South’s Girls Diving Team jumps into the season with their new diving coach, Mike Schulewitz.

Having been a dual sport Division 1 athlete in gymnastics and diving at Southern Illinois University, he is able to relate to issues student athletes are facing, Schulewitz said. He has implemented a series of activities, including goal-setting and journaling, to help his athletes combat negativity and to bond with his athletes.

“[The divers] do daily, weekly, and seasonal goal-setting,” Schulewitz said. “I take [them] and write back every single day, so [we are able to] talk about their goals.”

Junior varsity diver Lila Su said Schulewitz brings a positive spirit to the diving team by incorporating a healthy mindset as a pillar of success every day.

“[Schulewitz] creates a very happy atmosphere during practices and meets,” Su said.

Schulewitz has coached high school diving for the last 20 years at Niles North High School and has 57 years of experience coaching state champions in four different sports: swimming, diving, gymnastics, and track at various high schools across Illinois. The most challenging adjustment to coaching at South is the lack of space for the divers, Schulewitz said.

Due to the fact the girls diving team shares the fall sports season with Girls’ Swimming, athletes are divided into South’s two pools, Schulewitz said. The bigger pool is designated for divers and varsity swimmers, while the smaller pool is dedicated to JV. South does not have a diving well, so ensuring that his team has enough practice time is very important, Schulewitz said.

“[It] is always the struggle, making sure they get a full workout in” Schulewitz said.

Schulewitz believes in a growth mindset and progress. His goal is for the girls to advance, always gaining more knowledge and becoming stronger, both physically and mentally, he said.

“The point is to improve every week, and if you win, you win. If you don’t, you don’t, that’s okay. But ultimately, if you [keep working] you will start winning,” he said