We're trying hard to keep new people coming in to the sport at Saltfree and it seems to be working. We have a full beginner course running every month this summer and are doing better now at getting those people to then come back and train with us, and even enter our competitions.
At our comp this year, Double Dip at the end of July, we are offering a prize for the person with the highest score at their first AIDA comp as well as traditional male and female winners.
We try across the board to encourage a culture of "just because 15m is easy for me, it's not for everyone" and to ensure all our divers get equal respect for their attempts and preparations - and also that they get equal congratulations for their PBs!
One thing that makes it very hard is that when people get good, they tend to go all self centred and no longer have time to devote to helping others. I have fought quite hard to try and avoid this amongst the Saltfree posse and remind everyone that it's not all "me me me". We're lucky that most of our divers are not like that and realise that it's cool for beginners to get help from UK team divers, record holders etc and motivates them no end..
so my message is that if you are laying on facilities for people to train, or organising events, that you encourage a culture of building new talent, or even new "lack-of-talent-but-full-of-enthusiasm" if you know what I mean!
It's tough but I don't think it's a new thing. The leaders/organisers/pros need to make sure they are still being inspirational - and that's hard to be, either when you are very focussed on bettering your own performance, or have reached a plateau yourself. At first it's not easy to join in the celebrations and back slapping for a newbie who is getting PBs all the time when you haven't had one yourself for a year or more - but at a point, for me at least, it seemed like a switch flicked and I realised that helping someone else to that happy moment could be (almost) as good as doing it yourself. When more higher level freedivers realise that, it will help bring the numbers back up. For me Kirk is a perfect example of someone who manages that well, as was Loic.. and of course Mr Jones!
just my £2.50
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