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Jim Hrbek, USA Judo National Coach of the Year, with Hannah Martin as she receives the Outstanding Female Athlete at the 2005 Ladder Tournament in Miami, Fla.

Serge Bouyssou (left), USA Judo Developmental Coach of the Year, with Jimmy Pedro and members of England's Erdington Judo Club at the Ocean State International.

Hrbek, Bouyssou and Nakamoto Receive Coach of the Year Honors

USA Judo is pleased to announce Jim Hrbek (Schenectady, N.Y./Judo America) as 2005 National Coach of the Year. 

Hrbek, a five-time World Team Coach, has worked primarily as Chairman for Junior Development. The program yielded record medal counts (14 of 15 divisions entered) at the Pan American Juvenile Championships in Valencia, Venezuela.

Through Hrbek’s guidance, U.S. junior athletes also competed successfully in Junior and Senior division events throughout Europe.

In 2005, Hrbek's club, Judo America, boasted two #1-ranked IJF Junior (under 20) athletes, Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y./57kg) and Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y./78kg) who also are ranked on the senior national roster with Shafir holding a #3 ranking in her senior division and earning a bronze medal at Senior Nationals.  Shafir had great success, including a bronze medal alongside Martin at the Junior British Open and gold medals in both the junior and senior divisions of the Ontario Open. A third athlete in Hrbek's club, Nina Cutro-Kelly (Albany, N.Y./78kg) was ranked as the #2 senior.  Cutro-Kelly was a silver medalist at Senior Nationals and won a pair of golds at the Irish Open.

Hrbek also has worked with athletes from other clubs throughout the United States including Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas/+100kg) who was the #1-ranked IJF Junior and #2-ranked senior athlete in 2005 following a bronze medal at the British and U.S. Open (both senior events) and a silver medal at Senior Nationals.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Jim Hrbek on his selection as USA Judo Coach of the Year,” said Leo White (Lilburn, Ga.), USA Judo Development Director.  “Jim has contributed a great deal to the sport of judo, has worked with numerous elite players and has been instrumental in bringing top junior athletes to positions on the senior roster and I would like to thank him for a job well done.”

Serge Bouyssou (Hope, R.I./Mayo Quanchi Judo Club) is honored with the Development Coach of the Year Award.

Bouyssou continuously produces some of the top young athletes in the nation.  Mayo Quanchi’s athletes frequently dominate their divisions in the United States, winning 17 medals at the USA Judo National Junior Olympics and garnering numerous awards, including the Outstanding Junior honors that went to Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I./Intermediate  2 31kg) and Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I./Intermediate 2 34kg) at the U.S. Junior Open. 

These athletes have had great success internationally as well, winning five medals at the Citta Di Forli International Judo Tournament in Italy and three more at the Pan Am Infantil Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, including another gold medal for Katelyn, continuing her young streak of having never lost a match outside the United States. 

Leigh Nakamoto (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kapolei Judo Club) is receiving the Volunteer Coach of the Year Award for 2005.  Nakamoto, the founder of the Kapolei Judo Club in Oahu, is active as a volunteer at many levels within the structure of judo in Hawaii.  In addition to working with his club, Nakamoto has been heavily involved in the enhancement of the state’s high school judo programs where judo is a varsity sport in many high schools.  Through the leadership of volunteers such as Nakamoto, Hawaii boasts an annual State Championship for high school judokas – the first of its kind in the United States.

“I am very proud of all of our Coaches of the Year,” White said.  “Through the leadership of coaches such as Hrbek, Bouyssou and Nakamoto as well as many others, our athletes have reached great levels of success in 2005 and it’s my hope that we will build upon this success in 2006.”

USA Judo’s Coach of the Year award winners were selected by the USA Judo Development Committee with names submitted by club coaches and members of the USA Judo Coaching Subcommittee.  These coaches also will be eligible for the U.S. Olympic Committee’s annual Coach of the Year award.