Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind Students Travel to Miami to Train

March 22, 2010

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(Front, L-R): Marino Flores, Charlie and Ryan McCleary. (Second Row): Maureen McCleary. (Back Row (L-R): Luis Guardia, Roberto Alvarez, Alan McCleary and Jose H. Rodriguez.

(Miami, Fla.) – As part of USA Judo's ongoing program to grow the sport of judo among visually impaired youth at the grassroots level, two students from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind travelled with their parents to Miami on Saturday to train at the Kolychkine Judo Club. 

 

Luis Guardia (Miami, Fla.), coordinator for the Tropical Park Elementary after-school judo for both sighted and visually impaired students, and Roberto Alvarez (Miami, Fla.) led the early morning class that brought together students from Tropical Elementary with these two young judo players. About 10 other members of the Kolychkine Judo Club participated in the class and trained with the guests. 

 

Ryan and Charlie McCleary made the five-hour trip from St. Augustine to Miami to participate in the practice which USA Judo CEO Jose H. Rodriguez (Colorado Springs, Colo.) said he hopes to be the start of many similar exchange programs.

 

During the two-hour training session, the students’ mother, Maureen McCleary, also participated in the practice.  Maureen, who also is visually impaired, has begun practicing judo as well and enjoyed the opportunity to randori with the members of the Kolychkine Judo Club.  

 

"Our next goal in growing judo for blind and visually impaired youth is to work with the administration of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind to introduce judo to their students,” Rodriguez said as he watched the workout.  “This is a school that has a great reputation for their education of the blind at the elementary and high school level.  They also have a great reputation for their sports programs, including wrestling. I have already spoken to their athletic director and will be visiting with them soon." 

 

Rodriguez went on to say: “I was watching these young visually impaired students train today and was thinking how exciting it is that this week a team of USA Judo athletes will travel to Turkey to compete at the World Championships for the Visually Impaired and here we are training our athletes who may be 2024 Paralympic Team members." 

 

 

Tags: Charlie McCleary, Jose Rodriguez, Luis Guardia, Maureen McCleary, Roberto Alvarez , Ryan McCleary