Texas Jr. Championship, November 17, 2012

The momentum we developed at the Ft. Worth tournament has continued to this tournament. Out of the 17 students who attended this tournament, 11 won at least one match! Seven of those 11 were 1st place finishers!!! The remaining four took home second. Excellent work everyone!! We seem to be making real progress with real improvement in the kids' performances. Hopefully that will continue to the next tournament in Huntsville on December 1st.

A total of 11 team members competed at this tournament. In addition, four non-team students from Copperfield and two non-team students from Blackhorse competed. Overall, it was an impressive performance.

Some of the gang with their trophies!

Mason and Ty were the first two up. They are students at the Blackhorse school. Mason tried hard but he was not able to win his match. Ty fought hard and won his match. Both boys are young and both are novice ranks. This was their first tournament and for first timers, they were very calm indeed! We hope to see them at future tournaments.

Caleb had the best tournament of his life! He listed to his coach and he executed the drills very well. We could not have been prouder of Caleb's performance even if he hadn't beaten both of his opponents. He was so pleased to have won 1st place that I think they could see his smile on the space station it was so big! He has been working very hard at practice and it is really starting to show. Congratulations Caleb!

Ben was also in Caleb's division. Ben fought aggressively during his first fight and won. Unfortunately, he had to fight Caleb in the final round. Ben lost taking home 2nd. One thing Ben needs to work on is listening to his coach and not looking at the clock/scoreboard. He would have done much better if he had done both.

Like Caleb, Kyle had the best tournament of his life! Kyle often gets really nervous while sitting in staging. After talking with his coach, Kyle was able to redirect his focus away from winning or losing and onto the task at hand. By thinking about what he was going to do, Kyle calmed down and walked confidently onto the mat. As he listened to his coach and executed the drills, points accumulated on the scoreboard. Kyle won both his fights and was able to control both matches. We have seen improvements in Kyle in practice. We are so pleased for him that it finally all came together on the mat at this tournament. Kyle tried not to smile as he walked off the mat but fortunately for us, he was rather unsuccessful. It was a delight to see him smile like that. Congratulations Kyle!

Jacob had two fights. He won his first rather easily gapping him out. Jacob threw at least four good head shots! Way to go Jacob!. For his second fight, he fought a boy who was his match. Jacob has a lot of talent so it is not often that he meets an opponent who can give him a run for his money. Lately, however, he has been running into real competitors more often. These competitors will push Jacob to improve. We are looking forward to watching him grow. Jacob has a great fighting mind and we have confidence that if Jacob wants to, he can become a great fighter with some hard work. Unfortunately, Jacob lost to his second competitor in the finals so he took home second. Well done Jacob!

Jon and Max were just two of three black belts in the 8-9 year old division so all three boys were placed in the same division despite weight differences. Jon fought a boy who hasn't been defeated in years. This boy is very good but not so good that Jon cannot beat him. Jon has a slight height and weight advantage. Unfortunately, Jon does not believe he can defeat this boy and so each time he fights him, Jon gets wild and falls to the floor frequently, hurting himself in the process. The end result is that Jon loses when that really doesn't have to be the case.

Max has a hard time. He is very small. The other black belts in his division often out weigh him by 20 - 30 pounds. Until Max grows, he is going to have a hard time. Hopefully he will hit a growth spurt soon!

Yannis, who returned to the team after a two-month hiatus, was able to eek out two victories at this tournament. He should have been able to defeat his opponents more handedly but he was "asleep at the wheel" so to speak for part of each match. Yannis needs to work on turning his hip over when he kicks so that his kicks go into his target rather than up, missing the target. When Yannis woke up, he wracked up points and was able to win 1st. Yannis plans to work on listening to his coach and executing kicks and drills correctly.

Payton has moved up to the 10-11 year old division this fall. 10-11 year old black belts are a tough bunch no matter if they are boys or girls. Payton had her first taste of their aggressiveness at this tournament. She was gapped out for 3rd place. In order to defeat the girls in her new division, Payton is going to have to increase her kicking speed and become more confident with the drills we work in class. The Cadet divisions are significantly more competitive than the little kid divisions.  

Essien, although not on the team, has some real fighting talent. He is still a novice rank but he seems to understand how fights work. He looks for the openings and then takes advantage of them. Essien defeated both of his opponents for 1st. We hope that he will consider joining the team!

Chris has joined the tournament scene rather late. Chris is in the 10-11 year old division and is currently an advanced rank. He will test in May for his black belt. The boys in the 10-11 year old advanced and black belt divisions are often very good and very competitive. Chris isn't as well versed in the drills as the team members are so he had a hard time in the ring. He was gapped out in his first match earning a 3rd place trophy. Keep trying hard Chris.

Andrew only had one other boy in his division. As we watched the boy warm up, it was obvious he was very flexible. Andrew mentally prepared for head shots. But, because Andrew was rather aggressive, the other boy couldn't really get his feet under him to make anything happen. Andrew beat him easily for 1st.

Kyla and Jordan have fought each other over and over since they were eight or nine years old and have become good friends. That friendship is put on hold whenever they enter the ring. In the past, Jordan has won against Kyla many times. Lately, Kyla's confidence, aggression, and "fighting smarts" have improved greatly. That showed through at this tournament as Kyla managed to gap Jordan out. That is not something that happens often to Jordan as she is a smart and confident fighter in her own right. This day went to Kyla. Congratulations Kyla on your 1st place win!

Kelsey and Nicole were in the same division. Even though Kelsey is still an advanced color belt, she is fighting up at black belt for a greater challenge and to prepare for the black belt division at Nationals as she will be testing for black belt in May. Nicole fought first and her opponent was one with whom she has had trouble managing in the past. This girl only uses one of her front legs. Because she is so flexible, she can hit girls in the head from almost anywhere within the "pocket". During the summer and into this fall, we have been working on ways to defeat front-leg fighters. Nicole began the fight well using some of the techniques effectively. Nicole actually scored the first point or two! Unfortunately for Nicole, the girl popped Nicole in the face a few times during the second round and knocked Nicole out of her game. Nicole lost so, it is back to the drawing board to really get those counter techniques down so that the next time she faces the front-leg girl, she will take that front leg away and win!

Kelsey was next to fight the front-leg girl. Like Nicole, Kelsey did well in the beginning and was up on points or just a point or two down until the middle of the second round. The front-leg girl hit Kelsey squarely in the head several times and made Kelsey mad in addition to accumulating many points. Kelsey lost her focus and did not listen to her coach anymore. The end result was that because Kelsey gave into the dark side (anger is a dark and distracting emotion during competition) she made mistakes that cost her the match.

Because black belts 14-17 are double-elimination rounds, Kelsey and Nicole had to fought each other for 2nd. They fought without coaches. We wanted them to really try to use kicks other than a diagonal kick. Both girls gave a half-hearted attempt to do so. Because they do not make a point of using back kicks, cut kicks, side kicks, turning kicks, etc. during practice, they have a hard time throwing then during a match. Back to the gym girls and develop your head and spinning kicks!! At this tournament, Nicole took home 2nd and Kelsey 3rd.

Jarret was our last competitor to fight. Jarret is another non-team member with real talent. Unfortunately that talent is not refined. Jarret fought against a boy who frequently gaps out his opponents. Cameron is very, very good. Jarret kept pace with Cameron throughout the fight matching Cameron head shot for head shot. At the end of two rounds, the score was tied. It was an exciting match to watch! Now, Jarret has a habit of not listening to his coach. Because Jarret does not train for strategies to use during sudden death, his coach gave him simple instructions. Jarret chose not to follow the directions and Cameron (who is on his school's competition team and has been for years) easily scored the first point for the win. Jarrett won his second fight for 2nd place. Imagine how good Jarret could be if he trained seriously.

With most team members and non-team members winning matches, successfully using their training, and listening to their coach, we are becoming a team to be reckoned with! Go Team Legacy!!

Bold text denotes team member

Ft. Worth International Taekwondo Tournament, October 20, 2012

On October 20, 2012, Team Legacy competed at the 32nd Annual Ft. Worth International Taekwondo Tournament at the Ft. Worth Convention Center. This is the fourth year we have attended this tournament and it was our best performance as a team to date! The team members competing included Rashid, Will, Britt, Kelsey, Andrew, Payton, and Jacob. For the first time ever, nearly everyone won at least one fight.

Jacob was the first to compete in the 8-9 year old intermediate division. He had four boys in his division. Jacob is a fearless, and aggressive fighter. Jacob won his first fight by two points and was pleased. At the break after the first round of his second fight, Jacob was up by three points. Unfortunately, Jacob engaged when he should have been waiting for his opponent to attack and then counter as Jacob was up on points. The other kid got in two back kicks (now worth two points each) and he was up by a point on Jacob with just seconds left in the match. Jacob could not tie it up in the end and lost by a point, taking silver. Jacob needs to work on ring management so that does not happen again.

Payton fought second. Despite having several girls in the black belt 8-9 year old division, the tournament organizers broke them into many small division. Payton had only one girl to fight as a result. It was a close match but Payton pulled out in front and won gold.

Kelsey had a total of four girls in her division. She defeated the first girl she fought by a point. According to Master De Los Reyes, the girl Kelsey fought second had watch Kelsey's fight and therefore was more timid with Kelsey than she had been with her first competitor. Go Kelsey! Instill some fear into your opponents! Kelsey beat the second girl for gold.

Andrew also had two competitors but he got the bye on the first round. During the fight, Andrew looked sharp and used many of the drills we had been working on. He defeated his competitor 8-5 for the gold. Clearly, Andrew is much better than the average yellow belt!

Britt did not seem herself at this tournament. She didn't kick much and didn't seem to recognize what her opponent was doing. Britt lost her match 3-4. Better luck next time Britt.

Will fought a young man who was not nearly as good as Will. Therefore, the fight was not pretty. Both competitors were rather wild. Despite the uglyness of the fight, Will won gold rather easily with a score of 16 - 5.

Rashid was our final competitor. He won his first fight by the other competitor quitting the match in protest over the officiating. Rashid was up 10 - 5 when the coach pulled his player off the mat. During his next match, Rashid seemed to have the upper hand and was winning at the break between rounds. However, during the second half, his opponent kept hitting Rashid in the left shin until Rashid could no long put weight on his left leg. It became increasingly difficult to maintain his lead. Rashid lost 6-7 for the bronze. A heartbreaking loss.

This tournament was one of the best if not THE best results we have seen since the team began in 2008. Nearly EVERY team member won at least one fight! Great job everyone! Master De Los Reyes has done a terrific job teaching the drills and developing the team curriculum. We are now seeing the results of two years of hard work since we began the new curriculum. Let's keep it up!

The Hanmadang Tournament, Katy, TX

Today was the third annual Hanmadang Tournament in Katy, TX hosted by Masters Leb Kemp of AKA Taekwondo and David Leider of All-Star Martial Arts. We had seventeen competitors today: 11 team members and 6 non-team members. Five of our competitors had never been in a tournament before. We were so proud of them for competing!

Many of the students competed in traditional forms, board breaking, and creative forms which included weapons patterns. Many of the students did very well. Payton won gold in both traditional and creative forms. Andrew, a yellow belt, won silver in traditional forms beating out a blue belt in the first round! He lost to another blue belt in the second round but, for his first tournament, beating an intermediate belt is fantastic! Way to go Andrew! I am not sure how everyone else did in forms and I don't know how they did in board breaking but I did see some of the breaks. They were rather good in most cases.

The first competitors up for olympic sparring were our 6-7 year olds Caleb, Ben V, Carter, and Ben C. Caleb won his first fight and lost his second to a much larger opponent. Caleb did great this tournament! Ben V., Carter, and Ben C. were first time participants. They were in a ring with other first time competitors. Ben V. won his first fight but lost his second to a much taller competitor who's diagonal kicks were nearly level with Ben V's head! Carter fought and lost to that same competitor that Ben V. lost to but Carter did very well only loosing by three points! Carter was nearly the same height as his competitor so the boy could not easily hit Carter in his head. Ben C. had one competitor whom he beat by about 5 points. Ben listened to his coach and it showed. Way to go Ben C!!

The 8-9 year olds were next: Max, Jon, Jacob, Payton, and Kennedy. Jon fought against a boy he has lost to several times but this time, he handled him much better showing that Jon has improved. Although Jon lost, he now feels that he can beat the other boy in the future if he keeps practicing and training hard. We are proud of you for that attitude, Jon! Max lost to the same boy. Unfortunately the boy outweighed Max by quite a bit which complicated Max's chances for success. Sometimes there simply isn't anyone else to fight at a given tournament so mismatches are not uncommon at small tournaments.

Jacob did amazingly well and won both his fights. Jacob is a smart fighter who is unafraid of any opponent. Today he fought a kid who was nearly a foot taller and when Master De Los Reyes asked him what game he would fight today, Jacob confidently told him "Inside game!" meaning that Jacob would have to get in close to his opponent to score points since there was a real mismatch in their leg length. Jacob was not phased by the mismatch. In fact, he may have relished the challenge!

Kennedy also won both her fights. Kennedy has such a cool head. Nothing seems to worry her. She did what her coach asked her to do and as a result, she won! That is something we ask all of our students: Listen to your coach. He or she will not steer you wrong!

Payton did not have a black belt to fight. She fought a much less experienced brown belt so Payton took it easy on her so as not to scare her too much nor hurt her. Payton won but they fought the full time allotted. Payton could have won much more quickly if she had given it her all I am sure.

We had two 10-11 year old this time. Kyle was in a rather large division of red belts as there were 6 in total. Kyle has a style he likes to use and he has gotten rather good at using that style. Unfortunately for Kyle, the boy he fought was able to counter act Kyle's style and could therefore prevent Kyle from scoring in addition to getting in point of his own. Kyle needs to increase his repertoire of kicks and combinations so that he can win. Essien was a first time competitor. He is an orange belt and has only been one for a short time. He did FANTASTIC!! He gapped out his competitor and seemed to instinctively know what to do. We want Essien to join the team and feel that he will be a great asset to the team if he does.

The 12-13 year olds were up next: Andrew and Kyla. Andrew did very, very well winning his first ever fight. As stated above, this tournament was Andrew's first. Using the few drills that we have been able to teach him in just the few short weeks he has been on the team, he was able to beat his opponent by several points! We think that Andrew will improve rapidly over the next several months and we will be happy to watch that and cheer him on!

Kyla has improved so much in the past year. She opened this fight with a triple off the line. What a way to start, Ky! Although Kyla lost  she fought hard throughout the match, never gave up, and did not fear the other girl. Unfortunately, the girl was at least a head taller and out weighted Kyla by at least 23 pounds. That is a hard difference to make up at this age. Kyla was not discouraged by the loss. We are so proud of Kyla. Her attitude and work ethic are second to none these days!

Kelsey and Nicole both fought in the same division: 14-17 black belts. Although Kelsey is still a half and half belt, because she expects to test for her black belt in the Spring, she is jumping in at the deep end to prepare for Nationals. Kelsey fought a seasoned fighter from another school's competition team. Kelsy was not afraid to fight the other girl and stepped up to the challenge. Unfortunately, fighting black belts is a different ball game. Kelsey has a rather steep learning curve in front of her to catch up. We have complete confidence that Kelsey can do it if she decides that is what she wants.

Nicole won her first fight against a much less prepared opponent. Nicole was able to beat that girl easily and gapped her out in the first round. Her second fight was much more difficult. Nicole fought hard and fought even harder when the score got close hear the end but she was not able to make up the gap in points. Both Kelsey and Nicole need to work on kicking faster.

Will was our last competitor. He fought and beat both his opponents rather easily. Will is looking for the perfect fight. It was not at this tournament. Perhaps in Ft. Worth he will find it...

3rd Annual Mistletoe Run

Once again the team will be participating in the Mistletoe Run in Bridgeland, Cypress, TX. If you register online by October 15, you will pay less for each event.




December 2nd, 2012
 Certifcation: USATF (TX12042ETM)

 Place: Bridgeland (Fry Rd and Hwy 290)                
               16902 Bridgeland Landing
               Cypress, TX 77433

 Packet Pick-up: TBD

 Race Times:
 6:15 am          Registration and Packet Pickup 
 7:00 am          1/2 Marathon
 7:30 am          5K Fun Run
 9:00 am          Kids Fun Run
 9:15 am           Award Ceremony -*approximately

  Honoring: Run Over Cancer is reviewing applications at the moment. Family will be chosen soon. :)

 Entertainment:
 We anticipate Santa Claus and his helpers to make a visit, as well as lots of fun activites for all ages. Fun Activity Area will be opened for enjoyment from 7:30 am-11:00 am. Please come out and support a good cause. We have awesome vendors that support Run Over Cancer to come out and sell products, as well! Weather Pending, of course. 

 Fees: (you will incur fees if you sign up online)
 Through October 15, 2012:
 $30: 5K Run/Walk
 $60:  1/2 Marathon
 $10: Kids Fun Run (approximately 1/2 Mile)

 October 16, 2012 through November 30, 2012 closes online at 8pm: 
 $35: 5K Run/Walk
 $70: 1/2 Marathon
 $15: Kids Fun Run (approximately 1/2 Mile)

 December 1 and December 2, 2012:
 $40: 5K Run/Walk 
 $80: 1/2 Marathon   
 $20: Kids Fun Run (approximately 1/2 Mile)
 

 Requirements:
 You must be at least 12 years old to register for the half marathon race or 5 years old to register for the 5K event. You  must be in good health and physically prepared to take on the challenges of a half marathon or 5K event. You must be  able to complete the Half Marathon course in 3.5 hours, 16:02 min miles.

 Course restrictions: No bikes, dogs, skate boards, scooters or similar objects are allowed on Half Marathon  and/or 5K course. Strollers are allowed, but we please ask that you get out of the way of our fast competitor runners and  you will be required to start in the back of the course. If any of the staff ask you to get in the swag wagon, you will be  required. At no point will any runners be carried to the finish line by any of our staff. If you do not get off the course, we  will require you to take off your racing number and you will then be disqualified and banned from our future events.

 NOTE: The Half Marathon course will be open for 3.5 hours. After 3.5 hours, police will no longer be directing traffic  along the course and you will be asked to get up on sidewalk and/or grass.  The 5K race is open to runners and walkers. 

 RAIN OR SHINE: 
 The race will go on rain or shine. There is NO rain date for the event.  Thunderstorms or other unsafe conditions may  delay the start of the race.  Delays will continue as needed and as practical on race day until facilities and personnel are no  longer available to the event under the contracts agreed to for holding  the event.  At that point the race will be cancelled.

 In cases of inclement weather, natural disaster, acts of God, acts of war or other unforeseen extraordinary  circumstances, directors reserves the right to cancel the event and/or modify the race course for  safety concerns.  
 Under such circumstances, there will be absolutely no refunds or transfer of entries to future ROC
 events. Each athlete must accept any such risk of their entry fee paid.  All monies collected are used to
 develop and produce the event,  including all race supplies. We pledge to make every effort to produce a
 fair, safe and exciting event for all.  

 Transfer and Refund Policy:
 Sorry, no race day registration for the 5K and the half marathon events. If you are unfortunate to run/walk this event,  please email mistletoe@runovercancer.org in order to transfer your bib. There will be no refunds, sorry!  

 Timing: There will be timing available on the 1/2 Marathon and 5K course.
 
 Best Costume Award: Best Costume Winner will be awarded a $25 gift certificate to one of our sponsors and    this award will be mailed to the winner. (TBA)  Come out in your best costume for this wonderful cause!

 Awards:  Every one is a winner in our events, as we are all running over cancer.  Every participant will be  awarded with a medal, except for the Kids Fun Run.  All participants in the Kids Fun Run will be given a ribbon.

 In addition, age group awards in the form of certificates will be handed out immediately following posting of times from    timing company. Every 1st place winner will receive a trophy of some sort, and 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive a  certificate. 

 Age group as follows (F/M):
 5-9, 10-14,15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59   and 60+  

 

 Lodging Information: We are teamed up with a local hotel at  Holiday Inn Express, 12915 FM 1960 W, Houston, TX  77065. (832)237-4300. Mention "Run Over Cancer" to receive your discount. They have free parking, free breakfast, and all rooms are inside. 

 Additional Information: T-shirt included with entry fee for all the events this year, but not guaranteed**.  If you register for the event after Novemeber 15, 2012, you are NOT guaranteed a shirt before the event (your shirt may be ordered and then mailed after the event).  SO REGISTER EARLY!

  PLEASE NOTE: The size you order will be the size you will receive. No exchanging shirts period. Shirts will be Men and     or/ Kids sizes Cotton Shirts, order accordingly. All shirts will be handed out at the finish line of the event. Bridgeland community is generously allowing us to use their community for the Mistletoe Fun Run. They are not affilated with Run Over Cancer and should not be contacted if there are any questions. If you have any questions, please email mistletoe@runovercancer.org and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

 Route: Running through the Beautiful Community of Bridgeland. We thank all the board members, staff, and                residents of Bridgeland community to allow us to use your beautiful area for our event! Map coming soon!

 Benefiting: Run Over Cancer was formed in 2008 and our organization takes cancer and all illnesses in our community  very seriously, as we all have been touched by a disease one way or another. There are so many Non-Profits in our community that raise money for research to help find a cure for cancer, but our Non-Profit works a little different. We help families who are currently suffering from the disease with paying the bills. Our future objective in this program is to take a family through the whole journey by allowing them to know that we have there meals taken care of during treatment, the housing arrangements, medical bills, etc.

 Volunteer's Needed: If you are interested in volunteering for the Mistletoe Fun Run, please click HERE to register.

 For more information please contact the event at mistletoe@runovercancer.org

 Thank you to all our sponsors, we wouldn't be successful with out you!

PLATINUM SPONSOR:

VITELLI LAW FIRM

www.VitelliLawFirm.com

www.bridgelandlawyer.com

281-898-0941

Tournament on South Padre Island

Our first tournament of the year was a real learning experience for the four team members who attended this very challenging tournament. Since we have been going to the ATMA Taekwondo Championship beginning in 2007, the tournament has grown by leaps and bounds. This year there were over 800 competitors. Each year the tournament has improved both in the running of the tournament and the officiating. Master McCloskey did a great job in educating the officials who worked the tournament. There are always challenges with volunteer officials; but, thank heavens we have them or we would have no tournaments at all. This tournament was long but that was because there were so many competitors, not because it was run poorly. Master and Mrs. Kang have done a wonderful job improving their tournament each year.

The competition in South Padre is fierce. Because competitors only have two one-minute rounds, they cannot wait a long time to set up their game. They must be aggressive at the start both with their offense and with their defense. A competitor cannot afford to be hit and must hit their opponent many times to win.

Jon was the first team member to fight. Jon has gotten confident at winning and found the level of competition in South Padre to be greater than what he has experienced lately. His smaller but faster opponent took Jon out of his game and Jon found it hard to recover. Jon needs to work on staying composed during his fights and not allow the other guy to determine how the fight is won.

Kyla was next. Kyla fought her heart out! The girl she fought presented a game style that Kyla has not seen for some time. As a result, Kyla was also taken out of her game. She knows what she needs to work on and is ready to begin tackling those drills with sparring intensity (a key factor in learning how to handle opponents like this) so that she will not be out of control of the match next time. Go Kyla!!

Will was next. Will won both of his fights but he was displeased with how he fought. All of us have those days. To quote Will "This is worse than loosing," referring to his displeasure at the sloppiness of his fighting. Will realized that he was focusing on just one aspect of the game too much and needs to be prepared for other fighters and other techniques.

Rashid was last to fight. His first fight ended in his competitor's injury ending the match and a win for Rashid. Rashid moved in to jam his opponent at the same time that the guy was kicking. As a result, the guy's shin/knee hit Rashid's shin. I could hear the contact from ringside. The poor guy crumbled to the ground in severe pain. Fortunately it seems that he either has a bad contusion or a bone fracture, not a knee injury or broken bone. Rashid was up 3-0 at the time of the injury. His next fight against a Brazilian did not end in a win. Rashid lost in sudden death. He fought really well and looked relaxed through most of the fight. Something he has been working on. Unfortunately some of the techniques he has been working diligently on do not work well without electronic chest gear. A lesson learned!

One thing that Master McCloskey, Master De Los Reyes and I have observed in that last few years is that the level of competition is rising at the tournaments we attend. That means that our kids have to work very hard to learn what is taught in class. They cannot just attend and expect to do better at each tournament.

• They MUST practice at sparring intensity when doing drills. 
• They MUST do the drills over and over until they can do them while sparring in class. 
• They MUST be able to recognize how their opponent is scoring and be able to shut down that aspect of their opponent's game. 
• They MUST fight their own match not match their opponent's fight. 
• They MUST have confidence that they can win. 
• They MUST let go of their fear and the things they cannot control and focus on themselves and what they can control. 

We've got a lot of ground to cover. Our kids CAN do it; but, they must be the one to do it. Master De Los Reyes and I cannot make them do it, we cannot do it for them. They have to WANT to do it and do it from their heart. Nothing less will bring them success in the ring.

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW

David James Coffee Fundraiser

From now until the end of June, we will be conducting a fundraiser through David James Gourmet Coffee. Please visit www.davidjamescoffee.com to view the fundraiser videos, print more order forms, and review information as needed. In order to raise $350 each student will have to sell 5 bags per week over the six weeks to reach his or her goal. We will earn $8 per bag of coffee sold so if you need to earn less than $350 you can calculate the number of bags needed to sell per week to reach your goal. Please take some of my contact cards with you when you are selling so that you can give people a contact person if they would like one. Please do not give out your own address and telephone number to people.

Please turn in your order form each Friday through the month of June. As soon as I have at least 15 orders, I will place an order and the coffee will arrive in 2-3 weeks. You can then distribute the coffee to your customers when it arrives. The more coffee we sell, the more the team can earn. So, get out there and sell some coffee!!

AAU South Texas District Qualifier, San Antonio, TX

On April 14, 2012 Team Legacy competed at the AAU South Texas District Qualifier in San Antonio, TX. Payton, Kyla, Kelsey, Ben, and Brittaney competed. Payton competed first. She was aggressive against her opponent and did not back peddle! That is one of the things that Payton has been working on. It looked from her fight that she has made significant progress toward her goal! Way to go Payton! She won her first fight 13 - 14. Unfortunately she had more trouble with her second opponent. Payton was a little tired and she lost some of her aggressiveness. Her opponent succeeded in landing a few good head shots and quickly drew ahead in points. Payton lost 8 - 1 in the second round. She took home the silver. Congratulations Payton!

Kyla competed second. Kyla fought well but she had some trouble with her opponent and lost 8 - 1, earning a bronze medal. According to Master De Los Reyes, Kyla fought well but could not land kicks that could be seen and recorded by the judges. Keep up the good work Kyla. You are improving rapidly as we are so happy to see you working as hard as you are in practice!

Kelsey came to this tournament determined to win. She sized up her opponent and thought about how she would defeat her opponent as she waited ringside for her fight to be called. Like Payton, Kelsey has a habit of back peddling. Her goal was to follow up and to not go backwards. Kelsey successfully reached her goal willing 7 - 9, taking first place. Instead of a gold medal, she took home a 4-foot which was the award for first place winners in sparring. Good thing her mom drives an SUV not a Smart Car! Although Kelsey sometimes only kicked once, she was much more aggressive than she has been in the past and frequently followed up. As a result, she often scored on her kicking flurries! Kelsey avoided back peddling and attempted several head shots. She needs to work a bit more on those to make them more comfortable and more second nature. When she does that, she will be difficult to beat!

Our last division at this tournament was the 14 - 17 Black Belts: Ben and Brittaney. Ben competed first. Ben moved well making it hard for his opponent to hit him but he was not aggressive enough and therefore he did not land many kicks and did not take advantage of his opponent's misses. Although Ben was better in the second round, his opponent had too much of a point lead at that time for Ben to prevent the gap, loosing 8 - 1. Ben needs to work on being more aggressive and following up. As we have seen with Payton and Kelsey, following up often leads to a point or two and can prevent the opponent from scoring. The best defense is a good offense. Like Kelsey, Ben also needs to work on his head shots.Too many of his opponents score at least one head shot in a match. Ben needs to follow suit in addition to making following up a habit.

Brittaney was the last to fight. It was a rematch between Jade and her. Brittaney lost to Jade at their last meeting in Houston in March and Brittaney clearly had thought about and planned for the fight in San Antonio before it began. Brittaney was aggressive from the beginning. When she chased down her opponent and kept the pressure on, she often scored. She landed several spectacular head shots and tied the score several times. For a short time she was ahead in points. Unfortunately she came up two points short in the end, taking home the bronze. Brittaney gave us a spectacular fight to watch. It was very close the entire match and the team cheered her on very loudly. We were all very proud of her! Perhaps, next time, Brittaney will be the winner. We all have confidence that she can be!

Our next tournament will be in Houston on May 5th. Be sure to check back then to see how Team Legacy and other Young Brothers Copperfield competitors fair. Photos from this tournament will follow soon.

Olympic-Style Taekwondo Clinic with Greg Tubbs

Young Brothers Team Legacy will be participating in the Olympic-Style Taekwondo Clinic with Greg Tubbs on April 28-29, 2012. Greg Tubbs is the AAU National Taekwondo Team Head Coach. He is very skilled in the game of Olympic Taekwondo. As mentioned previously, Will, Ben, Brittaney, Master De Los Reyes, and Kristie attended one in December 2010 and found it to be most useful and informative. We encourage all who can attend to do so. If you have any questions about the clinic, Please see Master De Los Reyes or Kristie.

Mail the Clinic Registration Form along with the fee to:

GT Sport Taekwondo
4101 E. Park Blvd., Suite #100
Plano, TX 75074

Parents' Night Out!!

On Saturday, April 21, 2012, Team Legacy will be holding a Parents' Night Out (PNO) at the dojang. It will be for kids ages 6-11, both students and non-students of YBTKD. All teenaged Team Legacy members will be expected to assist. The funds raised from this fundraiser will be used to purchase a set of electronic chest gear. Since such chest gear are becoming more common for the 12-32 black belt divisions, we feel that practicing with them occasionally will benefit our team members. The non-teenaged Team members can attend the PNO for no cost. Please talk up the fundraiser to friends and other YBTKD families. We are looking for 40 kids to attend! That is the maximum number of spaces we have for the evening.

Activities will include:

• dodge ball
• paddle ball
• active video games (dance dance revolution, Wii sports, etc.)
• a couple of G rated movies

We will provide pizza from Pizza Jim there on Hwy 6. I am asking for Team parents to contribute a snack item such as pretzels, chips, popcorn (we have a microwave), cookies, etc. and a few drinks such as liters of soda, water bottles (small ones since they always take a few sips and loose the bottle), Capri Suns, etc. I will need assistance with set up and clean up. All teenaged team members are expected to be part of the set up and clean up activities.We will also need to borrow a couple of TVs and a video game consuls with an active video game or two.

Here are the forms and flyer:
PNO flyer
PNO registration form

Texas State Championship

Saturday, March 24, 2012 was the Texas State Championship, a USA Taekwondo (USAT) National Qualifier. Over 900 competitors attended competing in a variety of forms competitions, board breaking, weapons, and Olympic-style sparring. Normally, this tournament is conducted over two days. We now know why it MUST be run over two days. After arriving at the convention center at 1:00 pm on Saturday, we did not leave until 1:20 am on Sunday. We had never participated in a USAT tournament before, we were drawn to have the team compete as there would be many new competitors for the kids. In addition, the 12 through 32 black belt divisions would use the Daedo Truescore electronic chest gear. Although, 12 rings were in operation most of the day, the electronic chest were only useable in five rings. This lack of equipment lead, in part, to the late hour of the tournament.

Sparring began at about 1:30. Twelve rings were in use and since everyone had weighed in the previous evening, all competitors were sorted into divisions before arriving at the tournament. Occasionally, as was the case with Brittaney, there was no one in their division. Unfortunately, because this tournament was a nationals qualifier, according to USAT rules, that lone competitor could only get one exhibition match. They were not merged into another division as we usually do at AAU tournaments. That means that even if there were more that one competitor in the division above the lone competitor, he or she would not be able to gain additional matches through winning.

Our first competitor was Kyla. She began her first match at around 9 pm. She won her first match and fought well. Unfortunately she lost her second match and earned a silver medal. Congratulations Kyla! Ben was the next competitor at around 10:15 pm. Unfortunately, the late hour and a very aggressive opponent were a combination that Ben could not surmount. Ben lost his match. After review of the match, hopefully Ben will gain some insight into what he needs to work on. Kelsey was next at nearly 11:00 pm. Again, the late hour was visible on Kelsey's face. A taller and more aggressive opponent lead to Kelsey's defeat. Perhaps after some reflection, both Kelsey and Ben will see the need to become more aggressive. Go Kelsey and Ben!! We have faith in you and know that the aggressive fighter is alive and well in you. That fighter just needs to be brought out!

After an hour or so, Brittaney was up. Because of the lateness of the tournament, Brittaney's first opponent backed out and Brittaney nearly went home without a fight after waiting for 12 hours to compete. Needless to say, her parents were mighty upset. Fortunately, another girl agreed to a match. Brittaney won that match handedly. The girl had won her own division as she was able to hit her opponents in the head multiple times. Brittaney denied that girl her headshots and instead Brittaney delivered her own headshots which gave Brittaney her victory.

Will, along with our guest athlete, Rashid, were our final competitors. Will won his first fight as did Rashid. A interesting twist was that Rashid competed against Trevor who, years ago, was Master De Los Reyes' first private student before Trevor's family moved away! Despite the height advantage that Trevor had, Rashid was faster and a much more talented fighter. Although it took four tries to get one of his headshots to be registered, those headshots were key to Rashid's victory. Will and Rashid's second fight was against each other. It is always difficult when people who train together, even occasionally, must compete against each other. Will was victorious in this meeting. Rashid took home the bronze. The last match of the evening was Will's in the final, gold medal round against Paul Li, the first opponent Will had in his first 18-32 age division just over a year ago. Unfortunately, the short match time (two one minute rounds), Paul's habit of falling after each kick volly, and the late hour lead to Will's defeat. Will took home the silver. We left the convention center at 1:20 am.

The key to wining in USAT tournaments, especially those with electronic chest gear, is landing headshots. Headshots are worth three points. A spinning headshot is worth four points. As a result, denying your opponent headshots and landing your own will make you victorious. It is nearly impossible to make up the point deficit that results from multiple headshots with body shots alone as they are only worth one point and can be difficult to earn with electronic chest gear.

It is unlikely that we will be returning to this tournament again unless they go back to a two day format. It is simply too difficult on everyone to leave a tournament at 1:20 in the morning. One interesting observation was that despite the late hour and everyone's frayed nerves, officials, competitors, and coaches all behaved respectfully and with good sportsmanship. It could have easily been very different.

See you all next practice!! Check out the photo album of this tournament on the photo album tab.

Weigh in for the tournament on Friday

From the Texas State Taekwondo Association:

"Weigh in & Credential /ID Pickup

All competitors must weigh in and pick up their credentials/ID Badges on Friday, March 23rd from 5pm to 10pm at the Gaylord Texan Convention Center. There  will be no weigh in or credential/ID pick up on Saturday, March 24th. Anyone that has not picked up their credentials/ID Badge and weighed in on Friday, March 23rd will be considered a no show and will be disqualified. (There will be NO REFUNDS)


Parking for Event
Parking passes will be available Friday evening March 23rd, 2012 for sale:
One Day Pass - $15.00 (unlimited in and out.)
Two Day Pass - $25.00 (unlimited in and out.)"

Make sure you are there on Friday to weigh in and pick up your credentials!!

Schedule of events

Texas State Championship - a USAT Qualifier

For those of you interested in attending this tournament, there has been a late update from the sponsors:

"12-32 Black Belt Sparring
A decision that was made by the Texas State Taekwondo Executive Committee not to us electronic chest guards for the 2012 Texas State Taekwondo State Championships has been retracted.  The Deado EA system with chest guards and socks will be used for only black belt sparring divisions from ages 12 to 32 years old.  All  other  sparring divisions will have electronic scoring but will not require the use of the deado  chest guards or socks but it will be the  responsibility of these competititors to furnish their own non electronic chest guards.  Deado Chest guards will be provided by Texas State TKD for the 12-32 black belt sparring divisions at no additional cost, however, each competitor in these divisions will be required to provide or purchase their own socks.  Socks can be purchased on www.truescore.com or at the tournament sight. It is strongly recommended that all competitors order and purchase their socks from the  truescore website as supplies will be limited at the tournament site."

If you are in need of the foot socks, they can be found at www.dadeousa.com and by calling Jesus Armendariz at 281-888-4458 or email him at truescoretexas@gmail.com.

To view information about this tournament click here.
To register for this tournament click here.

Welcome!!

This is the new blog for YBTKD Team Legacy. Pertenant information and reference material will be posted here as well as news ideas and articles. If you have anything you would like to post, send it to me and I will post it. If you become a follower of the blog, you should get an email each time a post is posted. Invite family and friends to become followers too to keep up with what is going on and how everyone is doing!

As this blog is in the evolution stage, there may be changes that occur rapidly so keep checking back!