Eight members of the Kokoro Judo Club in 100 Mile House will be competing for Team BC in the 2013 Canadian Judo Championships at the Olympic Oval in Richmond, July 4-7.
Kokoro head coach Ian Briggs notes that normally each province has a set team and is allowed to have one person per weight class for men and women.
“Because we’re the host province this year, they’re allowing more members on the [British Columbia] team. This means they are taking first, second, and in some cases, the third-ranked people in the province.
Briggs explains a number of the club’s members have been attending tournaments where they get ranked according to where they place in the tourney. They have also attended various training sessions around the province and they get points for doing that.
Then all of these points are tabulated according to the selection criteria for Team BC and they’re ranked provincially.
Briggs says he will be attending as his club’s coach, but only to cheer his members on, as they will be coached by the Team BC coaches.
“I think they’re all pretty excited [about going to the nationals]. It’s a whole year’s effort to get on the team.
“They have to watch their diet; they have to train not only at the club, but they also have to train on their own. Most of them are running three times a week, lifting weights and practising three times a week.”
It’s an intense effort to get as far as they have, he says, adding that it’s pretty “cool” for the club to have this many placements on Team BC.
Briggs gives the following review of the Kokoro competitors:
• Reid Collinson, 12, green belt, Under 38 kilogram division: This is the first year he could qualify for Team BC, and he has been practising judo for six years.
“He is very skilled, very athletic and probably one of the more seasoned competitors because he’s been at it for awhile, but he is the youngest member of the team. He is ranked number 2 in the province.”
• Mason Sanders, 13, green belt, Under 48 kg division: He has been practising judo for three years.
“He is naturally gifted athletic; he’s a hard worker and skilled. He’s is overcoming his lack of experience with his determination and focus.”
Noting Sanders didn’t participate in the selection process early on, Briggs says the 13-year-old won a major tournament in Prince George. After this tourney, Briggs says he proposed him for the provincial team. He is ranked third in B.C.
• Paige Hall, 15, green belt, Under 57 kg division: She has been practising judo for four years and is ranked first in the province.
“Paige is an incredible athlete. She won a gold medal in the last BC Winter Games. She is skilled, determined and a real superior athlete.”
• Aiden Fentiman, 16, blue belt, Under 81 kg division: He has been practising judo for five years.
“He is also a wrestler and does well at that, too. He has improved the most in the club this year in terms of his sheer ability to compete. This year, he has started to manage his nerves, so he can competed to his ability.
“We’re really pleased with the way his competing and we expect him to really well.”
Fentiman is ranked second in B.C.
• Richard Tracey, 17, green belt, Under 81 kg division: He has been practising judo for three years.
“He also plays rugby. He is physically strong and very determined. To accomplish this in three years is very good.”
Briggs adds he is very skilled, determined and works hard at every practice, and he’s excelling very quickly. Tracey is ranked third in the province.
• Jesse Chamberlain, 17, green belt, Under 73 kg division: He has been practising judo for three years.
“He is a hard worker, determined, focused and very skilled. He’s ranked third or fourth in the province, but they gave him a shot at it because he so skilled and he’s worked hard. He is in a very deep division.”
Briggs notes Chamberlain competes against brown and black belts, “So, he’s been at it for three years and is competing against people who have been at it for 10 years.”
• Aven Briggs, 22, second degree black belt, Under 73 Seniors division: Coach Briggs son is ranked No. 1 in B.C. for the past six years.
“This is his seventh Nationals. He has been training with Sensei Sudda at the Abbotsford Judo Club, which is one of the highest-level dojos in our province. He’s just trying to up his game a little bit.”
• Ali Briggs, 18, first degree black belt, Under 52 kg division: She is training out of the University of Lethbridge and one of the main reasons she went there was because it is trying to become the Western Canada training centre.
“The university was aggressively trying to recruit her, so they basically paid for her judo travel and other expenses. Her judo has come up so much; she trains seven days a week bench presses her weight – so strong and so skilled”
She is ranked first in B.C. and third in Canada.
“She has been to several Nationals and has won four bronze medals. She desperately wants to break the bronze jinks; her objective is first or second.”
Overall, coach Briggs says he is looking forward to seeing his club members compete, and adds they are all training extremely hard to reach their goals.
