Morry Arbini Invitational

Morry Arbini Diving Influence 1

Morris "Morry" E. Arbini (September 4, 1934 – August 17, 2015) was a distinguished diving coach whose influence spanned several decades and regions, notably California and Colorado. Born in Ross, California, Morry spent much of his youth in Arizona before establishing his career first in California and then expanding in Colorado. A veteran, Morry served honorably in the 82nd Airborne Division and pursued higher education at Fullerton Community College and Colorado State University (CSU), where he later earned a master's degree in physical education.

As a diver, Morry was recognized as one of the nation's best on the 10-meter Platform. Morry's own diving career was shaped under the guidance of Olympic legend Dr. Sammy Lee. During this time, Morry began to catch the coaching buzz as he worked under Sammy Lee further enriching his coaching philosophy and passion for the sport.

Later, Morry began coaching at Los Coyotes Country Club in California, where he developed one of the nation's largest diving programs, directly coaching over 150 divers. It was at Los Coyotes that Morry coached a young Jeff Huber, legendary Olympic and NCAA diving coach at the University of Indiana. Dr. Huber, in his book "Springboard and Platform Diving (2016)," dedicated it to Morry, acknowledging his profound impact on the diving community. In the dedication, Dr. Huber wrote, "In memory of Coach Morry Arbini, who ignited a passion for the sport of diving in hundreds of young athletes and irrevocably changed our lives forever."

After his tenure in California and at the end of his personal diving career, Morry moved to Colorado, where his coaching career flourished at Colorado State University. He initially led the men's swimming and diving team from 1972 to 1974, during which he coached another future American diving coaching icon, Jay Lerew, to a national championship in the 1-meter board in 1974. Following a career from 1975-1986, Morry taught high school PE at Rocky Mountain High School, where he also coached diving; Morry returned to CSU in 1986 to helm the women's diving program, a position he held for 19 years (2005).

Concurrent with his position at CSU, Morry founded his youth diving club, the Colorado Twisters. Over those years, Morry introduced the sport to many of Colorado’s best divers, with many of his divers winning Colorado high school state titles and/or going on to dive at the collegiate level, including his step-daughter Lynn. Another diver was Olympian Kimiko Hirai-Soldati, whom he coached at the club level before her collegiate career at Colorado State and later Indiana University under the leadership of Dr. Jeff Huber.

In his first book, 'Applying Educational Psychology in Coaching Athletes' (2012), Dr. Huber expanded on the impact Morry had in his life. Huber wrote:

'Coach Arbini was the toughest coach I ever dived for. He was demanding, resolute in what he expected, and gave no quarter. If he asked you to do something, you were expected to do it without question. Despite his toughness, he had something that I had never seen in another coach: He cared about you as a person and was emotionally involved in your diving and what you wanted to accomplish. He was genuinely excited when you learned a new dive and quick to congratulate you and spend time talking about your practice. He wasn't afraid to show his emotions. If you did something he liked, it was usually followed by a smile, clap of the hands, pat on the back, or even a bear hug.

What he may have lacked in technical expertise, he compensated for with a passion for the sport, a love for his athletes, and the ability to create a positive learning environment that engendered responses of joy, passion, excitement,

and love for the sport.

Practice was challenging, but rewarding; and it was demanding, but fun. Seriousness was balanced with humor and the sheer enjoyment of the sport. I still recall a number of my practices: my first back 2 1/2 somersault, my

first triple twisting 1 1/2 somersault, and all my first dives off the 10-meter platform. It was one of the scariest, most challenging, most rewarding, and most enjoyable times of my life. To this day, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have learned from him. I am sure that I became a coach because of him. After I retired from diving and began my coaching career, I took three of the six most important awards I earned during my career and mailed them to him. In the enclosed letter, I wrote, “Without you, I would never have achieved so much. These are as much yours as they are mine. Thanks for giving me your time, your experience, your wisdom, and your heart and soul. I can never truly repay you, but I can pass on what you gave me to other athletes." During the four short years he coached me, he developed divers who eventually went on to win national and conference championships, high school and collegiate All-American honors, and divers who became age group and collegiate coaches.' (page 97)

Morry’s legacy is not characterized solely by the physical development of athletes but by his exceptional ability to inspire, motivate, and support his divers. This Memorial Diving Meet stands as a testament to his enduring influence and the countless lives he touched through his unwavering dedication to the sport.

Welcome to the 1st Annual Morry Arbini Diving Invitational.

Click here to register for the meet!