Strong Heart Academy KIDS COMPETITION HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 Strong Heart Academy KIDS COMPETITION HANDBOOK V2 Rev. 08/2016

2 Eight Steps to a Successful Competition Experience It s time! Some of you may have experienced this before, while for others, this is your first time watching your child compete. You re about to experience one of the most exciting events in your child s life. The steps to take for a successful competition are pretty simple. If you have questions, please reach out to any instructor, or ask a fellow parent! Step 1: Bring your Athlete to Class We re offering classes Monday through Thursday from 5-6, and we encourage all competitors to come to at least 3 classes a week. Coming to more is even better, as this diligence and focus on training offers two things for our athletes: 1. It sets them up for success mentally, physically, and spiritually for the tournament experience. 2. It allows the emphasis to be on the journey rather than the destination. Everyone who competes in a bracket loses with the exception of one athlete. That s a lot of losing going on, so we need to continue to have the focus on doing our best and training hard. If we do that, then the athlete will come out of the tournament a more experienced competitor and better Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. They understand success and failure, so our measurement of success has got to be the dedication to training leading up to the contest and NOT the contest itself. We will never care if our athletes win or lose, only that they prepare and give it everything they ve got. We re counting on our parents to uphold that culture at home leading up to the big event. Step 2: Register for the Event Often, Jiu-Jitsu tournaments offer early registration discounts, so registering early is always a great idea. Additionally, signing up for a competition early is a great motivator! 1. Name, address, gender, etc 2. For Academy, Gym, or Club, enter CTA. ** Do not enter Strong Heart in the Academy line ** We compete as a Valley-wide team under the Caio Terra Association. 3. Always pick a t-shirt size larger than normal as your athlete will want to sport this for a long time and they grow fast. Trust us on this one. 4. Select the KIDS checkbox, pick the year your athlete was born and the belt. 5. **Always check the box move up in weight class but NOT move up in age class. This will allow the tournament directors to find a good bout for your athlete in the event that he/she is the only one that registered for his/her division. We don t want to go up in age at the white belt level as the difference in size and strength can be too much for a new competitor.

3 Step 3: Get your Uniform (Gi) Ready Two patches must be present on the gis: 1. The CTA patch must be on the back as seen in the image on the next page. 2. The Strong Heart patch must be on the front of one leg as seen in the image on the next page. Have an instructor double-check your competition gi at least one week before the competition, but just in case, the gi requirements for competing in an IBJJF tournament (the guidelines that most gi tournaments adopt) are as follows: IBJJF Uniform Requirements: Gi Material Gis should be tailored using cotton or cotton-like fabric only. The fabric should not be so thick or hard as to impede an opponent from gripping it. For juvenile, adult, master and senior divisions, a gi fashioned from woven fabric is mandatory. It is permitted to wear kimono with EVA or similar material inside the collar, if the measures of size and rigidity regulations provided in the IBJJF Rules Book are followed. IBJJF Uniform Requirements: Gi Color and Patches Gis must be of uniform color. The following colors are permissible: white, royal blue or black. Gis with tops and pants of different colors are not permitted; nor are gis with a collar that is a different color than the rest of the top. Painted gis are forbidden, unless the paint is designed in the form of an academy or sponsor logo and only on regions of the gi where patches are permitted. Even in cases where they are permitted, the athlete will be obliged to change gis should the paint mark the gi of the opponent. Patches may only be affixed in authorized regions of the gi, as depicted in the IBJJF Rules Book. They should be of cotton fabric and properly seamed. All patches un-seamed or in unauthorized regions of the gi will be removed by the gi inspectors. Belt requirements Athletes should use a durable, 4 to 5 cm wide belt colored according to the athlete s rank, with a black tip except for black belts, where the tip should be white or red. The belt should be worn over the top, wrap around the waist twice, and be tied using a double knot tight enough to hold the gi top closed. Once tied in a double knot, each end of the belt should hang 20 to 30 cm in length. Gi Measurements The gi top should reach the athlete s thigh and the sleeves should come to no more than 5 cm from the athlete s wrist when the arm is extended straight parallel to the ground. Gi pants should reach no more than 5 cm above the ankle bone. The inspection will verify whether the following official measurements are met: gi lapel thickness (1.3 cm), width of gi collar (5 cm), opening of sleeve at full extension (7 cm). Other Requirements Use of a shirt under the gi top is prohibited (except for women). Wearing pants of any kind under gi pants is prohibited. Athletes must use undergarments. The use of thong-type undergarments is not permitted; only briefs-type undergarments. Gis may not exhibit mending or tears, be wet or dirty or emanate unpleasant odors.

4

5 Step 4: Get your (Red) Strong Heart T-Shirt We ve got them at the Academy and we want all Strong Heart kids, and preferably parents as well, in our shirts. This sends a message to other teams that we are united and standing as one. Any kid will tell you that looking over the barrier and seeing the Red Army cheering them on gives them the extra kick they need to get after it. Step 5: Do NOT Cut Weight Have your child weigh in two or three days in a row after breakfast with their tournament gi and belt on their body. No reason to ever have to cut weight. If they get heavier than their division limits, notify an instructor and we ll move up a division. Get in the routine of having a normal breakfast and don t change a thing on competition day. No reason to have some special diet on the day of the contest as an athlete s body may adversely react to the new food. Weight can fluctuate from morning to night and day over day. If you re too close, let s go up rather than fret over a pound or two. Step 6: Mentally Prepare for the Competition Again, this is not about winning/losing. This is about the journey. Zero emphasis should be placed on results other than the dedication to the training leading up to the competition. There will be plenty of time to crown champions in tournaments to come, and who knows, some of our athletes may go out there and get it done. But that should never be the driving force behind these competitions. ** Praise your athlete when they work hard NOT when they win a roll in class ** Praise when they come to class and give everything. One additional thing to add: Don t allow your nervousness to be felt and observed by your athlete. Professor and the Coaching Staff will be handling the nerves of your kids, but these children are hyper-sensitive to their parents so if you can t be light-hearted and perky (and trust me, it will be hard if this is your first one), drop your kids off with us and hit the stands. The other experienced parents will help you understand what s going on and how to go about your day. Step 7: On the Day of the Competition Divisions are *usually* ordered by belt first, then by age/weight. Meaning that *typically* our 6-7 year olds will compete before our 8-9 year olds and our white belts will compete before our grey belts. Make sure that your athlete has all uniform pieces (gi top, pants, belt), no product in their hair, and that their finger and toe nails are trimmed. If your athlete has longer hair, it is best if the hair is secured in one or more ponytails/pigtails/braids. No bobby pins/barrettes/clips are allowed.

6 You should arrive at least two hours before your athlete s division (the brackets and times will be released sometime a day or two before the day of the tournament) so that we can get the first weigh-in to check weight and get the normal jitters out before it s time to compete. As a team, we like as many kids/parents to come early or stay later to cheer on the other Strong Heart kids competitors. We usually like to head out afterwards as a Team and get some lunch / ice cream and celebrate the experience as a family. We understand how precious the weekend is for all of our families so if you can t attend all of this, we get it. But this is very much a team bonding moment and it s nice to be able to support all of our athletes and then get some ice cream afterwards. Step 8: After the Tournament This may be the most important part of this cheat sheet. We do NOT want to critique anything after the tournament. This is positive, positive and more positive. If your athlete loses, avoid replaying the fights with them. We would also say that if they lose (and remember, only one kid wins in each bracket), there is a great chance they will be upset. Give them a hug and then let the other athletes get to them and just get out of the way. This is probably the hardest part for most of parents, as our instinct is to swoop in and make sure our child is ok in this time of need. But we re telling you that the best thing you can do is let their teammates run around with them and throw the football or whatever else is going on. ** If you let this happen, within minutes you won t be able to tell who won or lost. ** Your Team Captains will be there as will Professor and the Coaching Staff, and your child will be in very good hands win or lose. We ll fix the mistakes and holes in the game starting the week after the tournament. Positive, positive, positive, positive and more POSITIVE.

7 Belt and Age Division Information Below is a chart that will help you determine the proper registration for your child. These are the IBJJF guidelines, which most tournaments adopt. There are a few smaller tournaments, however, that adopt a different structure, so always double-check.

8 COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS Three Hours of Community Service You must have 3 hours of community service, verified on the Home Slip by a parent or guardian. Examples are helping out your school, grandparents, neighbor, church, etc. Good or Improved Behavior at Home You must have good behavior at home or have made improvements to your behavior at home. Provide examples of your good behavior or improvements on the Home Slip, and have it verified by your parent or guardian. Good or Improved Academic Habits You must good or improved academic habits at school. This might include doing your homework, turning in projects on time, maintaining good grades or improving grades, helping your fellow classmates, and/or good behavior. Provide examples of this on the School Slip, and kindly ask your teacher to verify this information at the bottom of the Slip. Become an Good Citizen of Strong Heart Become a good citizen of Strong Heart by having pride for this academy and respect for your teammates and coaches. Examples are helping your fellow teammates, leading with positive behavior, inviting your friends to participate, and taking care of the academy. Complete 1,000 Arm Bars / Triangles / Sweeps in One Month

9 COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS SCHOOL SLIP Dear Teacher or Mentor, We are proud to announce that this student, who attends Strong Heart Martial Arts Academy, wishes to compete in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition! While we could not be more honored and proud, we have requirements before a prospective competitor is allowed to register on behalf of our academy. The student must demonstrate excellent behavior or improve his or her behavior at school. This could include: turning in assignments on time, completing homework, improving a grade, acting in a respectful and/or helpful manner towards fellow classmates, and respecting you, the teacher or mentor-- anything that you see as a consistent positive action. Please have the student fill out the top portion of the form below. We ask that you complete the lower portion of the form, and provide us with a method of contact (school or school phone number. We will verify the information. Strong Heart recognizes the importance of academics. We believe a good foundation in school can create an all-around excellent competitor. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Mike Martin, Owner/Professor STRONG HEART ACADEMY 3130 E UNION HILLS DR., STE. 106 PHOENIX, AZ MIKE4MARTIALARTS@HOTMAIL.COM I,, student at Strong Heart Academy, excel or have improved as a student at my school. Examples of this are: I,, teacher at (school), verify that this student excels or has improved. Teacher Signature Date or Phone

10 COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS HOME SLIP I,, have had good behavior or have improved my behavior at home. Examples of this are: I, (parent/guardian) verify that my child has had good behavior or has improved his or her behavior. Parent/Guardian Signature Date I,, have completed at least 3 hours of community service. Service(s) Performed: on Date: I, (parent/guardian) verify that my performed at least 3 hours of community service. Parent/Guardian Signature Date