Travel

Athletes traveling as a part of MDA will be held to the highest standard of personal conduct. The general rule for travel is to use your common sense. If you would not do something with your parents or your coach present, do not do it on the trip. Along with this general guideline, all athletes will be expected to follow the following rules.

  1. Absolutely no drugs, including alcohol, will be permitted on trips. If an athlete is found in possession of any of the aforementioned items they will immediately be sent home from the trip at their own expense. After such an offense, further travel after such an offense will be suspended and serious discussion will occur as to the offending athlete remaining on the team.
  2. Team chaperones or team parents are responsible for the wellbeing of the team for the entirety of the trip. Because of this, all athletes must obey the team chaperones, team parents, and coaches at all times. In order to preserve the safety, quality and sustainability of our team, disobedience to chaperones, parents and coaches will not be permitted.

All of these policies are adopted to preserve the quality and safety of our team. Any violation of these guidelines will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the meet and possibly the team.

We invite all of our athletes to use their best judgment in all decisions while on meets. Remember that you are a part of a very special group and that your behavior, good and bad, reflects directly upon team as a whole. We invite you to use that intelligence and to conduct yourselves in such a way that will invite the respect and encourage the pride that you and the team deserve.





 

Meet Policies

 

The coaches at MDA will do their best to set up meet schedule each year. As a member of the Mason Dive Academy, athletes are only eligible to attend United States Diving, AAU and FINA meets that the Mason Dive Academy is attending.  There are some occasions where MDA will choose not to attend a specific meet.  If a family or athlete chooses to attend a meet that MDA is not attending without the explicit permission of MDA, they will be in effect terminating their relationship with MDA and will have no need to return to practice after that meet, while still fulfilling their contractual obligations to Mason Dive Academy.

 

Similarly, there are some occasions where an athlete may qualify for a meet by achieving a certain place but is not truly ready to compete in the next level meet. Athlete’s attendance at these meets is at the discretion of the Mason Dive Academy Coaches.

 

By participating in any training or team travel, all athletes and parents agree to abide by all MDA policies, including those listed below.

 

  • When athletes receive an award they must report to the award stand  in full warm-ups while receiving the award at USA diving Qualifying events. Local meet divers will be required to wear a Mason Dive Academy T-shirt
  • After the reception of an award athletes will either put their ribbon or medal in their bag or give it to their parents for safe keeping. NOT flaunt their ribbon or medals in front of their other athletes
  • Must act in a respectful manner to all competitors, coaches, and officials 
  • If there are Trampolines, Dryboards, crash mats athletes or any other type of equipment MDA athletes are not allowed to be on the equipment unless instructed by a member of MDA coaching staff. Violation will result in the athlete being scratched from the competition and no refund of coaching fees.
  • Athletes should be on their best behavior before, during, and after competitions. They should not be partaking in anything that would be considered distracting, dangerous, or otherwise mischievous… Sit attentively and cheer on the other divers.
  • Registration and fees for any meet are the responsibility of the individual athlete and their parents
  • All athletes attending travel meets must be attend by a parent or a chaperone designed by their parents.
  • Athletes who wish to compete in a local meet must email coaches 48 hours prior to the event, to let them know which event they wish to compete and give input on which dives they would like to compete. 
    • Athletes who arrive at a meet without prior registration will be subject to a $20 per event late fee, in addition to coaching fees.
  • Register with the meet director before the entry deadline through one of the following methods.  The method of registration varies by meet director.
    Coaching fees for your coaches time spent on the pool deck at a competition the fees are as follows and should be submitted in Cash or check upon Arrival to the facility:
    • Register, enter dive lists and pay entry fees online, most commonly at www.divemeets.com
    • Mail registration forms, dive sheets and entry fees to the meet director.
  • Local Meets ( Within 50 miles)

    • $20 for 1 day
    • $30 for 2 day
    • $40 for 3 day
  • Travel Meets

    • All Athletes will help split cost of coaches travel expenses.

      • Flight/ Rental car/ Gas 

      • lodging

USA Diving and Travel Meets

 

  • All athletes and parents attending meets will be responsible for equally splitting coaches travel, car rental, food, and lodging expenses. Regardless of how many days or events the athlete is competing.
      • In the event there are a low number of Qualifiers (Under 4) for USA diving event, The coaching staff will pay a portion of the travel out of pocket.
  • Payment for meet expenses is due within ten days of the meet breakdown.  All late payments will be assessed a $50 late fee plus per week.
  • Coaches will always strive to arrive, for the open warm ups the day before the event and stay through the conclusion of the event.
  • Coaching fees for your coaches time spent on the pool deck at a competition the fees are as follows and should be submitted in Cash or check upon Arrival to the facility:
  • Local Meets
    • $20 for 1 day
    • $30 for 2 day
    • $40 for 3 day