Tuesday, August 19, 2014

DIVING TEAM PROTESTS LACK OF NEW DIVING BOARDS



Maplewood’s new diving team, which is having its first season this summer, has a bone to pick with the Maplewood Recreation Department.


Head Coach Kayla Spinelli tells Maplewodian.com that the team has been trying to get new diving boards this year to allow it to hold meets.


She said the current boards are not approved for competition and therefore disallow any meets at the pool, despite its great diving tower.


Spinelli said the team has been at odds with Recreation Director Keith Knudsen over ordering the boards and raising money. She said the team has raised $400 on its own toward a new board and the department had promised to order them, but never did.


“They never ordered it. The money we had for the boards was no longer there,” she said about the department, adding that new boards can cost as much as $5,000. “We cannot join a diving league if we don’t have the boards.”


The team planned to bring their grievances to the Township Committee at its regular meeting tonight, but despite the notice of the meeting it is not happening.


Knudsen could not be reached for comment because he is on vacation.


Full disclosure: my daughter is on the diving team, which has 20 members and has down well at two travel meets this summer.

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