JUDO SCOTLAND, the governing body of the sport, held a rare coaching session at Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh, where seven young players from Focus Judo Club in Galashiels had a unique chance to be on the mat alongside six members of the GB Olympic team.
Euan Burton, Sarah Clark, James Miller, James Austin, Sally Conway and Paralympic silver medallist, Sam Ingram held a four-hour session with about 150 kids from all over Scotland.
From Focus Judo,Miyah Allan, Noemi Kolodziej, Elizabeth Davidson, Steven Naan, Liam Gill, Jordan Rae and Rory Rudkinwere all coached by the Olympic players. There was also a question-and-answer time with an autograph session at the end so every young player had the chance to meet the Olympians individually.
Focus Judo’s assistant coach, Lee Allan, was there with the kids and said: “This was an excellent day which has inspired kids and coaches alike all over the country.
“For these six Olympic team members to put on a day like this for free is unprecedented and was a unique experience for everyone involved.”
The club has had a busy week itself in Galashiels, where they were host to a junior competition on Sunday for over 50 players from some of the best Judo Clubs in the Borders. Players from Peebles, Duns and East March Judo Clubs came to Focus Judo to compete against one another. And, on Monday night, they held an informal event for their under 8 members, where they had the chance to experience a fun introduction to competitive Judo.
If you or your child would like to try Judo, classes are on Monday nights at the Focus Centre in Galashiels. Details are on www.focusjudo.org