Coach’s Corner
Hello Future Olympians & Parents,
The road to the Olympics is a long one, but the good news is that the journey is where most of the growth and fun happens. This page will help you develop a better understanding as to what it takes to be a part of the US Olympic Athlete Development pipeline and how MTC will help you to get there.
First, you have made the right choice by joining a USA Taekwondo recognized school with instructors who have competed nationally and internationally in USA Taekwondo and World Taekwondo Federation sanctioned events. At MTC, we strive to stay current with the coaching requirements of USAT.
To provide a clear development pathway for athletes, USA Taekwondo has
identified that an athlete will progress along four phases: 1). Introduction/Base Programming; 2) Developmental; 3) High Performance and 4) World-Class. Note: All athletes under the age of fourteen are considered to be in the introduction phase.
From USAT Athlete Development Pipeline…
Introduction/Base Programming
In the INTRODUCTION Phase of development, an athlete is introduced to the sport of Taekwondo and taught the basic fundamentals necessary to succeed in the sport. This phase serves as the first step in making a USA National Team through Event Qualifiers and specific selection procedures. (Note: An athlete does not start being considered for National Team Selection until they turn 14 ( junior) or 17 and older when they are classified as an adult).
Developmental Programs
In the DEVELOPMENTAL Phase an athlete utilizes his/her fundamentals and develops an
understanding of the skills, techniques, strategies and tactics that are necessary to be successful in competitive matches.
Through the creation of the Athlete Development Camp System (ADCS) with development and
training camps for junior and collegiate aged national team caliber athletes (referred to as the U-24 group), this serves as the first real opportunity to have a direct impact on athlete development. In addition, it is at this phase where Sport Science & Technology and the revised Coach Development Program (CDP) become fully integrated into the development process.
High Performance
In the HIGH PERFORMANCE Phase, an athlete is expected to display a level of instinctive
awareness and to understand the various tactical, technical, mental, physical and physiological components that are necessary to be successful in the sport in international competition.
This stage of the development process represents the opportunity to provide athletes with the ability to gain valuable international experience and a sense of the attributes to become World Class. The complementing resources and programs of Sport Science & Technology and Coach Development are progressed from the development phase to high performance elements that include both sport and non-sport specific areas.
The High Performance phase and the different junior and U-24 (18 – 23 year old age group)
international competitions serve as performance markers for young developing athletes and a
launching pad for junior and high performance athletes to strive to become World Class and
ultimately make the USA Senior National Team. This can be capitalized with the introduction of exchanges for national team athletes with other countries around the world.
World Class
A WORLD CLASS athlete displays an exceptional understanding of the sport and the mastery of skills and techniques, with incontestable situational responsiveness, a sense of timing that enhances the execution of strategies and tactics in match competition on the world stage.
World Class serves as the pinnacle of athlete development. With such importance placed upon performance goals and the margin between gold and silver only .02 of 1%; athlete planning, technologies, program content, attributes of world-class athletes, program delivery and execution are incorporated and succinct.
As mentioned before it is a long journey, but rewarding one. The connections that you make with others and the discoveries that you make about yourself are priceless. Remember, one kick at a time!