Member News

Yuko Sin, a 2006 Senior Nationals bronze medalist, takes advice from his coach Jason Morris, 1992 Olympic silver medalist.

Two-time Olympian Leo White gets into his athlete's match.

July 25, 2006

Judo Olympians Lead the Way in Giving Back to the Sport

A Letter from USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez

Perhaps for those of you who have been in judo most of your lives, or at least longer than the year and a half that I have been, the fact that we have so many of our former great judo athletes and Olympians continue to be involved as coaches may be just part of the sport. As a sort of "newcomer" to judo, and having been involved with many other Olympic sports, this fact is very impressive to me, and I just wanted to take a minute to make sure that we are all appreciative of the fact that we have so many great former world and national class Judo athletes giving back to judo now that their competitive careers are over. 

I was so impressed last weekend when I sat matside and in a short look at the six tatamis where competition was been held, I saw the likes of World Champion Jimmy Pedro cheering and coaching from the chair a young gal that could have been no more than 10 years old.  Then I looked over and watched the Cohen father-son team of Aaron, a 2005 World Team member, and Irwin, a two-time Olympian, also coaching little ones.  A bit beyond where the Cohens were I could see Director of Athlete Performance Eddie Liddie in the coaching chair.  On the opposite side of the venue I noticed USA Judo Board of Director member Leo White, a two-time Olympian.  A while later as I was making the rounds in the facility I also caught a glimpse of 1996 Olympian Orlando Fuentes and a few minutes later saw Jason Morris, an Olympic Medalist and World and Pan American Championship coach, also coaching some of the youth. 

And I know that there are many, many others who I may not have seen at that moment or may not have been at the tournament who are coaching every day and giving back to the sport.

I left the competition feeling good about the future of judo in this country and knowing that we have this caliber of coaches leading our youth. I asked some of our people in the audience if they could take some pictures of these former great athletes in coaching action as I felt it was important that we tell not only our own judo family in the USA but also the rest of the Judo international family as well as the United States Olympic Committee family what a great sport judo is and the fact that we probably have more retired Olympians and former national class judo athletes back in the coaching chair than any other sport in the Olympic Movement (considering the ratio of the size of our Olympic Judo Team)! 

Thank you Judo athletes and Olympians for continuing to support the sport you love. Your continuing dedication to the sport and the youth will pay off dividends for us in Olympics to come – be assured of that!   

Orlando Fuentes, 1996 Olympian, assists his athlete from the chair.	Eddie Liddie, 1984 Olympic bronze medalist and USA Judo Director of Athlete Performance scopes out his athlete's match.