Matthew Taylor '21 Recruiting Profile

I am relatively new to the world of diving.  I have been in gymnastics for 14 years, and started diving to find a school team that would be compatible. (They don’t have boys gymnastics at my high school.) Though I’ve only been diving for 2 years, (not including this year, since we were shut down after the first meet) It’s a sport and community that I really love.  Between diving and gymnastics I have learned the values of focus, determination, and perseverance.  I love competing against myself, and always try to better my personal scores.  I thrive on learning new dives.

I possess the right combination of natural ability and coach-ability  (according to my coaches).  Though my school team (coached by Mark Ravera) has been suspended until the Covid-19 crisis is over, I’ve been able to continue to dive, thanks to Dede Crayne and Phil Tonne from Capital Divers, who have worked with me over the last couple of years to help me catch up to the divers who have been at it a lot longer.  In 2018, my freshman year, I won the regional dive meet for J.V., and in 2019, my sophomore year, I qualified for state finals at the varsity level, though I was unable to attend.  I was also in a school band (saxophone) that won a national competition and went to New York to play at Lincoln Center on those same dates.  There was no way to do both, and I’d already made that commitment. 

  I currently work as a gymnastics coach for a competitive boys team, teach classes at my old gym and am still in band, but I am most dedicated to diving now, and would love to see where it can lead when we’re competing again.  I am very interested in attending a university that has a kinesiology major, as I am interested in the possibility of becoming a physical therapist.  

  I believe that my dedication to diving, my coach-ability, and my willingness to always improve myself will make me an excellent student athlete in college.  My dreams are big, but I know that with my focus and the right atmosphere, I will be able to reach my goals both in and out of the water.