Get to know Evergreen diving coach Brett Brinkhoff
EVERGREEN, Colo. — With more than 25 years of experience in the sport of diving – including as a Division I diver for the University of Nevada Las Vegas — Evergreen High School (EHS) Diving Coach Brett Brinkhoff understands the challenges and vulnerabilities that his athletes face both in practice and in competition. “This sport can challenge an athlete’s nerves, both in competition and learning new dives in practice,” he observes. “So, we try to focus on a relaxed outlook about our tough dives and a consistent mental attitude to handle each one. There is a lot of psychology in sports training and especially in diving, when you’re wearing nothing but a speedo in front of a large crowd that is silently watching only you while you’re [preparing] to perform your hardest dive.”
Coach Brinkhoff has guided several EHS Cougar divers to victory since he began working for the school in 2017, but he says that one of the most memorable moments was when then-senior Kian Smith won his first state championship title during the 4A and 5A boys state diving championships last May. “He was ranked seventh or eighth going into the state tournament and we were both a little nervous about the competition,” Brinkhoff recalls. “We felt that if Kian could stay calm and drop 11 consistent dives to his ability, we would do well. It was his focus that won him his state title.”
Brinkhoff won his own title at last year’s state championships as well, earning his second Colorado State Diving Coach of the Year title during the competition – an accomplishment he repeated at this year’s 3A girls state diving championships in February, bringing his total Colorado State Diving Coach of the Year accolades to three. Brinkhoff is quick to point out, though, that the most rewarding aspect of his career is “every year when an athlete overcomes their fear to accomplish something new and scary and I see how proud of themselves they are for doing it.”
As for what the sport of diving has taught him outside of the pool, Brinkhoff says, “I’ll start with an Andy Andrews quote — ‘in the game of life, nothing is less important than the score at halftime.’ So many young athletes are so focused on the mistake they just made, that they often miss seeing the investment [they are] building in themselves for their futures. You can’t learn without loss. Understand what happened and how to correct it, and be happy if you get to experience it early enough to learn from it!”
Looking ahead to a new diving season with the Cougars, Brinkhoff remains appreciative of the coaches and teams he has worked with along the way. “I love this sport. I love my athletes. I love the coaches and teams I’ve had the chance to work with,” he concludes. “I hope [they feel] half as much [of an impact] on them as the impact they have made on me.”
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