The Quad

Issue date: 4/7/08 Section: Sports

At the University of Maryland's annual fall swimming and diving meet called the Terrapin Cup Invitational, West Chester University is the only Division II school involved. The end result is that for these competitors who work endlessly in the water to proudly represent the purple and gold of WCU athletics, competition at this stage is expected to be extremely stiff. Over the next three days, they will have to square off with elite swimmers and divers from schools like Drexel, the University of Connecticut and Villanova just to name a few.

Yet for West Chester senior diver Samantha "Sammi" Phillips, the competition, the crowd and even her teammates might as well be invisible. For her, the grand stage of the Terrapin Cup is nothing more then another meet, and this attitude is reflected in her conduct before it commences.

While she may be one of the most talkative and charismatic members of her team during practice, today she warms up by herself in the corner and says very little. As the National anthem plays at the start of the meet, she stands solemnly with her eyes shut and visualizes the six dives she will have to pull off today that will either make or break her for the entire competition.

Before it's her time to dive, she quietly listens to music on her iPod, stopping only to cheer for her teammates as the meet goes on. Supporters that have come out to watch her barely receive a glance, as she concentrates on what she is about to do. The only dilemma in her mind at this time is when is too much thought enough?

"I don't really think about it all day until I actually get in the pool and get in my zone," she said, "because I don't want to over-think it either."

When her time comes, Phillips faces a silent crowd as she climbs one meter off the ground in preparation for her first dive. The fact that all eyes in the natatorium are now on her is a testimony to the mental toughness that a diver has to possess in the heat of competition.

Every move she makes from this point on will be scrutinized by the judges. Furthermore, each step she takes is important to the execution of her dive, and all it will take is one slight mess-up to drag down her entire performance in the meet.

"At the college level, everyone is close to perfect," Phillips said. "If you miss one step on your approach or you're not on balance or you don't move your arms the right way and everything gets thrown off. This can be really frustrating because you practice and practice and practice, and in the meet itself you get six chances."

Continued...

Page 1 of 6 next >

Article Tools