By Summer Crawford

Staff Writer

There is a group of Coppell athletes who get the chance of a lifetime to compete in taekwondo and train with one of the best taekwondo organizations in the country; National Taekwondo Association, better known as NTA.

For years, taekwondo athletes have been training and competing as part of the NTA team, dedicating time and energy to the sport. No one has more passion for the sport than the head coach and owner of NTA, Master Sang Cha. Cha, with his seventh degree black belt, has produced many champion athletes in his time coaching taekwondo and dedicates his time towards bettering the skills of the athletes.

Cha initially started NTA because he did not want history to repeat itself.

“The original start of NTA was because when I was young and did taekwondo, coaches hand-picked who got to spar, and I was not selected. I was not selected until a later age. I wanted to make sure I didn’t do that with any athletes here,” Cha said.

Not only do athletes of all ages and belt colors get to practice drills, do conditioning and train one-on-one with coaches, but they also get the privilege of participating in a weekly sparring ritual called Friday Night Fights. Friday Night Fights gives people a chance to use what they have learned in the past week and apply their skills to better their game. Sept. 20 was another chance for students to compete with each other.

“We do all the theories and do all the skill sets and lessons. Unless they actually get the chance to do the application and do it in the ring, they can’t improve. The main purpose is to put in application of the drills that they practice during the week,” Cha said. “It is set up here to where they are challenged to try harder every time. Friday Night Fights is not a real tournament, but it is still a type of competition. If they win or lose here it doesn’t matter, but they need to try different skill sets with things they are not as comfortable with so they can improve.”

The atmosphere at NTA is one of complete trust and respect. Athletes learn to rely on one another through intense sets of training and also acquire skills and knowledge from the supportive coaches. Students from the age of four or five to any age of adults participate in weekly classes and in Friday Night Fights.

There are some Coppell High School students who practice competitive taekwondo and who enjoy being a part of one big family where people always feel welcome. These students follow weekly routines of coming to classes and showcasing their skills on Friday nights. Although taekwondo is a sport requiring 100 percent dedication and attention, athletes welcome the challenge.

“The best part is the energy. It’s always really exciting and everyone is trying their hardest and doing their best. When you fight older kids they have more experience and it makes you work harder to try and reach your goal,” sophomore Morgan Glover said. “It’s hard because you don’t have much of a social life, but it is one of the best places to be.”

Glover, along with other high school students, competed in the latest class of the Friday Night Fights on Sept. 20 in hopes of improving her fighting strategies and learning her weaknesses. These competitions mirror what real international competitions are like, with the athletes wearing sparring gear and using the Daedo electronic scoring system to determine when an individual earns points during the match. Depending on the belt color and level of an athlete, you put in different amounts of time at NTA.

“[In] taekwondo at NTA, you basically get what you put into it. It is your choice to define what you get out of this,” Cha said. “You can come two times a week, four times a week for workouts and conditioning; if you’re a serious competitor and athlete you come six times a week, and if you are an international athlete you dedicate 10 plus hours a week.”

The athletes are not the only ones putting their time and effort into the sport. Parents of athletes come to classes during the week to watch their children perform, support athletes who earn the right to compete in international tournaments and see the lessons that taekwondo has taught their children. Terah Paolini, mother to eighth grade taekwondo athlete Frank Paolini, watches her son compete in Friday Night Fights.

“He does acquire new skills because he goes up against kids that are not in his regular class and learns to adapt differently to each person. The biggest thing he learns is how to block and keep your opponent from scoring,” Paolini said.

While athletes learn valuable skills to protect themselves during sparring matches, there is always a risk of getting injured. Every time an athlete steps onto the mat they understand there are serious physical risks, but without any risks there is no success.

“I was excited that he started in the beginning because it taught him a lot of skills such as patience and respect, as well as physical skills. But once he started on the team where it was mostly physical, then I was a little nervous because he might get hurt, and nobody wants their child to get hurt,” Paolini said. “But he has really learned how to keep from getting hurt, and it has given him self-confidence because of the great coaches.”

Glenn Bishop, parent of CHS freshman John Bishop, believes in the importance of Friday Night Fights.

“Friday Night Fights teach perseverance and self-reliance. You learn how to control your anger and how to make decisions quickly,” Bishop said. “I encourage taekwondo because it really gets them into shape and it’s good for self-defense. It helps with their strength and flexibility to some extent.”

Through blood, sweat and tears, athletes and coaches have a bond like no other. Any time an athlete has a bad day or is not performing up to par, people are there to encourage the athlete not to give up. Most of the athletes have been training together since a young age with the same coaches.

“Watching the progression of the kids going from age four or five and watching them improve, learn respect, and have accuracy is incredible. To be part of someone’s life like that is phenomenal, like being a second parent to these kids,” Cha said. “Watching the kids who are not as athletic or confident, being able to see the end is amazing.”

Cha, as well as other coaches, want only the best for their students. Every athlete knows that they can look up to Cha and ask for help if they are struggling.

“Give everyone a chance. If they put in the hours and do their best and are committed to do the work, I will take them,” Cha said.