Dave Dawson, the diving coach for both the boys and girls swim teams at Ballard High School, recently won a bronze and a silver medal at the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Canada.

The Olympics style event is held every four years for adults in various age divisions competing in track, swimming and other sports.

Dawson was one of 22,000 athletes at the World Masters Games. There were 100 divers at the event.

"It was great," said Dawson. "It was remarkable. There were so many people there."

He won a bronze for the one-meter dive and silver for a synchronized dive with a partner. Dawson was also fourth in the platform and three-meter events.

"The oldest diver was 83 years old, Dawson recalled. "She started at the age of 73."

He has been diving for 32 years, not counting the years learning to swim as a youngster.

While still in high school in Santa Barbara, Dawson joined the water polo team but found it was not his best sport.

He took a diving class and started out slowly. With practice came improvement.

"Everyone expected you to do normal sports," said Dawson. "It gave me a chance to shine on my own. I did not have to be a team player like (water) polo."

The tough aspect of diving is fear and the thought of getting hurt.

When a diver tries new dives, they can be unsure how it will work.

"The water can give you a pretty good smack," he said.

Dawson said in the ten-meter dive, people could get seriously hurt if they land flat. Shoulder injuries can occur also.

In high school, Dawson started diving without the benefit of having a coach specializing in that event.

He ended up helping the divers on the girl's team.

"At least they had someone to watch them and give them feedback," he said. "When you work with coaches, they can tell you what you did wrong."

He won the league diving championship in high school, but admits there wasn't a lot of competition. It did however, boost his confidence and he decided to take up diving in college at California State Northridge and later at Indiana University in Bloomington, home to the country's number one diving program.

"I did my best training," said Dawson. "The coach, Hobie Billingsley, was the best in the world. He taught me how to be a professional. The refinement of my technique was amazing. A sense of poise, confidence and being in the middle of my own element."

Confidence is the key to diving, he said.

"When I stand on the board, I feel like I own it," he said. "Walking in, I feel good, relaxed and compete more easily. I show them something beautiful."

As a coach at Ballard High, Dawson is often working with athletes who are new to diving.

"A lot of them start from scratch," said Dawson.

"I tell the kids that on the board, there should be something about them that draws all eyes to them," he said.

He urges the divers to be self-confident and create something beautiful to watch.

When Ballard moved up the 4A level, the swim teams were required to add diving to their routines. This made it difficult for the Beavers, who were without a diving coach. Dawson points out that there are not many diving coaches in Seattle.

He was at the Ballard Pool one day when, then head coach Mike Babcock, was working out his team.

"I dropped in to see if they needed a dive coach," said Dawson. "I had free time one day and came in and introduced myself to Babcock. His jaw dropped. It was the first year as a 4A school. He said 'boy do we need a dive coach."

Dawson volunteered his time the first year. The next year he was hired as an assistant in charge of diving.

Dawson now works with boy's head coach Michael Bruesch and girl's head coach Carlos Palacian.

Renee Rutchik, a star Ballard gymnast who has now graduated, tried her hand at diving under Dawson's leadership.

"She went to state the first year," said Dawson. "She had pretty good success. She had the ability to concentrate and make it happen. The athletic director (Doug Bruketta) is very supportive and encouraging. The kids have the ability to see success in many ways. There's a whole range of things, the school has excelled at."

In recent years, the Ballard Beavers have had winning volleyball, football, track and field and swimming teams.

Like the other swimming coaches, Dawson envisions developing a program for long-term success.

"I get pleasure from coaching kids," he said. "They put so much effort in. They crash, get back up and do it again. It's building a relationship of trust."

The girls swimming team begins their 2005 season on Friday, Sept. 9 against Woodinville at the Ballard Pool. Start time is 3:30 p.m.