This past weekend, we were lucky enough to catch world-class divers competing in Tucson. If you are anywhere near the University of Arizona Hillenbrand Aquatic Center from July 23 - 31, you will see some of the best youth divers in the entire United States in the 2010 USA Diving Junior & Age Group National Championships. Over these days, about 600 youth competitors will perform their best to go for the gold. For some, this is one of many events they will compete in this year. For others, this is the first time they are competing on a national scale and it is awe inspiring to be in Tucson.

Competitive diving is vastly different than the diving most of us did in our youth. For me especially, I always challenged myself to see how crazy or wild I could dive as I jumped off our community pool board. Diving, at a competitive level, draws the best athletes. To dive, one needs many skills like gymnastics, acrobatics, grace and poise. Unlike some other competitive sports, divers need to master many skills, to be great at one.

USA Diving is the national governing body for Diving in the USA. It is an Olympic sport and is competed at the Summer Olympic Games every four years. To be a great diver, one needs a great facility. Most of them are located on University campuses. The Univerisity of Arizona Hillenbrand Aquatic Center has one of the best outdoor diving venues in the world.

You might ask, what makes it great? Well it was designed to exceed international standards in all ways. Diving can be broken down into to two disciplines, springboard and platform. Springboard is the one that you and I are most familiar from our childhood. Platform is the one that looks the hardest and is always in any Olympic games highlight reel. It has been made famous by divers like Greg Louganis and Tucson's own Michele Mitchell. Both have competed in several Olympic games and are a continued inspiration to the sport.

If you happened to miss the national championships, don't worry, Tucson will be hosting the 18th FINA Junior World Championships from September 1-6. Not only will you be able to see the best divers from the USA, but over 25 countries will be sending their best divers. In the diving world, all eyes will be on Tucson as we host one of the most prestigious aquatics events.

An incredible amount planning goes into these events. There are countless hours performed by either staff or volunteers to ensure that these events are the best they can be for us a community and country. I have said many times in sports that if you build it they will come. That is such a true statement and these diving events are proof of that statement. But these events wouldn't be what they are without the people that run them. To host a flawless event is a huge undertaking and for that the organizers deserve a gold medal.

This week's prize is a one night stay for two at Tubac, one round of golf for 2 & $25 gift card to a Tubac Resort Restaurant.