When newly-appointed varsity swim coach Chris Fox first read over prospective diving coach Victoria Lamp’s resume, he had one thought: she was too good to be true.

“You just can’t find a better coach anywhere, experience-wise,” he said.

Lamp’s resume is undeniably impressive. A competitive diver since the age of 12, Lamp continued her diving career in college after making her first Junior Worlds team at the age of 17 and added to her list of accomplishments. She placed fifth at Olympic Trials in 2012, was named NCAA Diver of the Year in 2013, was an Olympic Performance Squad member in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and placed tenth at the World Championships competition in 2013.

Lamp said her ability to set goals and work to attain them kept her motivated to continue the sport throughout her years as a diver.

“When I turned my focus from gymnastics to diving at 16 years old my goal was to make my first Junior National Team, and once I was able to do that then I wanted to compete in Senior International events such as the World Championships, she said. “Along the way I have had many short-term goals to get me through daily practices and keep me motivated during the hard training times.”

“Goal setting will be something I discuss with the [Homestead] divers from day 1,” she said.

Besides being an athlete, Lamp has also worked as a coach for multiple sports. As a gymnastics coach she has three years of experience in Tennessee and Wisconsin, and as a diving coach she has eight years of experience working for Tennessee Diving Club in Knoxville.

“I couldn’t believe someone that qualified would want to be a part of high school diving,” Coach Fox said. “I had always been told you couldn’t find high school diving coaches, but I found her within a week.”

Lamp, he said, was coaching gymnastics at his daughter Mallory’s gym when he found her. They met at a McDonalds to discuss the position a few weeks later, and talked for over an hour.

“I gave her some details about how coaching is different here than in the south…I learned a lot about her and how she coaches, about her philosophy. It coincided with mine, and I told her about the changes we’re making and the obstacles we’re facing. It didn’t scare her away,” he said.

Fox said the necessity for a new coach came from the changes he’s implementing as the new head coach of Homestead’s swim teams.

“There was a difference of philosophies,” he said. “I want us to be one team, not three separate teams [of junior varsity, varsity and diving]. I want to promote that holistic concept, and the old coach and I had a difference of opinions.”

Changes and differences will be coming in the fall, both to the diving and swimming teams. Fox said his biggest obstacles will be with upperclassmen.

“Seniors and juniors are used to the way things have been for three years. But now expectations are higher…to compete in the North Shore Conference we have to make some changes. We used to dominate the conference and we don’t anymore,” Fox said.

Among the changes to the practice schedule are the addition of “doubles”, or two-a-day practices in August. According to Fox, the reaction to the intensified level of practice has been mixed.

“Some athletes aren’t so enthused about it,” he said. “But we aren’t training to the level this conference is demanding.”

Lamp, he feels, will help the divers both get to, and in come cases stay at, that high level of competition. He specifically mentioned freshman Sami Nickerson, who placed seventh in last year’s state competition and who he believes is “destined” to win state by the time she graduates.

“I believe that with Tori coaching, Sami will achieve state champion status,” he said. “I would like to see us get at least five kids diving, and I want to see the other divers step up and work as hard as their coach wants them to work. I want to see them become part of the swim team, to practice when they practice, to stay at the meets and cheer for the swimmers. I want to take more than one diver to state, but it all depends on how hard they’re willing to work.”

Lamp certainly seems like the ideal candidate to help Nickerson attain that place on the top of the podium: in 2009 she was the high school diving national champion, and is now working as part of the AT&T Olympic Performance Squad toward qualifying for the 2016 Olympics.

“The program gives us resources to help keep us on the right track. I currently train 5-6 days a week at Schroeder in Brown Deer and attend annual training camps as well as national and international competitions,” Lamp said of her training for the Olympic trials.

Her philosophy is certainly similar to Fox’s: “I want the divers to know that skill level and your background doesn’t matter,” she said.  “As long as you go to practice and try you are going to get better.”

Fox truly couldn’t be happier to welcome her to the team.

“The possibility that she could be in the Olympics is so admirable,” he said. “She’s an impressive role model for the girls.”