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Soldati back coaching at Olympics

Open field

Since his stellar prep and collegiate diving career as a competitor, it’s been a wondrous coaching journey in a sport which has led Adam Soldati to his wife Kimiko and their four children – Blake, 6, Isaac, 4, Maiya, 2, and Emiko, 8-months – to being both the Big-10 and NCAA diving coach of the year; and now, to two Olympics.

Actually, you can make that three Olympics for Soldati. But his first Olympic experience wasn’t as a coach – he went to the 2004 Athens Summer Games  as a supporter of Kimiko, who was the best 3-meter diver in the country and a member of the United States women's Olympic diving team.

As a coach, Soldati, a 1992 Sonoma Valley High School graduate, became head coach at Purdue University in Indiana, and was a five-time Big-10 Conference diving coach of the year, as well as an NCAA diving coach of the year, when he made his Olympic coaching debut at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.

Soldati had guided his Purdue star, David Boudia, onto the USA Olympic diving team that year, and now, four years later, he and Boudia, the 2011 World Championships silver medalist, are teamed again as coach and diver for the 2012 London Olympics, which begin with opening ceremonies this Friday, July 27.

Known for his enthusiasm, dedication and inspirational approach, Soldati’s coaching success at Purdue also includes directing his Boilermaker teams to 10 conference championships, four NCAA titles, and more than 40 All-American certificates were achieved.

In 2010, Soldati coached the U.S. diving team to its first World Cup win in China since 1985; he’s been named the American head coach for the USA Grand Prix multiple times; and his divers have earned more than two-dozen medals at international competitions and U.S. national meets, as well as six championships. He’s also coached nine U.S. junior national champions.

As a competitor, Soldati was a prep standout for the SVHS Dragons, winning the Sonoma County League diving championship, then moving on to Santa Rosa Junior College, where, as a Bear Cub, he claimed the state junior college diving title.

Soldati then became a scholarship diver for Indiana University, helping it capture third place in 1996-97 Big Ten swimming and diving championships. He individually qualified for, and competed in, the NCAA indoor and outdoor platform diving championships and got to compete in the Olympic trials.

So, check out the Olympic event-schedule, which begins after Friday’s opening ceremonies, and see when Soldati – a member of the SVHS Dragon Athletic Hall of Fame – coaches his star, Boudia, in the diving competition and, whether a medal is won or not, the experience has already added to Soldati’s now legendary coaching career.

Ciao!