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If you scroll through the
British Judo archives you’ll quickly learn that Coventry Judo
Club has been one of the most influential clubs in the country.
The west Midlands club
nurtured the talents of Neil Adams from the age of 7 to 16, who
later oversaw the emergence of an enviable talent pool of 20 judoka
who trained full-time in the mid-90’s.
Wherever club members looked
in training they were surrounded by champions as the club and
players were evidence of the theory that success breeds success.
Their appetite for the
sport saw them enjoy fruitful runs on the British team and many
alumni now hold integral roles in the sport.
Current head coach Simon
Moss, a six-time British champion, come to Coventry to train full-time
with Neil Adams in 1989 and travelled to training camps worldwide
including Japan to further develop his skills and experience.
For over 20 years Simon
has been a key member of the club, and for the last 10 he has
been crafting a reputation as a top coach, firstly in schools
and more recently at Coventry. The well-travelled Brit worked
closely with Paralympic standout Sam Ingram and has helped guide
highly-rated 16-year-old Luke Meadows onto the England Talent
Development programme.
“I came down to Coventry
at 16 to join Neil and trained here for 10 years,” said Moss.
“The lads I met then are
friends for life and those days will always be a highlight for
me.”
Despite all the club’s
glory and proficient regime currently at the helm, the storied
club was on the brink of closure last summer as they were given
short notice that they had to vacate The Woodlands School which
was due to undergo refurbishment.
With their immediate future
in jeopardy the club rallied and was able to call on former members
who championed their cause.
Former international Wayne
Lakin, who works for the British Judo Association as the National
Schools Manager and the coaching equivalent, trained at Coventry
as a fast-rising teenager.
Lakin, now 37, said: “I
was at Coventry when I was 16 and technically I’m still a member
now.
“I used to do all my training
there with fellow internationals and we were quite lucky that
everybody used to come to the club. In 1996 we had seven British
Champions and many former players have since gone on to work for
the British Judo Association such as High Performance coaches
Darren Warner and Jamie Johnson,” added the 4th Dan.
Club patron Neil Adams
also made radio appearances and underlined the necessity for them
to train on a regular basis.
"First and foremost
they need a permanent home,” the two-time Olympic silver medallist
told BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.
"They need to train
four or five times a week. That's what's needed to develop to
world and Olympic level."
Club secretary Sara Hayes
said: “We started to deliver judo to the students at Hereward
College and they heard about our situation and said they
could accommodate us in their Sports Centre.
“We have had to move days,
and pay a lot more rent, but it is a really lovely venue and the
staff are an absolute joy to work with, one being an ex-student
of the college.”
Despite the move many of
the senior ranks are indeed long-term members who have followed
the club to Hereward College.
Simon Moss said: “At the
new venue we still have a lot of the old members who are involved
on and off the mat.”
Moss, who won a host of
international competitions on the international such as the US
Open, has a vision for the club and how they should develop talent.
“I think the talent is
out there. My ethos behind it is if we can get them young enough
we can train them well technically so when they’re 18 they can
go on to University or full-time training ready for the next stage.”
Coventry Judo Club train
at Hereward College Sports Centre, Bramston Crescent, Tile Hill,
CV4 9SW. Juniors train on a Wednesday at 19:00 – 20:00 while seniors
follow at 20:00 – 21:00. Players aged 11 – 18 train on a Friday
at 19:00 – 20:00 while senior beginners follow from 20:00 – 21:00.
Juniors and seniors also train on a Saturday. For more information
visit www.coventryjudo.com
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