2024 Dive Reps
I’m Mary Stinnett, and I’ll be one of the dive reps for the Fairfax Frogs this summer. My family has been at the pool since 1988. My oldest son, Zach Patteson, joined the Frog dive team in 1997, when he was six years old. The team consisted of nine divers that year. There was so little interest in the dive team that, over the following winter, the pool board decided to do away with the team the next summer. My husband, James Patteson, and I started a petition and got enough signatures to keep the team going. …. And that’s how James and I became the dive team reps in 1998. Our son, Austin, who was four, joined the team that year, followed by our daughter Hannah two years later. James and I shared the dive rep duties until 2007. I continued solo for another eleven years, with lots of help from our great volunteers. I assisted for the next four years, and this season will mark the 3rd year that I have been co-rep with Dawn. I’m not sure how to count that up, but it’s been the most fun and rewarding volunteer position I’ve ever had.
At times it was pure chaos with 3 kids participating in practices, A-meets, B-meets, dive meets, and social events. In 2006, the Health Department started enforcing stringent depth requirements for county and city pools and our diving board had to be replaced with a ¾ meter board and we had all of our dive meets away. James (then the pool board president) and Hayden Codding worked some magic and got part of the pool property rezoned, sub-divided, and sold in time to design and rebuild the pool and deck for the 2007 season. Though losing our board in 2006 presented some challenges, it provided the impetus to improve the pool and led to the up-to-date facility we now have. We are now able to provide diving experience to 70+ kids every day of the season.
Highlights since 1998 include the Frogs earning seven division championships, hosting six divisional meets, hosting two All-Star meets, having three kids in the same sport at the same time, having two of my kids coach diving, having my son earn an NVSL swimming record, watching the end of season videos, trophy hijinks, and hiring Coach Kenny in 2003. I hope Fairfax Pool provides your families with as many life-long friendships and lasting memories as it has mine. If you have any questions, you can contact me at [email protected].
