By Hector Flores
Now 17 and a senior at Mepham High School, Abbruzzese placed fourth at the recent New York state swimming and diving competition while representing the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. After hearing the news, Barr said, "I am very proud of him. It is things like that that make you continue teaching and not retire."
Abbruzzese said his interest in diving began as a summer recreational activity in 1993 when he was 5 years old and swimming at Veteran's Memorial Pool in East Meadow. "I found swimming boring, and I would watch the diving team and think to myself, 'That would be more fun,'" he said.
Abbruzzese started practicing with the Town of Hempstead's diving team at 7 years old and competing with the team at the age of 8. During his first year as a diver, Abbruzzese said he wasn't that good, and from age 7 to 9, he only dove during the summer.
But that all changed when he went to the Freeport Recreational Center in 1997 and met Barr. Abbruzzese said that Barr helped him develop his "board work," which he said is the proper way of using the diving board to get the maximum spring to do flips, twists and dives.
"I still train with her every Sunday," he said. "Diving is such a unique sport. When you are in the air, it's like you're flying. One of the most important lessons I have learned is to be mentally strong because you are doing a lot of flips in the air and you have to be confident."
Abbruzzese started diving with the Bellmore-Merrick team in seventh grade. "This is my sixth year competing with the team and attending county championships," Abbruzzese said. "In seventh grade, I came in sixth in the county, and it was awesome."
Abbruzzese continued to improve his standing over the years. In 10th grade, at age 15, he joined the Long Island Divers Club, a national travel squad that competes all year round. He soon saw his high-school standings rise dramatically.
"For the last three years, I was ranked All-County," Abbruzzese said. In 2003, as a 10th grader, Abbruzzese took second place in the county competition, and for the first time, he was eligible to compete in the state championship. In 11th grade, he placed first in the county and 13th in the state. And this year, he repeated his county championship and ended fourth in the state.
Abbruzzese also broke the Nassau County sixth dive record in 2005, which means he did six dives in one meet. And in 2004, he was given All-Long Island honors.
"Next year I'm going to the University at Delaware, and I'm going to dive for the school's diving team," Abbruzzese said. "They have a Division I team in the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association]. I'm really excited for next year. I plan on becoming a better diver, and my goal now is to make it to nationals on the Long Island Dive team."
Abbruzzese's mother Liz said, "We are very proud of him. He has done great, and we hope that he has continued success in college."
Comments?Hflores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
