Most dedicated Shimpokai member

Parker brought home a trophy tonight from judo.  He earned "most dedicated" out of the three awards they gave to the kids class.  He was pretty excited and so are we.  Last summer he was assesssed by OT and he saw a neurologist.  He was diagnosed with dyspraxia and poor muscle tone.    The OT was putting in a referal for physio but when she came to the school to do a reassessment, she decided that he was benefiting more from judo 2-3 times a week than he would from the in school physio that they could provide.  After he had been to judo only a few weeks, she could already see a difference.

Parker has plugged away at judo all year, earned his white and yellow/white belts, gone to two tournaments and been defeated pretty quickly.  The tournaments are an eye opening experience.  They can be pretty aggressive, kids and instructors.  But the Shimpokai club really does practice  "gentle way".  His instructors always check in to see if he's ok after a match, letting him know not to get discouraged.  At practice, they work side by side with the kids, dividing them into smaller groups and giving extra coaching when needed. 

About 6 weeks ago, he turned the corner.  He defeated one of his rivals and he's been on a roll ever since.  His last tournament is on Saturday.