About Us
Badger Diving Academy is a youth diving club in Madison, WI, located on the campus of UW–Madison. Our primary training site is the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center.
At Badger Diving Academy, we are committed to providing a safe, positive, and engaging environment where young athletes can grow as both divers and individuals. As former and current athletes, our staff understands the powerful role sport plays in personal development. We strive to create a culture where our Badgers learn from challenges, take pride in their achievements, and develop into confident, contributing members of the community
Badger Diving Academy provides structured, progress-oriented diving instruction through safe, high-quality coaching. We cultivate a positive environment where divers develop from beginner through elite levels, emphasizing technical excellence, competitive readiness, and personal growth.
Our athletes will move on from our program equipped with the skills and character to become exceptional leaders in our community.
Our Mission
At Badger Diving Academy, we follow a clear, development-focused pathway tailored to each athlete’s stage of growth. Our coaching emphasizes building confidence, mastering fundamentals, and progressing at the right pace, ensuring each diver is prepared for the next step in their journey. Explore our full developmental pathway at our Programs page below.
Our Approach
"Badger Built"
Our Staff
Our staff is composed of experienced divers and accomplished coaches dedicated to developing athletes at every level. Each staff member brings a high level of knowledge and perspective to Badger Diving Academy, creating an environment where athletes strive to succeed, have the courage to fail, and the resilience to try again.
Andrew Capobianco
Program Director / Head Coach
UW-Madison Diving Coach
2x Olympian & Silver Medalist
Andrew Capobianco comes to Madison from Bloomington, Indiana, where he concluded his competitive diving career following the Paris Olympic Games.
During his time at Indiana University, Andrew was a three-time NCAA Champion, five-time Big Ten Champion, three-time Big Ten Diver of the Year, Indiana Athlete of the Year (2020–21), and a 12-time All-American. Andrew graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. degree in Kinesiology.
Andrew began his coaching career as the head coach of Johansen Diving Academy, a club he helped build from the ground up in Bloomington. He also assisted in coaching USA Diving High Performance athletes and helped guide multiple Team USA divers to podium finishes at international competitions.
Now in Madison, Andrew serves as the head diving coach at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is excited to continue growing and supporting the strong diving community in the area.
Anne Fowler
Business Operations Manager / Assistant Coach
Anne Capobianco coming June 13th :)
3x B1G Champion
5x NCAA All-American
Anne Fowler joins the Badger Diving Academy staff after an accomplished collegiate and international diving career at Indiana University.
During her time at Indiana, Anne was a three-time Big Ten Champion, earning conference titles on both 1-meter and 3-meter while helping lead the Hoosiers to success at the conference and national levels. She also earned multiple All-America honors and was recognized as the 2023 Big Ten Diver of the Championships. Anne graduated from IU with a B.S. in Healthcare Management and Policy.
Before college, Anne represented USA Diving internationally as a member of the Junior World Championship team and earned seven medals at the Junior Pan American Championships.
Anne is excited to help grow the next generation of divers in Madison by sharing her experience and passion for the sport in a positive, high-level training environment.
Jan Lanser
Assistant Coach
UW Diver '26
Olympic Trials Qualifier
Jan Lanser is a recent graduate of UW-Madison with a degree in Kinesiology. He had a successful collegiate career with the Wisconsin Badgers Men's Swimming and Diving team, qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Trials and scoring points for the Badgers in multiple Big Ten finals.
Jan has been involved in diving since his freshman year of high school and brings extensive experience as both an athlete and coach. In addition to his experience, Jan brings an undeniable positive energy to the pool deck, and we are excited to have him on our coaching staff.
As a Wisconsin native, Jan looks forward to continuing the strong tradition of diving in our state and community while pursuing a Masters degree in Exercise Science at UW-Madison.
Audrey Leno
Assistant Coach - Badger Basics
SIU Diver '26 (Team Captain)
MVC Scholar Athlete
Audrey Leno comes to Madison after a successful 4-year diving career with the SIU Salukis at Southern Illinois University, where she served as team captain her senior year.
Audrey is originally from Robins, Iowa, and began her diving career with the Iowa Diving Club. She is passionate about the sport of diving and is excited to stay involved through coaching. She will primarily work with our Badger Basics group, helping new divers develop fundamental skills in a fun and positive environment.
While coaching for Badger Diving Academy, Audrey will be attending the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy.
Additional Staff Announcements Coming Soon!
Badger Diving Academy is currently finalizing additional coaching staff for the upcoming season. Staff bios and program assignments will be announced soon.
At Badger Diving Academy, we train in one of the premier diving facilities in the world.
Our home facility, the Soderholm Family Aquatic Center, was constructed between 2018–2020 and features a 25-yard diving well equipped with two 1-meter springboards, two 3-meter springboards, and a full platform tower (1m, 3m, 5m, 7.5m, and 10m).
Hot showers located behind the diving boards help athletes stay warm during training. Overhead spotting rigs (water belts) above the springboards allow divers to safely learn new skills with the assistance of our coaching staff. Our facility also includes a sparger or "bubble" system to soften the surface tension of the water and minimize the fear that comes with learning new skills.
Our dryland training area, located behind the spectator seating, includes two trampolines, a dryboard (springboard into a large pit mat), stall bars, and panel mats for skill development, flipping, and flexibility work.
We are grateful for the opportunity to train in such an outstanding facility and ask that all athletes and families help us maintain and respect this space.