Michigan Diving Association holds all of the in state competitions including our State Championships. Your membership allows you to compete in all the local meets.
Most diving meets we attend are also USA Diving meets, and most host clubs follow USA Diving rules. Your membership allows you to compete in all these meets. It also serves as a secondary form of insurance in the off chance that the athlete is injured during practice or compeition.
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  • 500 E. Hoover St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • 734-353-9550 | 734-276-3200
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