Dive Right In by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online Page A

water vertically, not on your belly. Also,focus your eyes on the far end of the pool until you do the hurdle. When you leave the board after the hurdle, focus on the
     point where you’ll enter the water. And try to touch your toes with your hands—that’s the sign of a good pike.”
    Traci did several repetitions. She got better, though she didn’t think she was ever really good. It was discouraging. Sophia
     continued to say nice things, but Traci suspected that she was only being kind.
    Traci then dived in the straight position—without bending. At Sophia’s suggestion, Traci leaned forward more when coming out
     of the hurdle. Sophia also told her to spread her arms to the side as she went up and bring them together overhead as she
     neared the water.
    Here, too, Traci was frustrated again and again. She hit the water too soon, before she was straight up-and-down, or too late,
     splashing hard with the backs of her legs. She lost her balance a couple of times and didn’t hit the board with both feet
     after the hurdle. Once, she leaned too far forward coming off the board and just avoided hitting the water stomach-first.
    Her first experience of diving left Traci feelingvery discouraged. Maybe this wasn’t her sport, after all. Maybe Margo had been wrong.
    After Traci’s last messed-up dive in the straight position, Sophia said that she was going to get Margo. Traci tried not to
     wince. She imagined Margo kicking her out in disgrace.
    Sophia returned with Margo. Before Traci got on the board, Sophia took her aside. “Don’t worry, you’re doing well,” she said.
     “Just visualize your dives, relax, and do them. Don’t expect to be perfect. This is only your first day.”
    On the board, Traci closed her eyes and visualized the dive: hands around shins at the top of the dive, then straightening
     smoothly into the water, arms extended.
    This time, her tuck was tight. She straightened out… and hit the water before she had straightened all the way.
Splat.
Not good.
    When she went for the pike position, she knew before she hit the water that she had come out of the pike too soon, and that
     her back was arched too much. But she didn’t make a huge splash. Better—a little.
    The straight dive was pretty bad, Traci thought. Inher nervousness, she forgot to stretch her arms to the side before reaching over her head. Also, she didn’t lean forward enough,
     so her entry was short of the ideal straight up-and-down. Sighing, Traci climbed out of the pool and dried herself with her
     chamois, waiting for Margo to jump all over her.
    But, surprisingly, Margo didn’t say much. She simply pointed out that Traci had a lot of work to do. She made no specific
     criticisms at all and told Traci she’d see her at the next session.
    Traci was relieved to have been spared a harsh scolding, but she still felt depressed as she changed. She walked by the older
     girls and barely noticed them, lost in a cloud of gloom.
    As she plodded home, Traci found it impossible to imagine that she could ever be a decent diver, let alone a great one.

8
    S ince Traci had the next day off from diving, she agreed to go shopping with Valerie. Traci biked to Valerie’s house and they
     rode to the mall together. When they sat down at a snack shop in the food court, Valerie’s excitement was clear.
    “I met my new coach and he’s
awesome!
What a difference from Jeff! This guy pumps you up when he just talks to you! He thinks I’ve got major potential, but says
     I’d better be ready for the hardest work I’ve ever done. And I’m like, ‘Sure! That’s what I want!’ And he smiles and goes,
     ‘I think you’ll do fine.’ I can’t believe it, it’s too good to be true.”
    Traci felt happy for her friend and tried to show it, but her spirits were so low that Valerie couldn’t help noticing.
    “You don’t look so great,” she said. “That coach still giving you a hard time?”
    Traci shook her head. “It isn’t Margo. I