NGB CHANGES SCHEDULE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Olympic style Taekwondo athletes and their families from throughout the country, will be competing with a lot less stress and a lot more opportunity this summer.  The USAT recently announced the dates of its’ National Championship and for the first time in decades they do not coincide with the dates of the AAU Taekwondo National Championship!  Hurray for everyone!

Many years ago, the AAU Taekwondo Program moved its three days of Olympic sparring from the end of the week to the beginning three days of the championship in order to afford these athletes with the opportunity to ‘get in, get out, and get on the road’ in order to compete with USAT as well.  “It was tough,” says Mike Friello-National Sport Chairman for AAU Taekwondo, “but they could do it.  Now, with a full week in between their competition dates at these events, athletes and their families can slow down a bit, recoup and be better prepared to spar again at the latter NGB event.”

This really is a win/win situation for both organizations.  For those athletes who were simply unwilling to make the dash between these two events and found themselves in the unattractive position of having to choose between the two, the opportunity truly exists now to compete in both.  This should prove especially attractive to all 10-32 year old Black Belts who now have the chance to compete and make and/or qualify for both organizations’ National Teams.  Of course they will have to meet the qualifying criteria for each.  For more information on how and where to qualify for the AAU Taekwondo National Championship, please visit www.aautaekwondo.org.

While we are fully expecting to see an increase in the number of participants in all divisions, this should especially be demonstrated with the 12-14 Cadet Black Belts now—particularly in view of the fact that AAU Taekwondo is now funding its National Cadet Teams to International competition (begun in 2014).  Last year’s cadets competed in Canada, but we upped the ante this year in having the Cadets travel along with the Junior and Senior Teams to Spain!