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South Shields star Sarah
Clark returned to her hometown on Saturday 30 July to lead a Women
and Girls session.
The masterclass session
at South Shields Judo Club, which attracted over 30 judoka, was
the latest instalment from British Judo’s Women and Girls initiative,
a Sport England funded campaign to engage more women in the Olympic
sport.
Clark, 33, who has been
selected for the World Championships in Paris in two weeks time,
is now based in Edinburgh where she trains at JudoScotland’s National
Training Centre in Ratho, a recognised British Judo Performance
Institute.
The former European champion
visited the Clubmark silver outfit to lead a masterclass on tachi-waza
(standing techniques) and ne-waza (ground techniques)
Sisters Rachael (12)
and Sarah Barrett (9) started judo the first week the club opened
in April 2010 and, having recently been promoted to 4th Mon (yellow
belt), immediately signed up for the session.
Rachael said: “It was a
great opportunity to meet and learn from an Olympian,” while Sarah
added: “I enjoyed learning new techniques from Sarah Clark that
I want to use myself."
Sisters
Rachael (left) and Sarah Barett with Sarah Clark
Tanya Davison, 20, a 1st
Kyu (brown belt), said: “The session Sarah took was a lot of fun.
It also allowed us to explore and broaden the knowledge of techniques
that we use quite readily in new and different ways. In addition,
as an up and coming coach, it gave me personally a lot of new
ideas for warm ups to different aspects of judo, as well as bringing
me up to date with new ideas that the elite squad is using. It
was a great experience.”
Club Secretary Beth Wood
said: “We had a fantastic day and we would like to thank Chloe
Cowen for organising it and Sarah for taking time out of her busy
schedule to visit South Shields Judo Club.”
Chloe Cowen, British Judo’s
North East Technical Officer, said: “To join Sarah on the mat
was a wonderful opportunity for the players and they received
a true masterclass from a world-class judoka.
“It was great for all the
young players to find inspiration from the former European Champion.
Everyone on the session wished Sarah all the success at the World
Championships and next year’s Olympic Games.”
South Shields Judo Club
train at Temple Park Centre, John Reid Road, South Shields, NE34
8QN.
For training times and
more information please visit http://www.southshieldsjudoclub.co.uk/
To see British Judo's full
range of Women and Girls merchandise please click here
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