A Guide for TVD Families
Diving Meets 101:
What to Expect
Your child has their first dive meet coming up, and you've got questions. How does scoring work? Where do you sit? What is your child doing out there? Is it normal that they're nervous, and that you are too?
All of it is normal. Every diving family started where you are. This page covers what a meet is, what to expect at your first one, and how to handle the logistics, so you can show up knowing what's going on and spend the day cheering instead of guessing.
What is a dive meet?
A dive meet is a competition where each diver performs a set list of dives and a panel of judges scores each one. Here's the basic shape of it.
Each diver competes a "list."
Before the meet, your athlete and their coach set the list: the specific dives your diver will perform, in order. Beginner lists are generally shorter and consist of simple skills and dives. Advanced divers generally compete more complex dives. Lists can be competed from the 1 meter springboard, the 3 meter springboard, or the platform.
How the judging works.
Judges score each dive from 0 to 10 in half-point steps. The score reflects how well the dive was executed (approach, takeoff, flight, and entry), not how hard it was. Dives are scored in one of the following categories:
Meets use at least three judges, and bigger meets may use five, seven, or more. With more than three, the highest and lowest scores get dropped, and the middle three count. Those three are added up and multiplied by the dive's degree of difficulty to get the score for that dive. (USA Diving has the full scoring breakdown.)
Difficulty is a factor, but execution matters more.
Every dive has a "degree of difficulty" (DD) that multiplies the judges' scores. It's tempting to think harder dives are the fast route to higher scores, but it usually works the other way: a clean, simpler dive typically beats a harder one done poorly, because weak scores get multiplied too. Difficulty only pays off once a dive is solid. That's why our approach is to develop a dive to a high standard before adding harder ones. It's better diving, and it scores better too.
How long a meet runs varies a lot.
Meet length is all over the map. A small local meet might wrap up in an hour or two; a large invitational or championship can run several hours; the biggest meets span multiple days. It depends on the meet's size, how many divers and events are entered, and the format. Bottom line: be ready for a potentially long day and pack accordingly (more below).
Levels of competition
It also helps to know the level your diver competes at. Level is mostly about the dive list expected of them (how many dives, from which groups, and how hard), and it tracks development more than age.
Future Champions / Novice
The entry level. Built around fundamental skills and beginner dives, with shorter lists and skill level-based groups, so a newer diver can compete in a low-pressure setting. The focus is learning and steady improvement, not chasing difficulty. Most divers start here.
Junior Olympic (JO)
The main age-group track. Divers compete a fuller list (required dives plus optionals, scored with degree of difficulty) in their age division, and can qualify toward Regional, Zone, and National championships. Divers move up to JO once they can perform enough dives consistently and well.
Senior
The elite, open level, no age cap. The most advanced divers compete here, on the path toward Senior Nationals and international meets. Divers reach it after coming up through the junior ranks.
High School
A separate system run through schools (in California, the CIF), with its own season, format, and rules. It runs alongside club diving, and many TVD athletes do both: club year-round, high school in its season. (See "High school dual meets and championships" below.)
For the exact requirements at each level (number of dives, groups, and difficulty limits), see the governing bodies' standards:
Technical Rulebook and policies → AAU Diving
AAU Aquatics Handbook → NFHS · High School
Swimming and Diving rules →
Your coach is the best guide to which level fits your athlete now, and what it takes to move up.
Types of meets TVD attends
Meets range from low-key and internal to formal and travel-heavy. It helps to know which kind your athlete is heading to.
Intersquad meets
Internal and casual, often a diver's first competitive experience. Your athlete competes against teammates, low-pressure, just to get comfortable with the format. If your child's first meet is an intersquad, exhale: it's the gentlest introduction there is.
AAU and USA Diving Sanctioned Invitationals
Local meets held year round throughout northern California with events for all levels of divers. Your athlete needs current AAU and USA Diving memberships to participate (see registration info below). This is where divers learn to compete.
High school dual meets and championships
Run through schools rather than clubs, for divers competing for their high school teams. The season and rules differ from club competition. Many TVD athletes compete in both.
AAU and USA Diving Championship meets
Consists of Regional, Zone and National meets in the late spring and summer, usually requiring multiple days of travel and strong competition.
How to register for meets
The mechanics trip up almost every new family. There are two pieces: annual memberships, and registering for each meet.
Once per year
Annual memberships
Before competing in sanctioned meets, your athlete needs two memberships, both valid for the calendar year:
Go to the USA Diving Registration Portal
Select Athlete (17U) ($40). If your child is 18 or older, choose Athlete (AQUA Age 18+) ($40).
Select NO. CALIFORNIA as your Association, TRI-VALLEY DIVERS as your Team, and LOGAN CHAMPION as your Coach of Record
Complete the info and submit payment. Save your membership number and login; you'll need them all season.
Go to the AAU membership portal and choose Athlete membership (Youth Program)
Select Diving as the sport
Choose the Extended Coverage Membership (AB) ($24; regular is $22, but the extended AB coverage is required for non-AAU-hosted meets)
Enter club code U3JGUMW3M to attach your diver to Tri-Valley Divers
Complete the info and submit payment. Save the AAU membership number; you'll need it for meet registration.
Note: the AAU membership year runs September 1 to August 31, so memberships purchased mid-year still expire August 31.
For each meet
Registering for a meet
Meets are run on one of two systems: DiveLive, a free app where your diver builds their list and signs up, or DiveMeets.com, the long-running meet management site. The meet announcement will say which one to use. Both are separate from the memberships above: those make your diver eligible; these are how you enter each meet.
Install the app. Search "Dive Live" (also written DiveLive) in the App Store or Google Play. You can also use it on a computer at DiveLiveApp.com.
Create an account with your diver's information. The account represents the athlete, so use your child's details, not yours.
Join Tri-Valley Divers. Use "Find a team," search Tri-Valley Divers, and request to join. Your coach has to accept you before you can register, so if a meet is soon, give them a heads-up.
Find the meet. Once you're on the team, use the calendar or search (magnifying glass) to pull up the meet.
Register and enter the list. Tap the meet, tap Register, choose the event, and enter the dives. If you don't see the event you expect, check the "Other eligible events" tab. The app checks the list against that event's rules as you go.
Pay if needed. If there's an entry fee, tap Proceed to pay.
Signing up and using the app is free. There's an optional paid subscription for extra features, but you don't need it to register.
Create an account at DiveMeets.com. Click "Get a DiveMeets ID" and fill out the registration form with your diver's information, not yours. The DiveMeets ID follows your diver for their whole career, so save the ID and password.
Link the memberships. Under "Organization Membership," check the boxes for AAU and USA Diving, then click Register. When the page refreshes, scroll down and enter your diver's AAU and USA Diving membership numbers in the dropdowns that appear.
Set the team and coach. Make sure Tri-Valley Divers is your diver's team and Logan Champion is the Coach of Record, so the coaches can review and edit dive lists.
Find the meet. Log in, then locate the meet under upcoming meets and select your diver from the list.
Register and enter the list. Sign the waivers and consents, check the box for each event your diver will compete, and enter the dives in order. Double-check before submitting; entry fees on DiveMeets are non-refundable.
Review the list with your diver. They're responsible for knowing their dives and the order on meet day.
Want screenshots? TVD's illustrated walkthrough: How to register on DiveMeets (PDF).
What meets cost
Beyond the memberships, entry fees usually run $30 to $60 per event, depending on the meet. Championship meet entry fees tend to cost more per event.
What to expect at
your first meet
The part most first-time parents want: a step-by-step of the day.
The week before
Your coach confirms the details (location, date, arrival time) and helps your diver finalize their list. Make sure registration is done (covered above), then pack:
Day-of arrival
Meets start earlier than you'd think, and divers arrive well before the start for warm-ups. Take the arrival time your coach gives you seriously; a diver who misses warm-ups is at a real disadvantage. Your athlete checks in and heads to the deck; you find a spot to settle in.
Where you sit, and a tip
Parents watch from the spectator area, not the deck, which stays athletes and coaches only. Two tips: facility seating is often hard bleachers and a longer meet can run hours, so a folding chair or stadium cushion is worth its weight in gold. And bring layers; decks run warm and humid, but spectator areas are sometimes cold.
During the competition
Your diver dives one at a time, with waits in between as others take their turns. Your job during those stretches is simple: be a calm, supportive presence. Resist coaching from the stands; no shouted corrections, no "point your toes!" across the pool. That's the coach's job, and instructions from the stands just add pressure. A smile and a thumbs-up between dives is exactly right.
After the meet
However it went, lead with how they felt, not the score. "Which dive are you most proud of?" beats "What did you score?" Standing on the board in front of judges takes courage, and at a first meet that's the real accomplishment. The scores follow as the season goes on.
Wondering which meets
are coming up?
We keep a current, season-by-season list of the meets TVD competes in, with names, dates, locations, and which programs usually attend.
See the TVD Meet Schedule →Dates change through the year, so the schedule page has the latest. Your coach will confirm which meets your athlete is attending and what they'll need.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question
we didn't cover?
Meet day shouldn't feel like a mystery. If this page didn't answer your question, Coach Logan answers parent questions every week. Just reach out.
New to TVD and curious whether your child might enjoy competing? It starts with a single class.
Last reviewed: June 2026. Schedules, registration systems, and costs change periodically; your coach is the best source for current specifics.