Teams competing in the Florida Skydiving League this season will get free coaching, courtesy of industry sponsors. FSL director Kurt Gaebel said a qualified coach will be on hand at all 10 league meets this year. The freelancing coach will provide tips to any team that asks. Solly Williams of the 4-way team "Equanimity" served as coach at the league's first competition meet of the season, held last November at Skydive City in Zephyrhills. Five of the six teams present took advantage of his presence. All of them were pleased.

"Everybody loved it," reported Gaebel. "It was a great thing to have." Having access to Williams made it easier for newer teams to make all six competition rounds in one day. Rather than spend time trying to engineer the dive and the exit, the teams usually asked for Williams' advice. He quickly worked them through the puzzle, allowing teams to dirt dive and creep efficiently. The subsequent dives were often more successful, too.

"We couldn't have done it without him," said Hannah Barnes of "Team Guinness." This author liked the idea, too. My team - "Deland Genesis" - often pays $100 to $200 a day for coaching, especially for someone as knowledgeable as Williams. Equanimity is South Africa's national 4-way team; it finished thirs at last year's World Meet. Williams spent the entire day at the creeper pad. He did a good job of catering to each team's needs, focusing on the basics for new teams and on the finer points for seasoned ones. My team, for instance, would lay the dive down and work out the puzzle on our own. Then Williams would step up and help us polish up the rough spots. He said later that it was a challenge to accommodate five teams, especially when some teams wanted more attention than others. Only the meet's winning team - "Sebastian XL" - didn't use Williams. 

Sun Path, manufacturers of the Javelin rig, paid Williams' fee. Other companies will cover the fee at upcoming meets. Gaebel hopes having a "consulting coach" at every league meet will encourage jumpers to move from the sidelines and enter the one-day meets. Gaebel said he will follow one competitor's advice to make sure the coach is at the DZ the night before the meet to help teams engineer the first round.