Fight Update

Well T will be fight a kid from our sister school today so there will no coach in the chairs for them. This will just be practice for them basically. They’ll both qualify and both get to go to Nationals. T gets an automatic Gold or Silver depending on how he does against this kid. 

Checked In and Ready!

T is checked in and ready to start the competition day. His with his team on the floor stretching and getting warmed up now. Have a great day everyone and we’ll be posting an update later on how things go today. 

Weigh In for AAU GA Qualifier

So T weighed in at 31.65 kilos. That converts to 69.77 pounds. He has to be under 33 kilos which converts to 72.8 pounds. And he did it not hungry for a change. 

Now we have an early dinner and relax and rest for the rest of the evening😁. 

Severe Weather....

Well we have had severe weather in our area in Charlotte today. We were supposed to be traveling home today to get ready for our travel for the AAU GA Qualifier this weekend but instead Scot will travel our way tomorrow. 

A tornado 🌪 hit in Concord and we had a tornado warning ⚠️ here with lots of rain 🌧, wind 💨, and debris but we are fine. 

Because we are staying T will get extra training today and this evening so it is benefiting him that we are staying put. We were heading home for an appointment but felt it was better not to risk safety by driving in bad weather. 

We take this as a sign from God that there’s a reason T needed to be here today and tonight for training. It could be that something could be said or done that will up his fight game even more and help him to do even better this weekend???  You never know the reasons really for things happening the way they do but God sometimes reveals the whys at a later time. So we’ll wait, watch, and see what comes of our staying put here and not traveling home. 

We’ve Shifted Gears...

We’ve shifted gears and are now reading this book:

This is going to be such a great book for T.   So that you can know what we will be reading I’ve included the book description along with some reviews from athletes you may know below:

Even among the most elite performers, certain athletes stand out as a cut above the rest, able to outperform in clutch, game-deciding moments. These athletes prove that raw athletic ability doesn't necessarily translate to a superior on-field experience—its the mental game that matters most. 

Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at an all-time high. While the caliber of their games may differ, athletes at every level have one thing in common: the desire to excel. In The Champion's Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, offers the same advice he uses with Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including: 

• How to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble 
• How to progress within a sport and sustain long-term excellence 
• Customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is dropped 

With hundreds of useful tips, breakthrough science, and cutting-edge workouts from the world's top trainers, The Champion's Mind will help you shape your body to ensure a longer, healthier, happier lifetime.

Review

“ The Champion's Mind is loaded with great lessons, advice, and perspectives on how to be successful. The skills and strategies that Jim provides here are essential in carving a path to success, no matter what field you are in or what your goals are. I can honestly say that I have lived by many of the strategies offered in this book and I can also say I wish I had lived by more of them. But it's never too late to be as good as you can be!” — Dan Jansen, Olympic gold medalist, speed skating 

“I learned early on in my professional baseball career that players at the elite level are generally pretty similar from the perspective of physical aptitude. Yet, what tends to differentiate the all-stars from the rest of the pack resides between the ears. Jim Afremow does a great job of exploring this subject in The Champion's Mind. This is a great book for coaches and athletes of all ages who are looking to improve performance at any level, in any sport.” — Shawn Green, two-time MLB All-Star 

“ The Champion's Mind reveals the mental skills and strategies Olympic champions use to perform their best when it matters most. Dr. Afremow's matchless book is a must for athletes and coaches.” — Shannon Miller, Olympic gold medalist, gymnastics 

“ The Champion's Mind is a mental training book that will help you reach your potential in sports. I highly recommend this book to all athletes and coaches.” — Jackie Slater, NFL Hall of Famer 

“Dr. Afremow nails all the basics and gives readers an excellent window into how a champion's mind works before and during 'the process'.” — Randy Cross, three-time Super Bowl Champion 

“I read this book with my eyes wide open and the content continued to keep them open at all times. Jim's advice and tips are very simple and easy to understand. Read only one chapter at a time and apply it to your approach to Tennis, Sports, and Life.” — Nick Bollettieri, Founder/President of Nick Bollettieri IMG Tennis Academy 

“ The Champion's Mind shows you how to take your game to the next level.” — Tony Womack, MLB All-Star and World Series Champion 

“Dr. Afremow's training and tips have been an important part of the preparation and success of our athletes when they take the Wonderlic test at the NFL Combine. In The Champion's Mind, Dr. Afremow provides simple, yet powerfully effective strategies to help athletes and coaches reach their full potential.” — Mark Verstegen, author of Core Performance 

“How sweet it is to breathe that rarified air of a high performance athlete! How refreshing it is, as well, to recognize so many of the techniques in Dr. Afremow's book that get you to that privileged place. The Champion's Mind is simple, straightforward elixir for the high achiever in all of us.” — Morten Andersen, NFL's all-time leading scorer 

“The mind is a powerful thing. As a baseball player the more confidence I have and the more mentally prepared I am, the better I perform when it matters the most. Dr. Afremow'sbook The Champion's Mind will help guide you to reach your potential both on and off the field!” — Travis Buck, MLB outfielder, Houston Astros 

“Athletes who want to learn the secrets of the mental game should read The Champion's Mind.” — Carli Lloyd, Olympic gold medalist, soccer 

“One can always learn from others. The Champion's Mind holds a wealth of insight as to how you can become a winner in your everyday life.” — Phil Mahre, Olympic gold medalist, Alpine skiing 

“It's amazing to see how Dr. Afremow points out what athletes go through every day. He describes a lot of situations that I have experienced as well. In this book, you can find a lot of simple but very useful tips and principles that might help you to improve your performance.” — Britta Heidemann, Olympic gold medalist, epee fencing 

“ The Champion's Mind is very informative and full of great principles and guidelines for any athlete that is searching for excellence in their performance.” — Mike Candrea, three-time Olympic gold medal coach of USA softball, eight-time national champion coach of the University of Arizona women's softball team 

“Athletes can unlock a new level of performance by learning the power of training their mind as they train their body. From preparation to rehabilitation to competition, The Champion's Mind gives the mental guidance necessary to allow an athlete to reach their full athletic potential. Dr. Afremow's playbook for increasing mental strength gives clear direction to make the reader a better athlete, a better teammate, and a better person.” — Curt Tomasevicz, Olympic gold medalist, four-man bobsleigh 

“We all have an athlete in us; we were all born to run, jump, swim and compete in some way or another. The gold medal at an Olympic Games has been declared as the highest honor to reward discipline, commitment, power, strength, finesse, passion, precision, patience, speed and skill, just to name a few. You too can go for gold in all areas of your life by following Jim's strategies. Decide what you want and go after it with all you have to give, every single day. Daily acts of excellence are the secret. Choose your success today.” — Natalie Cook, Olympic gold medalist, beach volleyball 

“Do you want to learn how the best in the world got there? In The Champion's Mind, Jim distills a myriad of golden Olympic stories into clear tools we all can use. I am positive that you will read insights in this book that will help you rise to the top of your discipline. If you read this book you will be inspired. Thank you Jim for writing this book!” — Adam Kreek, Olympic gold medalist, men's eights rowing 

“When I read The Champion's Mind it quite frankly reminded me of many instances, mannerisms, and thoughts leading to my Olympic Championship, and it has given me many other wisdoms to pass on to the athletes I now coach. Choose your path, follow your path, any path worth choosing will have its ups and downs, but The Champion's Mindwill help you with ideas to keep moving forward on that path. The focus you gain will help you reach the top of whatever you seek.” — Nick Hysong, Olympic gold medalist, pole vault 

“Dr. Afremow hits a grand slam with The Champion's Mind. Every athlete should keep a copy of this book in their locker or gym bag.” — Leah Amico, three-time Olympic gold medalist, softball

About the Author

Jim Afremow, PhD, is a sports psychologist and licensed counselor at Arizona State University. He has worked closely with athletes at all levels, including pros from the MLB, NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, PGA Tour, and LPGA Tour, as well as business professionals, performing artists, and others in demanding careers. He lives in Phoenix.

We are always doing our best to help our son grow his mental game so he can become the unstoppable athlete that he aspires to be. Y’all have a great rest of your week. Next post will be about the GA AAU Qualifier. It will be T’s first tournament as a Cadet that really counts for something. He has to finish in the top 8 to Qualify for AAU Nationals. Keep us in your prayers. 

A Week In Review...

This past week T had to get back into the swing of training again.  By the end of the week his speed was improving a lot.  That is really good.  Praying and Hoping that T improves more as each week goes by and as he learns to have more confidence in what he's doing and as he learns to trust himself more.  He's learning so much right now because of moving to a new division.  It's a lot to take in but he's up for the task.  We know he can do what needs to be done.

With a new division means that the pressure on the electronic chest gear that is used also changes.  He now needs to learn to apply more pressure when doing his techniques.  It's something he has to keep in mind when he's sparring so that he kicks with more pressure to the chest gear when he is fighting a match.  Everything for T is electronic now which includes the headgear.  He will learn so much as he goes through this year in a new division.

Today we came home to spend time with Scot and will go back to Matthews tomorrow evening.  It's good to be home even if it's just for twenty-four hours...LOL!

Here are some pictures I took today of T while he was training with his teammates:

His teammates challenge him and keep him humble.  Over all it's been a good week.

USAT North Carolina

USAT North Carolina just posted this on Facebook earlier today:

Good afternoon athletes, coaches, and parents, It is with great regret that I must inform you that the NCTKD Federation will not be hosting a Qualifying State Championships this year due to USATKD protest. As the protest is ongoing, officials are not at liberty to discuss any details. We do, however, apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. Please continue to train, and support development events we will have in the future. Thank You - NCTKD Federation

I just wish everyone could get along and stop all the politicking in this sport so that our athletes could do what they love without adding stress by doing stuff like this. Now T will have to travel to qualify for USAT Nationals. At least we don’t have these issues with AAU.  So thankful for that!!!  

Busy Days...

It’s been a very busy several days since T has been getting back into the swing of things. His coach is increasing cardio in order to increase T’s endurance. Doing more technique training to sharpen and learn the techniques he needs to use when he fights. 

T has been practicing his Forms also in order to get ready for AAU GA State. He will be fighting and doing his forms at that event. 

We’ve been focusing on school as well and it’s been a challenge to keep him on task. He has so much he needs to do and keep up with in a days time. He’s having to learn to make good use of every ounce of his time. It’s very frustrating for me at times because all he wants to do is rest when he’s not training and while I get that he needs to push through and focus on his school work as well. I know doing school is not very important to him and I don’t see him going to a University someday. Maybe a Community College but not regular college. 

Now it’s time to go to bed so we can do a repeat of training tomorrow. There is never a dull moment. We’ve been asked not to post any videos so you won’t be seeing any. Maybe I’ll get some pictures at some point though just so you can see T😁. 

Friday Night at Team Training

This is the first video I’m posting from the new building that T’s sparring team moved into. This video has Zac and T training together. Zac challenges and pushes T to be better and get better. He may be 20 pounds heavier but that’s all good because it helps T to put forth more effort and really work on his techniques. There’s lots of learning going on in this video. 

“Parting is such sweet sorrow😢”

We had to say bye to Scot and our dog, Tucker, today. He came down to help us get settled in for the month while T trains with his coach and team to get ready for US Open. He is now driving home to get ready for the work week ahead. I will be making more posts and doing a bunch of FaceTime this next month. So glad that if we can’t be together that we can at least see one another. So thankful that technology has come this far that we can do this. Back when I was growing up we’d have to pay for long distance calls and those would be few and far between because it was so expensive. As for that aspect of technology I’m very thankful it’s advanced like it has. 

T is now on the phone with a friend and playing a game on his Switch with him. Extended stay living is made much easier for me when he can do that.