Valley's Center of attention

Champion diver continues success as a Monarch.

Toby Douglas, Staff Writer

The 19-year-old Ciara Center is majoring sociology and plans to minor in forensic psychology. (Taylor Cowhey for the Valley Star)

Ciera Center seems to have the right stuff, dominating the competition and taking first place in a combined eight events across five separate competitions. 

The freshman diver competes in the 1- and 3-meter dives, even recording a perfect score at the Mt. SAC Invitational last year and again at the 39th annual Mt. SAC Invitational in March. In some cases, the 19-year-old even stood out amongst a much wider group of competitors, with her first-place finish at the March invitational coming against 28 other divers.  

“When I see what type of student athlete I have become [and] knowing that I am just beginning my collegiate career keeps me motivated every day,” Center said. 

For Valley’s star diver, a usual day involves early morning workouts, classes and homework. She then ends her day with an evening practice, always looking for ways to improve her techniques. 

“Having to wake up early in the morning at such a young age was really hard,” said the Monarch when asked about the challenges of being a young athlete. "Staying consistent every day from long hours at school to long practices and back to homework through the night was difficult, but looking back, it was all worth it.”

While Center has found success in diving, her story did not begin in the water. She was born and raised in Rancho Cucamonga, where her family owned Crescenta Valley Gymnastics from 1992-2010. 

At 6 years old, Center moved to Glendale with her mother following her parents’ divorce. After watching a family friend switch from flipping to diving, she decided to follow suit, beginning her journey as a diver at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, where she trained for 11 years. 

"When I see what type of student athlete I have become, knowing that I am just beginning my collegiate career keeps me motivated every day." -Ciara Center

Center became a CIF diving champion at Crescenta Valley High School and then found her way to Valley. She had originally planned to attend Arizona State University, but it didn’t work out.

 “I still wanted to continue diving at a competitive level while keeping my academics going,” she said. “Valley offered a great program with strong coaching and great support from everyone.”  

The sociology major plans to minor in forensic psychology when she transfers to a university, where she also intends to continue her diving career.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how society works in terms of why people behave the way they do, how social structures shape our lives, and what we can do to create change,” she said.

Diving competitively at Valley is a very different experience for Center. “In high school, diving was more about just having fun and competing for your school, but at Valley, the training is more structured and team-oriented.” 

College brings the team aspect of competing for the freshman diver. This keeps her motivated despite her busy schedule. 

“My schedule is hard, but doing something I’m so passionate about definitely helps,” she said. Center credits her mom for inspiring her every day to continue to pursue what she loves, saying her mom has not “missed one of her events.” 

Through all of the ups and downs, Center has developed a newfound respect for the level of commitment required to be an athlete at the college level.

“Every sport comes with injury, but the mental game and staying dedicated are the biggest challenges,” she said.