THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607120211
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 54 lines
When 11-year-olds Bobby Smith and Matt Spencer got to Orlando and the U.S. Junior Olympic Tae-kwondo Championships last month, they wanted medals.
They settled for an education.
``We learned we need to put in a lot more practice,'' Spencer said as the two failed to place.
Spencer's comment says a lot about what it takes to be the best in this sport, for it's not as though Spencer and Smith spend a lot of time kicked back in easy chairs pecking at remote controls. Spencer estimates the two have spent more than 300 hours in training since April, 1995, when Spencer's father, Wayne, opened the Owens Academy of Korean Martial Arts and Self Defense.
This dedication yielded dividends in May, when Spencer (heavyweight) and Smith (welterweight) captured gold medals in the forms divisions during the 16th Virginia State Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships in Midlothian. The duo also took silver medals in their fighting divisions, as did another Suffolk resident, Jonathan Baines.
The high placings earned the athletes berths in the nationals (Baines went on vacation and missed the tournament). And while they didn't fare as well as they hoped, Spencer returned with no regrets about making the trip.
``We turned it into a vacation,'' he said. ``We went to Disney World, Universal Studios. It was a lot of fun.''
``During the competition, we learned that power and kicking is not all you need,'' Smith added. ``We also picked up some better (techniques) on form.''
Spencer, who has been practicing taekwondo since age 6, and Smith, a three-year veteran, both began in the sport at the Suffolk YMCA. Both are currently red belts, one step away from black belts.
``It's a lot of fun, learning self-defense,'' said Spencer, a 4-11, 100-pounder and a rising sixth-grader at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. ``Plus I used to have a bad temper, but not anymore.''
The 5-7, 149-pound Smith, who will begin sixth grade at John Yeates Middle School in the fall, said taekwondo has helped him gain self-confidence.
And both are looking forward to the year 2000, when taekwondo becomes a medal sport at the Olympics.
``That's the ultimate goal,'' Smith said. ``I'd really like to make it there someday.'' ILLUSTRATION: From left, Suffolk residents Matt Spencer, Bobby Smith
and Jonathan Baines competed in the 16th Virginia State Junior
Olympic Taekwondo Champ-ion-ships in Midlothian in May. Spencer, a
heavyweight, and Smith, a welterweight, captured gold medals in the
forms divisions. The duo also took silver medals in their fighting
divisions, as did Baines. Spencer and Smith went on to compete in
the U.S. Junior Ol-ym-pic Taekwondo Champ-ion-ships in Orlando last
month. by CNB