As the Poreč OTC came to a close, the educational aspect of the Judo Festival came in to full swing. On Saturday 22nd of June, the Kids and Family Camp began, led by the Education Commissioner, covering Judo for Children, Nuno DELGADO.
Delgado opened the session with an introductory circle, allowing the coaches and athletes to state their name, country, age and why they love judo so much. Nusa LAMPE was up first, a member of the IJF Education and Coaching and Commission, Lampe was a top athlete before moving in to refereeing, and alongside her work with the IJF, she also works in her club in Ljubljana, Slovenia,
The most important thing is to have fun! I am very lucky that I can work in judo. I love to teach and learn from you, from you I get many new ideas, so enjoy this week!
Marina DRASKOVIC, the lead on Adapted Judo in the EJU, thanked all those in attendance for coming to her beloved Croatia and explained the privilege we have, to be on the tatami with European, World and Olympic medallist, Delgado. Later she explained that alongside the kids camp, the adapted judo sessions will also take place, with a joint training session taking place on Monday 24th of June which will be a valuable learning opportunity for all.
Aside from the main teaching team, Assistant to the President of the IJF, Denisa DELIU was also in attendance, with coaches from Italy and the Netherlands and Judo Klub Rijeka.
The children were excited to meet their new friends who they will likely build lifelong relationships with, and of course play all of the games while enjoying the beautiful weather in Croatia. All the young athletes were 10-15 years old, from Slovakia, Netherlands and Greece.
Author: Thea Cowen