When senior Patrick Girvin began diving he was simply killing time after swim practice. Twelve years later Girvin is preparing for his final meet after four years of competing on the Tufts diving team.
While swimming in a local league in Bethlehem, Penn., Girvin frequently found himself with an extra hour between the end of practice and the reopening of the pool. The pool was closed, but the platforms were open, and Girvin figured diving was not a bad way to pass the time. Those few hours spent repeatedly jumping in and out of the water sparked Girvin's interest in diving and he soon abandoned swimming for the platforms. But learning how to spin, twist, and turn in mid-air was not always easy.
"You get up on the one meter board and you're like, 'oh my god,' and then you get up on the three meter board and you're terrified," Girvin said. But the satisfaction that comes from perfecting a dive outweighs the fear, he said. "I'll risk my life once for anything."
Girvin persevered and began diving competitively in high school. His results were average, only breaking the 200-point threshold twice. Following a solid but unspectacular high- school career, his decision to try out for a college diving team was up in the air.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to continue diving," Girvin admitted. "I didn't think I was good enough to dive collegiately."
During his senior year of high school, Girvin agreed to meet with swimming coach Don Megerle when he visited Tufts, but ended up not making it to campus. Girvin arrived for freshmen orientation unaware of whether or not he could dive - or if he even wanted to. On his first night on campus though, four members of the swim team knocked on his door and brought him out to meet the rest of the guys.
"It's a very encouraging atmosphere and that makes it easier to perform," Girvin said, remembering his early experiences with the swimming and diving team.
Tufts has been able to count on Girvin to perform well since he joined his freshman year: In the past two seasons he has scored points in every meet. This season he swept the one meter and three meter events in four dual meets piling up 18 points for the Jumbos in each of those contests. For a sport in which final team scores are in the low hundreds, Girvin's points have been crucial. In recognition of his work, he has been named the most valuable diver every year he's been on the team.
While Girvin has been an asset to Tufts since his first dives, he has continuously strived to perfect his skills. This season, he learned a new dive, which he hopes will propel him into the finals at New Englands.
Last season Girvin finished 11th on the three meter and ninth on the one meter in the preliminaries. The top eight divers move on to the finals and score points for their teams.
"In the past I didn't dive consistently at New Englands," Girvin said. "I'd really like to do my best and it would be great to get points for my team."
Girvin did not qualify for nationals this year, therefore, New Englands will be mark his last meet as a Jumbo. Even though the experience has been good, Girvin says he won't be sad when it's over.
"I'm ready to be done with diving," he admitted, adding that the time commitment has been substantial. Each week Girvin and the diving team spend between three and four hours at practice nightly. And that does not include travel time between Tufts and the Harvard pool, a trip necessary because Tufts doesn't have a three-meter platform. From October through February, Girvin spends almost every evening diving.
"I've been diving for about twelve years, which is a long time," Girvin said. "I want [New Englands] to be a good end for my diving career and my career at Tufts."
