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He
started at age ten with coach Dick Smith at Dick's Swim
gym in Phoenix. It gave him a foundation which he took back
to Texas where he met and was inspired by divers Cynthia
Potter, Cal Locke, Scott Pyle and Mike Malone.
Steve McFarland has done everything there is to do in diving:
dive, coach, market, administer, broadcast and promote.
He
almost chose trampoline over diving, but the NCAA dropped
the sport. After two years at the University of Texas, he
transferred to the University of Miami, diving for Tom Gompf
and winning two AAU National Championships on platform,
1973, 1984 and two bronze medals at the World University
Games, 1974 in springboard and platform. In the summers
he taught diving to kids in Tom's Learn To Dive program.
He performed in comedy shows and became an athlete representative
in diving's governing body, USA Diving.
His
passion for the sport took him in many directions. He succeeded
Tom as coach at Miami, where Steve worked with legendaries
Greg Louganis and Phil Boggs and also coached four NCAA
All-Americans (1977-1984). He was asked to be a television
communicator for diving, broadcasting for NBC at the 1988
and 1992 Olympics (where the Pay Per View broadcast was
the first complete live coverage of an Olympic Games), ESPN
(1993-1996), Turner Broadcast Sports (1989-1992) and broadcasts
with Outdoor Life Network, Prime Network FINA Video and
HDTV Net. He was producer and narrator of "100 Years
of Diving Success" shown at the successful 2004 U.S.
Olympic Diving Trials, which he hosted and conducted. In
2005 Steve McFarland was the recipient of the Paragon Award
for Competitive Diving. At that time ISHOF (International
Swimming Hall Of Fame) wrote this about Steve.
As
a volunteer and administrator, Steve been Vice President
of USA Diving two time (1985-1993, and again starting in
2004) and served as President (1994-1998). He has been an
Olympic Diving Judge at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens
Olympic Games. He was USA Diving Age Group Coach of the
Year (1980). Steve, wife Beth (former Mission Viejo diver)
and sons Scott and Philip all have the passion for diving.
Jumping
forward to 2009, Steve continues to travel to every corner
of the planet as a official with FINA. We might add Steve
saw potential in DiveMeets when we were just starting out.
We have befitted in innumerable ways from his suggestions
and advice. Steve personifies professionalism, honesty and
integrity. This brief Bio only scratches the surface of
Steve's accomplishments in the sport of Diving.
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