A Life-changing Moment with Hobie by Lauren

A Life-changing Moment with Hobie by Lauren - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

I only met Hobie Billingsley once, the renowned legend and founding father of diving at Indiana University. He not only influenced my future path of study, but inspired me to become the person and dedicated athlete that I am today.
At just 16 years of age, I was standing on the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center’s third place podium at the 2021 Senior National Diving Championship, when he slowly made his way over and shook my hand. I’m not sure at that moment if I was more stunned by the bronze metal draped around my neck, or having the legendary and revered coach look me in the eye and chuckle, “Good job, kid.” From that moment on, I knew I needed to learn more about Hobie and Indiana University.
I discovered that starting back in 1959, Hobie began teaching the sport of diving with new and unusual methods. He was the first coach to study and use science to mentor his divers, believing divers become extraordinary athletes by understanding the physics behind the motion of diving. His pure passion for innovation and improvement of the sport coupled with his revolutionary science-based teaching methods truly became a catalyst for me. If Hobie could revolutionize diving by integrating the principles of science, then why couldn’t I further diving and sports in general by incorporating kinesiology, computer science, and data informatics? Sadly, Hobie Billingsley passed away last year, but I am driven to strive to continue his legacy through obtaining an education in computer science combined with kinesiology. I know there is so much more to explore and enhance in diving (and sports in general) by the integration of computer science and data in the training, coaching, performance analytics, and athlete development. My goal is to revolutionize sports performance through the integration of computer science.
I am extremely humbled and eager to improve my diving at Indiana University, observe and learn how great coaches build success, and help contribute to the incredible winning record of the IU Swim and Dive team. I desire to pursue a career in computer science and informatics, and I plan on also incorporating classes in exercise science to enhance my knowledge of movement of the body. My love is computer science and data, my passion is diving. By incorporating both, I hope to be able to discover and develop new and innovative ways to integrate computer science and sports. I will take what I learn in the classroom onto the pool deck as my way to carry on the inspirational legacy of the great Hobie Billingsley and Indiana University.