The SDA is the competitive wing for the Quay’s diving programme and we have a competition structure that straddles from beginners all the way to national elite level and hosts five competitions per year. All of this and more is only made possible with the help of our fantastic coaches and volunteers. Please meet the team below.

Meet the Coaches

SDA COACHES

Headed up by Director of Diving Lindsey Fraser, The Coaching Team are passionate about diving and committed to their goal of producing world class divers.

LINDSEY FRASER

Our Director of Diving for Active Nation/SDA Lindsey, has been an Olympic Athlete, Team Manager, Coach and Judge over an extremely impressive career. As a diver she attended two Olympic Games - 1980 in Moscow and 1984 in Los Angeles, both competing in the 10m. She was the British Team Manager for the Olympic Games in 2000 & 2004 and a Team GB coach in the Beijing and London Olympic Games (2008 & 2012). Tokyo 2020 saw her attend as a judge.

In 2002, 2006 & 2010 she was the English Commonwealth Diving Coach.

She is a trained secondary school teacher and continued her teaching career alongside her coaching until she moved to Southampton in 1999. She was awarded the Helen Rollason medal as the top female UK Coach of the Year in 2004.

Lindsey has been coach to many Olympians including gold medallist Chris Mears, and silver medallist Peter Waterfield.

Her other Olympic divers (from SDA) are: Blake Aldridge, Stacie Powell and Tanya Watson. Gary Hunt was also her diver, who, as you all know, is now very famous for his Red Bull high diving exploits!

She has led the Southampton Diving Academy to continued success since it was formed in January 2000, coaching over 30 International divers in this time.

Lindsey is very proud of the success of the SDA programme, and feels very privileged to have watched so many divers achieve their dreams – whether that be jumping off 5m, qualifying for Nationals, or becoming an International diver.

The saying she lives by is: ‘The most important thing in living is to reach out and touch perfection in that which you most love to do'.

MATT ROBERTS

Diving Development Coach

Our coach Matt retired from competitive diving 2013. His diving career includes:

Senior Level-

Olympic Trials 2012: 5th 3M Individual
Represented GB at the European Champs in Turin 3M Synchronised diving 2011.
GB Senior Diving Championships: Gold medal 3M Synchronised diving (as a guest with Jamaican diver Yona Knight- Wisdom) 2013
Bronze medal 3M Synchronised diving 2011
ASA GB National Champion 3M Synchronised Diving 2013
British Gas National Cup Silver medallist 3M Synchronised diving 2011 Junior-
GB National Age Group Champion 1M,3M and Platform 2005
GB Junior silver medallist platform synchronised diving
National Schools Senior Boys Diving Champion 2011
County: County Champion in Cambridge and Hertfordshire several times 2005-2010

Before spending his time poolside in Southampton, Matt coached at Leeds Diving Club from 2011- 2016. During this time, he spent time coaching novice divers in lessons and squads from the TID (Talent Identification Divers) Development and National Age Group Squads. As well as, assisting with coaching international divers in the high performance centre, National Elite and National Age Group Divers divers providing strength and conditioning sessions

As a coach, Matt is proud to boast a successful career with divers competing up to World’s Level. His athletes have enjoyed a range of successes from Junior Elites medallists to Junior European medallists.

BRANDON FOSTER

Level 2 Coach

Brandon is a homegrown SDA diver and has been coaching for 5 years internationally for both club and country.

His diving career includes:

Junior-

11 National age group medals (5 Gold)
6 Junior Elite Medals (2 Gold)
Represented England after his first Junior Elites aged 12.

Senior-

Competed at his first Senior Nationals in 2015 aged 13.
Competed at 5 Senior Nationals over the years, against the likes of Tom Daley.

Currently coaching: Junior Elite, Senior Elite, Age groups, Skills and Pre-Skills. Although he coaches a wide range of athletes across the programme, he finds all levels rewarding and is passionate to achieve more.

MOLLIE JAMES

Level 2 Coach

Mollie is a former gymnast who moved to the diving discipline following injury. As a diver, she enjoyed successes at Junior and senior elite level.

As a coach, Mollie has worked with all age groups – from TID up to Junior Masters and her divers have competed and enjoyed great successes up to Age Group level.

When Mollie is not coaching with us, she is a super busy lady competing in the Archery circuit and skydiving for multiple charities!