Team FORCE

Member News

May 3, 2006

Olympic Duo Teams Up to Champion New Approach

Jimmy Pedro, two-time Olympic medalist and 1999 World Champion.

Buck Wessell, 2004 Olympic Team Leader and Boulder Judo Training Center board member.

Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass.), a two-time Olympic medalist and 1999 World Champion, has partnered with Buck Wessell (Boulder, Colo.), 2004 Olympic Team Leader and board member of the Boulder Judo Training Center, to create a full-time resident training program for judo players looking not only to advance their level of success in the sport, but also to become well-rounded athletes and successful leaders within their community.

“This partnership will provide a launching pad to professionalize and grow Judo in the U.S. as well as prepare athletes for future success outside of judo,” Wessell said.

First up on the duo’s agenda is the formation of the “Team FORCE” program: standing for “Focus On Results, Civic responsibility and Education.” The goal of the program is to produce judo athletes that are leaders and champions on and off the mat.

Resident athletes accepted into this application-based program will train full-time with Pedro and a team of elite athletes at his club, Pedro’s Judo Center, in Wakefield, Mass. Team FORCE members will be provided with a host of benefits, including:

Travel grants
College scholarship assistance
Housing assistance
Partial funding to national and international events
Professional coaching and guidance from Jimmy Pedro and staff coaches
Individualized training and competition plans
Personalized weight training & conditioning programs
Video analysis and review
Elite competition team gear
Pedro’s Judo Center tuition scholarships

Team FORCE athletes also will participate in monthly clinics that focus on key components needed for the development of future leaders and champions, including sessions on goal-setting, positive thinking, confidence, communication skills and discipline, conducted by Pedro and other leaders within the field.

These athletes will serve as leaders and role models to younger students by teaching beginner and junior classes at Pedro’s Judo Center and the Boulder Judo Training Center.

“Far too many talented athletes have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of the Olympic dream and end up having nothing to show for it except for a few judo medals,” commented Pedro. “This program is designed to help athletes succeed in every aspect of their life as well as provide up and coming elite athletes with a training environment that helps them reach their full athletic potential. The program will focus on getting an education and developing the whole person so that they are prepared for success after their judo careers are over.”

Athletes will be required to sign a contract to represent Team FORCE and commit to a minimum of two years in the program.

In addition to athletes who participate in the Team FORCE resident program, non-resident athletes also are eligible to apply for inclusion on the team. Non-resident athletes will follow a structured training program and competition schedule and will be required to participate in scheduled camps and clinics at either Pedro’s Judo Center or the Boulder Judo Training Center as coordinated by the program directors.

Through this program, the Boulder Judo Training Center and Pedro’s Judo Center, both of which have produced some of the top judo players in the country, will act as partners with the long-term goal of replicating full-time athlete residency programs in both locations.

“Jimmy Pedro is one of the world’s greatest coaching resources,” Wessell said. “And by partnering the dojos in Wakefield, Massachusetts, and Boulder, Colorado, his skills and insight will now be available to athletes across the country.”

“This is a brand new opportunity that has not happened in U.S. judo before,” said Sherrie Phillips (Monument, Colo.), Executive Director of the program. “We are providing the seed capital to fund the Team and will be actively pursuing corporate sponsorship and other fund raising opportunities.”

Phillips is executive director and coach of the Boulder Judo Training Center and was a 1996 Olympic Team alternate for the United States.

Athletes interested in applying for the program are asked to submit their judo bio and resume to Jimmy Pedro no later than July 31, 2006 to 12 Cameron Way, Methuen, MA 01844.