Suddenly, as the next girl went up the ladder, Traci realized that she would be next. She tried to shut out everything else: the noise, the other girls, everything but her dive. She was starting with a relatively undemanding one: a forward one-and-a-half somersault with a twist. She’d do it in the pike position, and the degree of difficulty was 2.1. If she did it well, her score would be pretty solid, and, as Margo had suggested, she’d feel more assured.
She heard a roar from the crowd, meaning that the diver had completed her dive. She didn’t even bother to look at the girl’s scores. Over the loudspeaker, she heard, “The next entrant is Traci Winchell, trained by Margo Armstead.”
Traci climbed toward the springboard. She was dimly aware that people were clapping, but as she got closer to the board, she forgot about the distractions.
By the time she walked out on the board, Traci heard and saw nothing but the board and the pool. She walked out to the point from which she would start her approach and closed her eyes. She still felt tense but was no longer aware of any fear.
In her mind’s eye, she saw the dive as if it were on a video. First came the approach and hurdle, then the surging jump from the end of the board. Then followed the forward thrust to begin the somersault sequence. Her abdominal muscles would flex to bring her straight legs up until her forehead touched her shins. Then, once the somersault had started, her right shoulder would thrust forward to begin the full twist. She’d spot the clock when the full somersault and twist were done, then straighten out of the pike until her body was in a straight line, her arms stretched out toward the rapidly approaching water for the smooth straight-line entry.
Traci opened her eyes, focusing only on the physical tasks that she had to do. She started forward: the four steps of the approach and then the hurdle off her right leg. Then, after she came down, Traci flexed her knees and launched herself. Thanks to Margo’s training, her legs were much stronger now than when she had started her diving months earlier.
Once in the air, Traci assumed the pike position as she began a somersault. She pushed her shoulder forward to begin the full twist. She saw the clock flash by and knew that it was time to start her come-out. The whole sequence seemed to be taking place in slow motion. She felt her body straighten out. She stretched her arms out to the sides and then overhead, clasping her hands together.
In the instant after Traci’s hands came together, she hit the water. Immediately she flexed her fingers upward so that she would rise to the surface.
When she came up for air and swam to the side of the pool, Traci heard the applause and cheers. They startled her for a second; they were for her. For her dive.
She pulled herself out of the water and looked over to the judges’ platform. The three judges held up signs: 7.4, 7.4, 7.6. A moment later, Mr. Duchair held up a sign with her total score: 47.04. Traci ranked fourth among the eight divers who had completed their first dives. There were still four more competitors, and four more rounds, so the exhibition had a long way to go.
She picked up her chamois from a bench by the pool and started to dry off. Looking up, Traci saw her family and Valerie, who were waving and clapping.
Traci smiled and waved back. She noticed Margo standing near the judges’ platform. The coach gave one of her little nods. Traci felt great.
Then Traci forgot about her family and the crowd. She stopped thinking about Margo. In her mind, all that mattered now was the next dive on her list. She began going over the things she had to do in order to make it work.
Valerie was right. Whether Traci became a champion or not, she was going to give it all she had. As of now, she was a diver.
Matt Christopher
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan
Terrell Davis Lisa Leslie
John Elway Tara Lipinski
Julie Foudy Mark McGwire
Jeff Gordon Greg Maddux
Wayne Gretzky Hakeem Olajuwon
Ken Griffey Jr. Alex Rodriguez
Mia Hamm Briana Scurry
Tony Hawk Sammy Sosa
Grant Hill Tiger Woods
Derek Jeter Steve Young
Randy Johnson
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MATT CHRISTOPHER
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Baseball Pals Face-Off
Baseball Turnaround Football Fugitive
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Catcher with a Glass Arm The Great Quarterback Switch
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Challenge at Second Base Ice Magic
The Comeback Challenge Inline Skater
Cool as Ice Johnny Long Legs
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No Arm in Left Field Soccer Duel
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Dive Right In
Will Traci take the plunge?
Twelve-year-old Traci Winchell is a gifted gymnast, but lately she’s been having trouble—so much trouble that her coach warns her she may need to drop out to avoid serious injury. Traci is heartbroken. Without gymnastics, what sport is there for her to do? Then she meets a diving coach who says Traci might be able to make a move to diving. The coach is willing to train her, but Traci will have to work hard. Traci wants to find something to fill the void left by gymnastics, but is diving for her? And more important, is this coach someone she could work with?
Matt Christopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. For a complete list of all Matt Christopher titles and information on joining the Matt Christopher Fan Club, see the last pages of this book.
Dive Right In Page 8
