On this episode of The Diving Pod, Heath and Aaron rank their college diving teams in a tier list! They debate where programs belong, share their opinions, and put their knowledge of college diving to the test. Do you agree with their rankings, or would you move some teams around? Give it a listen, then make your own tier list and see how your rankings compare to theirs!

On this episode of The Diving Pod, Heath and Aaron have some fun comparing people in the diving world to athletes, characters, and personalities from both fiction and real life. From legendary athletes to iconic fictional characters, they break down the personalities, leadership styles, competitive mindsets, and unique traits that make certain divers and coaches stand out. It’s a different kind of conversation that brings plenty of laughs while showing just how many different personalities and approaches make up the diving community.

On this episode of The Diving Pod, Heath and Aaron sit down with Kyler Kavanagh, a former Minnesota state champion and three-time All-American. Kyler had an incredible high school diving career, but when the time came to choose his next chapter, he decided not to continue diving in college and instead pursue a career in law enforcement. Kyler talks about his journey in diving, the decision to step away from the sport, and how the lessons, discipline, and experiences from diving have helped shape his life beyond the pool.

In this episode of The Diving Pod, Heath and Aaron sit down with Mikey Allison, a coach whose journey in diving has taken some unexpected but exciting turns. Mikey previously served as a graduate assistant at Ashland University before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the direction of his coaching career. Since then, he has coached high school football, helped reboot a diving program, and continued building his experience as a coach and leader. Now, Mikey is making his return to the college coaching world as he joins Allegheny College, taking on the challenge of rebuilding and elevating their diving program. Mikey shares his coaching journey, the lessons he has learned outside of collegiate diving, what it was like helping restart a program, and why he believes now is the right time to return to college coaching. The guys also discuss the challenges of building a successful diving program, recruiting, developing athletes, and the excitement surrounding the opportunity to bring Allegheny diving back to a high level. It’s a great conversation about taking different paths, continuing to grow as a coach, and getting another opportunity to build something special in college diving.

Heath and Aaron are back with one of their favorite episodes of the year — NCAA Division I Championship predictions! With the best divers in the country preparing to battle for national titles, the guys break down all six individual diving events and make their picks for who will stand on top.

Jack Ryan joins The Diving Pod to give us an update on life after college diving, what he’s been up to, and what training looks like now that his collegiate career has come to an end. But the bulk of this episode dives into Jack’s research into one of the most interesting questions in competitive diving: Is there a judging bias when athletes compete at meets where judges and divers are from the same country? Jack breaks down the data behind perfect 10s, looking at when they are awarded, who receives them, and whether a connection between judges and athletes from the same country could influence scoring. We discuss the numbers, trends, and what the data may—or may not—tell us about judging in the sport. It’s a fascinating conversation about diving, statistics, judging, and whether the numbers support the idea of national bias on the judging panel.

Heath and Aaron break down USA Diving’s Junior and Senior Nationals, taking a closer look at the performances, standout divers, big moments, and storylines from both levels of competition. From the next generation of rising stars to the athletes competing at the highest level, they discuss what stood out throughout the championships and what these results could mean for the future of American diving. A full recap packed with diving, competition, and plenty of opinions from Heath and Aaron.

Heath and Aaron sit down for a casual conversation about some of the behind-the-scenes situations that come with the sport. They share their perspectives on the diving world and take a deeper look at a situation Heath recently worked through with USA Diving, giving listeners a glimpse into what happens away from the pool and the challenges coaches can face when advocating for their athletes. It’s a relaxed conversation filled with diving talk, coaching stories, and the real-world side of navigating the sport at the highest levels.

This week on The Diving Pod, we sit down with one of the great coaches in Division II diving, Areal Vanden Akker of Davenport University! Areal takes us through her journey from diver to coach, her passion for developing athletes, and the work she has done building Davenport into a growing force in collegiate diving. From coaching young divers to guiding athletes onto the biggest stages in Division II, Areal shares the lessons, experiences, and philosophy that have shaped her career.

Join us as we talk about diving camps, helping talented divers as they get into the sport and more!