Team Orlando Diving was established in 1985 by Dennis Golden, Tom Zomberg, Curt McCoy and Lynne McCoy.  Champions such as Lenny Layland, Mary Ellen Clark, Wendy Lucero and Nigel Stanton came from the program.  In 1990 Jeff Shaffer took over as head coach through 1993.  Li Kong- zheng followed Jeff from 1993-1996.  Jay Lerew moved to Orlando in the fall of 1996.

Jay Lerew had been the head coach of Moss Farms Diving in Moultrie, GA for six years.  Moose Moss, the “Father of Junior Diving”, hired Jay himself and they became like father and son.  Together they designed and built the state-of-the-art diving facility that exists in Moultrie today.  From 1990-1996 Jay produced divers such as Adam Terrell, Clayton Moss, Jeff Moss, Lauryn McCalley, Lane Bashum, Grant Gritzmacher, Katie Beth Bryant, Judd Cambell and Brent Roberts.  Before Moss Farms, Jay was head coach of Schroeder Diving in Milwaukee, WI from 1983-1990.  The two years prior he coached at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Before he began his coaching career Jay was an aerial acrobatic skier on the Professional Freestyle Skiing Tour.  He won several domestic and international pro skiing events and made movies as a stunt skier.  Jay graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Education in 1975.  As a diver he had numerous top 5 performances at the US Nationals and was a 3 time NCAA All American.

In 2000 Jay became engaged to Wendy Reich, who coached North Florida Diving in Jacksonville. Wendy started the program at the University of North Florida in 1997 coaching NCAA Champion Jamie Watkins, and current Junior National silver and bronze medallist Corry Christian. In 2003 Wendy was named US Junior Coach of the Year.  Before moving to Florida, Wendy began Emerald Diving in Seattle, WA with three-time Olympic coach Scott Reich. They earned a top six team finish at the Junior Nationals 1994.  Wendy began coaching in 1990 after a successful diving career of her own.  She was an NCAA All American at Florida State University, many times Canadian National Champion, bronze medallist on platform at the 1989 World Championships, platform silver medallist at the 1987 Pan Am Games and a two-time Olympic Team Member.

 Jay and Wendy have been coaching Team Orlando together since the spring of 2000.  They married (on skis…) in Crested Butte, CO, February of 2001and have four children; Chelsie Lerew, an All American diving Senior at Florida State University, Brittany Lerew, a Freshman at FSU and National All American Diving Champion, 10 year old East National Team diver Niki Reich and 8 year old diver Shelby Lerew. 

The YMCA Family Aquatic Center has been the home of Team Orlando Diving since it’s beginning.  Through many engineering changes “a la” Jay Lerew, the diving equipment is second to none.  There are twelve permanent springboards around the diving well, including a half meter and 2 meter. There are 1, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10-meter platforms and a spring platform of Jay’s design at deck level.  There are four dry pit boards on deck with three overhead spotting rigs, one on dry board, 1 meter and 3 meter springboards.  There are wall bars; an inclined matted slide into the water, mobile hurdle stations and multiple gym mats.

Team Orlando is a predominantly Junior Olympic and Pre-Team Lessons program.  However many collegiate aged divers return to train with Jay and Wendy in the summers.  There are sixty divers presently competing at the Junior Olympic level, and fifty enrolled in the Lessons program.  The JO divers are coached by Jay and Wendy and train five days per week for three hours per day.  These divers are geared toward National and International level competition. The Pre-Team Lessons program is coached by TOD National Team members.  It runs four days per week with skill evaluations performed monthly.  These divers, mostly under the age of 12, are geared toward local Novice and Intermediate competition with eventual graduation to Junior Olympic team diving. The Booster Club of Team Orlando Inc. has been praised for its landmark meet organization and is renowned for their work hosting the annual All Star International Challenge in February.  This parent’s group, which meets monthly, offers an annual membership program with benefits.