Ireland Fleck Sept 2011

For the last four years, Ireland Fleck has been involved in only one activityour KARATE FOR KIDS program. We had been hearing from her doctors and teachers that her coordination was behind, Carla Fleck, Irelands mother said. Ireland had expressed an interest in karate and it seemed like it would help with coordination. So we thought wed try it. I dont make any uneducated decisions when it comes to my children, Carla explained. So we went to two other karate schools besides here. Some of them had nicer, newer facilities but we felt the most comfortable here, because of the way Mr. Babin treated us. At the other schools, the treatment was too social. Mr. Babin was not about sales. He was about finding out what we wanted for Ireland. The other karate schools gave me the feeling of gymboree, like it was just some fun activity. We were looking for something more serious. Ireland started in the Tiny Program at age 4 and quickly developed a drive to achieve. She even became a little more competitive than her parents expected. Although she has seen many kids advance quicker than herself, she has never wavered in her effort. And she takes full responsibility for her own progress, according to her Dad. K4K comment: Ireland was lacking in physical coordination, but she never lacked in her understanding about working hard, always doing her best, and learning her safety and life skill lessons. This is because her parents supported every aspect of her training. They are not focused on the other students, just their daughter and what she needs to do to succeed.

Irelands good discipline is connected to the Tiny Tiger homework sheet. Her mom says, Ireland would pick the specific goal she was working on and she would remind us what it was. Sometimes she would take 2-3 weeks to get it done, and we were really impressed with her sense of responsibility. K4K comment: Using the homework sheets properly will build confidence and a sense of pride in the children. Giving them small, specific goals to accomplish each week creates the ability to accomplish bigger, more life-changing goals in the future, such as academic goals. IRELANDS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE: In leadership, most of the kids were older and of higher rank. She was so proud, and in her very first class, she was raising her hand to answer questions. And she was very good with the hand shake drill and introducing herself and speaking loudly. Her mother said. Dad adds: Leadership creates confidence in her, and I see that. Mom mentions another important part of the LEADERSHIP PROGRAM: In leadership, the pace of instruction is quicker than in regular class. It was a barrage of info and she really had to focus because she knew she was not going to get the instructions 2-3 times. It was a higher expectation. K4K comment: Students need to recognize that you dont always succeed the first time. Thats OK, its important to learn to keep trying and not give up if something doesnt fall into place right away. IRELAND LEARNS TO DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENT Dad says, As a parent you want your child always to succeed. Its actually more difficult on the parent to see a failure, and parents are always quick to be more critical of other children. And mom explains probably one of the biggest and most important truths of parenting: We tell her if you did not get your form perfect this time, thats ok. You cant worry about other kids; this is not a team sport. Its about you making yourself better. We (ourselves) need to be careful that we dont point out the faults of other kids or make comments about other children because she hears everything we say. It is not up to us to question what other kids are doing or why someone else got a belt and Ireland did not. That makes no sense when we are telling her to focus on herself and make herself better. We understand that Mrs. Babin has chosen a path for Ireland, just like she has done so for the other students in the class. K4K comment: Each student has his own challenges and gifts. Its the responsibility of the instructor to recognize this and create a plan for each child to succeed. What is right and appropriate for one child many not be the same for another. So when parents are observing inconsistencies, its actually the instructor doing her job! IRELANDS BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Mom and Dad agree here emphatically: Getting her recommended black belt after receiving a no change two months earlier has been her biggest accomplishment. She wanted it and worked hard outside of class as well to get it. Its a big stepping stone to a future milestone. K4K comment: The students are encouraged to do strength-developing drills at home for better kicking ability (takes about 10 minutes) and Ireland did just that. It is probably the one thing that gave her the confidence to face the challenge of board breaking. Dad says: A No Change is a disappointment that nobody wants a kid to go through, but its also what life is about. The No Change caused her more pain than she has ever been through, but it is reality. And because of her heart condition, she has been poked and prodded through many medical procedures. We thought that was tough, but the No Change was tougher. Carla added: Despite this stress and disappointment of not breaking or of watching someone else get a belt when she did not, she has never once said she wanted to quit.

K4K comment: Irelands success in Karate for Kids is directly related to her parents support. She has not had an easy time moving through the ranks, but her parents never gave up on her, instilled a strong work ethic in her, and have trusted her instructors. They have relied on her instructors experience and foresight to guide Ireland to be her best possible self: and of course, earn her black belt. WHY SHOULD OTHER PARENTS GET THEIR KIDS STARTED: Shannon: You have to feel comfortable with what youre getting for your kids. Karate for Kids is not just an activity. It is a life-changing event. It is something that the kids live every day because there is a lot of great things that you learn here. And I advise karate parents to listen to the instructors. Be open, have a conversation. Every kid has to have his own path. Carla: Once she gets her black belt, she has that forever! But going to dance, when she gets older, doesnt mean she is a dancer. And being a girl, I tell her that bad people sometimes think girls are a good target. But I want her to feel safe. I dont think this is an activity where you drop your kid off and leave. You need to reinforce what they are learning here. It is not about the moves. It is about what they are learningvaluesand you need to reinforce that at home.

Rylee Bacus August 2011

Articulate, Expressive, Ambitious, Confident

Those are the words that best describe RYLEE BACHUS, our student of the month. Indeed, her enthusiasm to talk about her KARATE FOR KIDS experienceas well as the skill of her oral delivery is testimony to how much she has learned here about being a leader. Two and a half years ago, the K4K staff led a safety festival at nearby Porter Elementary. One of the activities was breaking boards. Well, Rylee did that just once and had to have more. She took the free month offered and hasnt stopped since. Rylee says: I had tried other activitiesballet, ice skating, even violin. I didnt find them exciting enough. KARATE FOR KIDS was fun the first time I tried it. Dad commented: It was absolutely Rylees idea to get started.

One of the things that appealed to Rylee was that in KARATE FOR KIDS she could do everything all the boys did, not like in other sports. And she is totally driven to achieve and to lead the way as a girl. Dad says that KARATE FOR KIDS has helped Rylee in many ways. Shes learned self discipline, personal responsibility, accountability, and organizational skills. She has absolutely made improvements in her discipline and personal responsibility. For example the fact that she has to keep track of all her personal belongings and know where they are. She has really improved with that, and not just her gear and weapons, but all her personal belongings.

Mom adds: I was hoping she would gain discipline and improve manners, especially to be more respectful to teachers and peers. She had struggled with peer relationships in grade school. She has always done well academically, but her relationships with peers were challenging. And now she is much more patient with kids her age, and even with her little sister, where theres a big age difference. Shes really great picking up her room and helping around the house. I asked Dad if there was anything unexpected that he has seen Rylee learn. The leadership training has been very impressive, especially specific training on eye contact and public speaking. I was totally surprised at how she is being nurtured to be a leader. She is doing stuff that will totally improve her quality of life. The stuff she learns in leadership now will affect her in a good way in 5 year, or 10 year, or 20 years. I cant say enough good things about this place and what Rylee is learning. Rylee says: I give reports at school and Im much more comfortable speaking in front of people. .Mom adds: I was surprised at how involved and excited she has been. Her interest is as strong now as it was at the very beginning. She loves helping as a JUNIOR LEADER, and she seems to be more active outside of KARATE FOR KIDS, by doing rollerblading and swimming. She is even paying attention to what she eats. And she is taking a strength and conditioning class this summer. I know that she would never have done that before KARATE FOR KIDS. She would have been too scared. The class has football players and older kids in it. But now she has plenty of confidence to get in there! And I also feel that she can take care of herself by using the self defense and safety she has learned. In our Student of the Month interviews, we always talk about struggle and both Dad and Rylee had some interesting things to say: Rylee has always done well in school, but when she came upon that one thing that was challenging, she would get frustrated. Now, she is more accustomed to being challenged, to facing things that are difficult for her, to facing high standards of performance. And she now understands more about how you can get frustrated, but you also need to get the job done anyway.

Rylee adds: Its hard not to get upset when you fail, but you learn to get through it. I think that its ok to fail as long as you learn something. Mom added: During a recent tournament, her first event as a black belt, she did not place at all. She was disappointed, but she was happy for Lexi, her friend (student of the month in July)also a brand new black beltwho took 2nd place. She analyzed the experience, realized that it was her first black belt competition and she had sparred a state champ, accepted her results, and then and moved on. And she made a friend who gave her a big hug and said, win some, loose some. Rylee says that earning her black belt is the biggest and most memorable thing I will ever go through. But the thing I gained the most out of KARATE FOR KIDS is emotional and mental strength. Im more self aware and prepared for life. She added: It has made me a better listener. I have always been ahead of the pace of my class in school and KARATE FOR KIDS has made me more patient. What advise do Rylees parents have for other parents thinking about enrolling their children? Dad: Get started now! KARATE FOR KIDS has so many things to offer to all people of all ages. It would be impossible for someone not to find an enormous amount of beneficial things to take away from her. Its the best thing to do to improve the life of any child. KARATE FOR KIDS incorporates real life lessons. No other sport does that. Mom: Its great for discipline and to boost confidence. And I feel good that she can keep herself safe. She has made real friends here, which had been challenging at school. I know she is more respectful to teachers and to me, especially around the house.

Alexis Campbell-July 2011

QUALITIES OF A LEADEREnthusiasm, Self Control, Ambition A few years ago, we went to Porter Elementary and conducted a safety night for the entire school. We used the same material you hear in our classes about saying no and safe side adults. After that class, more than twenty-five children came to our academy. Alexis Campbell was one of them and now, two and half years later, Alexis has earned her 1st degree black belt and is working toward her instructor certification!! (More on that later) To say she is excited about KARATE FOR KIDS is an understatement. Lexi was just nine when parents, Mike and Sara brought her in, hoping that she would build confidence and learn some self defense. Lexi didnt even make it through the 30-day trial period before she insisted her Mom and Dad enroll her. Shes been smiling every since. Within a short time, it became clear that Lexi was going to get more than confidence and self defense at Babins Karate for Kids. Dad explains: Lexi grew tall very fast. And we were concerned that she had never really been very good at fitness, especially upper body strength. She was never able to do a pushup. To our surprise, after being in KARATE FOR KIDS, she has become so strong she passed her first FIT TEST (a requirement for all black belts), and has set a goal to increase the number of pushups she does at the next fit test. But having only one goal is not enough for Lexi. A few weeks back, she got her Junior Training Instructor workbook, and will need to complete it before moving to the adult leadership program. (around age thirteen) She now, has also started attending the MONTHLY LEADERSHIP SEMINARS for ADVANCED Junior Leaders. It was not long after that she expressed her next big goal to Mom and Dad: I want to be an instructor. Mike said: It was very unexpected. In the beginning we werent sure how long her excitement would last. And now, just a short time later, at age eleven, shes telling us she wants to be an instructor. For the last few months, she has been assisting in classes with enthusiasm, and

she has even taught sections of the beginner class. K4K comment: Our leadership program teaches students, of all ages, to develop their communications skills, public speaking skills and much more before they assist in lower rank classes. These skills also prepare them for success at school and in the community. And what about competition? Here as well, Lexi is an example of enthusiasm and commitment. Mom explained, Our first event was overwhelming because we just didnt know what to expect. But Lexi had a great time anyway. She was a white belt and had no tournament experience. She went anyway, and came home with a victory award and a big smile on her face. Even though she didnt place 1st 2nd or 3rd, she had fun, and couldnt wait to go to the next event. Dad adds, Recently Lexi was nervous doing COMBAT BAHNG EE at the in school tournament in April, but Mr. Gutierrez really encouraged her to try it. She lost, but left the event smiling from ear to ear because she scored three points against a more experienced opponent. K4K comment: There is only one way to achieve successget out there and do it!! Its not important how many matches you win or loose, its more important to learn from each experience and develop winning strategies to get better, not just in tournaments, but in life.

Lexi has been to about 17 events to date, and earned an impressive record: 1-1st in forms, 3-2nd in sparring, 3-3rd in sparring, and 1-3rd in Combat Bahng Mahng Ee. And in typical Lexi fashion, this record has inspired her to set a new goal: state champ in sparring for the 2011-2012 tournament year! Dad explains that because of her tournament experiences: I find that now Lexi has the confidence to do things elsewhere, even if its difficult, she faces the challenge and tries her best anyway. Mom explains how this confidence AND skill has been helpful at school: Earlier this year, this one boy just kept picking on her, pushing her buttons. Actually he did this to everyone. One day, he crossed the line, Lexi defended herself, and he ended up on the ground. She was able to protect herself without really hurting him. Im impressed with her self control. And shes now confident enough to have very mature conferences with her teachers, like discussing her grades and completed work assignments. She wants to take the responsibility for speaking up and standing up for herself. I like that! And later in the year, she actually stepped in and helped another child being abused by the same bully. Mom said: Lexi has always been a social butterfly. Everyone at school knows she does KARATE FOR KIDS because she is so excited to talk about it. All of her teachers, our family, and our friends, all know when tournaments are coming, and they get a report on how she did if they cant attend. And she also shares the other stuff she is learning, like the life skills, especially enthusiasm and respect. She is definitely now more willing and open to talk to adults, especially about her KARATE FOR KIDS experiences.

Dad adds: She has become more of a leader. She really looks at the choices in front of her and makes her own decisions. Her teacher told us she gets her work done, and then likes to help others who are still working on the task.

I asked Lexi what she likes about KARATE FOR KIDS: Sparring is the best!!!! Combat Bahng Mahng Ee!!!!! Forms and weapons! Getting my black belt has been a great accomplishment! I worked hard for two years, learning everything and broke my boards. Its really fun! And you learn self control, enthusiasm, confidence, and self defense. K4K comment: How many 12 years olds do you know that than

get excited about working toward and accomplishing a 2 YEARS goal? Most children think 2 months is an eternity. How accomplished can our children be if they learn to set long term goals early in life? What would Mike and Sara say to others about getting started? Mike says: Its a huge boost of confidence and self esteem. Its also been really good for Lexi to learn to deal with disappointment. If you dont succeed, keep going. And weve met some great people and learned a lot. We (the parents) learn something new every day we come and watch her class. And its great fun talking to other parents about getting involved in tournaments. Sara says: The kids have fun! You meet a lot of good people. Weve met other parents and do things with our karate friends. Lexi now has a good friend from Utah which she met at tournaments. K4K comment: Having your child involved with other children and families with similar values and goals is a great way to guarantee that they will not be subject to negative peer pressure and will make good personal choices.

Valeria Tapia-One Great Surprise After Another! 62011

Valeria Tapia Valeria Tapias story begins like so many others. By age six, she had tried dance and other activities. Nothing seemed to spark her interest until she learned that one of her school friends, Leah

Millman, was coming to KARATE FOR KIDS. Mom, Maria, and dad, Albert, brought her in and, from that day on its been one great surprise after another!

SURPRISE #1: She just wants to be here all the time!!

Like many children, Valeria just wasnt interested in other traditional kids activities. It was a pleasant surprise that she got so excited about KARATE FOR KIDS so fast, Maria says, She wants to be here all the time!

SURPRISE #2: Its so much more than an activity.

Albert and Maria quickly learned that KARATE FOR KIDS is so much more than just punching and kicking, so much more than other activities. They said Valeria is more outspoken and outgoing now. Albert said, For example, its a whole bunch of little things, like when we talk now, she really looks at us. At a restaurant, she has the confidence to order her own food! K4K comment: These things may seem small but actually they are really big!! If Valeria is too shy and afraid to address an adult in a friendly situation, such as ordering a meal, how can we expect her to say NO to an adult that may want to take advantage of her in a true self defense situation? And what about Valerias behavior at home? Maria said, She is more confident at home and very helpful. Recently, we remodeled the kitchen. I was really impressed with how she wanted to help put down the floor, or paint the wall, or texture the ceiling. She expressed a real desire to learn how to do it. She is willing to try things she has never done before with no fear. K4K comment: Its exciting that Valeria is now willing to experience new things. It would be very sad if she missed some great opportunities to do new things and make new friends if she was too shy to even try something.

SURPISE #3: Her little sister wants to be like her.

Another really big surprise for mom and dad is that Valerias little sister, Breanna emulates her big sisters cooperativeness, courtesy, and discipline. Wow, and Breanna is not yet in KARATE FOR KIDS!!! But she is still learning the lessons. K4K comment: Its no surprise that a younger sibling wants to be like the older child, whats important here is that Valeria is a good roll model for Breanna instead of a bad one.

SURPRISE #4: Her focus at school is great.

Maria says, Her teachers say Valeria is very focused and helpful. She gets her own work done and then she can be helpful to the teacher. Recently her teacher joked with me, I told the principal I dont need a substitute when Im sick. Just send in an aide and put Valeria in charge. I know I can give her a task, shell stay focused, get it done, and come back to her classroom when done. K4K comment: A valuable skill like focus developed early will help any child be successful with academics.

SURPRISE #5: Applying her Leadership lessons everywhere.

And its clear from her behavior at school that Valeria takes her leadership classes seriously. Maria says: Valeria is a regular helper with the special needs kids in her class. Her teacher tells me how she gets her work done so she can be available to help others. And she is very patient with them. K4K comment: This is a perfect example of a student learning something in our leadership program and applying it to other areas of her life. Its great for the special needs children to have a peer be so considerate, helpful and kind. This is a great testimony of leading by example. Albert said to me: Recently, the girls stayed overnight with some friends. And when we went to pick them up, the dad said to me, What do you do to them. They are so polite.

SURPRISE #6: An entirely different atmosphere.

Albert told me that he has friends whose children are deeply involved in other more traditional activities. We often go to watch the kids play their games. But the entire atmosphere is very different. There is a huge difference. Maria added, Often those children doing other sports just end up

playing the games. Theres no real lessons attached. And sometimes there can be a bad influence too. Weve seen people get mad and ot of control when their kids dont do well and they argue with the referees, too. And Albert added: At KARATE FOR KIDS, theres lots of encouragement and a more controlled atmosphere at tournaments.

SURPRISE #7: More self control.

Mom and dad proudly acknowledge that self control is Valerias greatest accomplishment in KARATE FOR KIDS. Maria was really clear. There was a girl at school who just kept picking on her. And I know that Valeria stood up for herself. I know she had the self control eventually to ignore this bully and to focus on something else. K4K comment: We do not encourage confrontation but help the students develop strategies to deal with these exact situations. And I know from her tournament experience that when she says, you win some, you lose some, she really means it. She uses to lose control.

SURPRISE #8: Tournament competition

She went to her first tournament just to watch, but after she learned it was more like her classes and not at all like a cage fight, she was ready to go. Valeria has competed in six different events, earning two second places in forms, two first places in sparring, and two third places in weapons. K4K comment: We always say, tournaments are a great place to apply the lessons we teach about self control, effort, respect, and focus and personal victory. Tournament competition helps kids perform under pressure, think clearly in new situations, and develop confidence. I asked Albert and Maria what they would to say to other families about getting started.

I think there is so much more in the KARATE FOR KIDS program. We started just to do an activity but that is such a small part of it. There are the social skills, leadership skills, and decision making. And there is a lot that we learn as parents and were not even in class. KARATE FOR KIDS influences all of us.

Parents/Students + Teamwork = TOTAL SUCCESS!!!

Welcome to our tournament! Hundreds of competitors, parents, and friends heard those words as they entered the building on Saturday, January 22, 2011 for GATHERING OF EAGLES VI, the tournament we host every January. It seems like a simple phrase, but in light of our feature story this month about COURTESY, we know just how important words are. And this months success story really is about our dedicated parents and enthusiastic students and how you have come together to create a special event and special experiences for so many competitorsyoung and oldand their friends and family. We consider this a true leadership opportunity because the event, the tasks performed, and the training we offer combine to make an experience in which not just the competitors, but also all the volunteers get a chance to push the boundaries of what they have done and accomplished. Whether you like working with people or just prefer helping with set up and take down, theres a spot for you on this tournament team that will give you a rewarding experience.

How exactly do we get to host a regional tournament every year? The short answer is this; we are part of an American Taekwondo Association region of more than twenty black belt academies. Within this region, we qualify to host a tournament because of the number of participants we send to the OTHER regional tournaments throughout the year. Only 5 schools qualify each year and we have held the #1 spot for as long as we can remember. To make the tournament a complete success requires work in many areas: PLANNING (which starts about 6 months in advance), REGISTRATION, SET UP, JUDGING, TAKE DOWN. As the host, we are responsible for all of this work except judging. All the school owners and instructors in Arizona share that responsibility. We call our registration team the hospitality team because we want our tournament to growand reach 750 competitors. We know that people will come back only if they are satisfied, so service is very important. We model the services we provide on several customer-oriented companies, like Southwest Airlines, Disney, and Ritz-Carlton. We base everything we do on the premise that customers have a good time not just because they come to an event, but because we have planned and practiced hundreds of details and procedures that WE KNOW WILL MAKE THEM HAPPY. And every January, we hold special training for members of our hospitality team in which we role-play how to greet and process competitors as they arrive at our event. We practice the process of registration as well as the words to say, like Welcome to our tournament! and My pleasure to serve you! But most importantly, we learn to recognize that it is not only the nice words we say that are important, but also the sincerity behind those words that really makes the difference. First, we need to thank a few outstanding leaders for performance above and beyond Yvette Hawthorne has served the hospitality team for three years and offers this comment: I enjoy meeting people and especially like helping the first time competitors get introduced to the event in a positive way. Taylor (her red belt 7 year old daughter) and I are going to lots of other ATA events and what we do at Gathering of Eagles is light years ahead of anything Ive seen at other events. When they come through the door, I tell them Be sure to have fun and meet someone new. Come back and show me your medal. And they do!! Ive met lots of great people in Taekwondo

Michele Millman, (a black belt herself and mom of Hershel & Jeremy-black belts and Leah-red belt) who has served for five years, says, I think being on the hospitality team is empowering. I can really help someoneespecially those who have never been to an eventeven though I am not an instructor or a judge.

Vince and Christine Birdwell have served for six years!!! (black belts themselves and parents of Amanda-4th degree black belt and Zac-3rd degree black belt, both on staff at our academy and Winstonrecommended black belt) Maria Tapia (mom of Valeria-red belt) and Sara Campbell (mom of Alexis-recommended black belt) set up, prepared, worked in, and took down the entire registration area. Both have served the team for two years. Sara says: My first tournament was frightening. I enjoy our hospitality team because I get to meet new people and help those newcomers who are nervous. Gary Doble (dad of Trevor and Evan-both black belts) was there for set up AND take down and Robert Hixson (dad of black belt Kaitlyn) helped us all day and especially as we packed up.

Amanda Birdwell worked for many weeks prior to the event prepping registration, processing Mesa and out of state competitor paperwork, and managing the registration area on the day of the event. Oh yah!-she competed and judged too! Gary Rust (black belt himself and dad of Widgy & Danny, also black belts) for volunteering his time and services for First Aid the past six years! Demetris Coachman took measurements of the site and put together the detailed blue print for the tournament layout. This plan made it very easy for many people to assist with assembling the rings and placing the tables and chairs on Friday night before the event. Even our rookies had comments: Corey Catbagan, who brought his 5-year-old tiny tiger camo belt son, Elijah, to help set up on Friday night, said: Elijah thought it was great fun setting up the rings! And Jerry Gonzalez (dad of Gianni, tiny tiger camo belt) said: The hospitality training was helpful. The (registration process) really is simple, so our work is all about service. I helped for three hours and the time flew by. It went really smooth. The (registration) system works great. And Candice Ebert, (mom of brown belt Brandee) another rookie, said, It was fun. I met lots of nice people. The response of our young students is always great. They are always willing to drag a mat across the gym floor, pick up trash, hang ring signs, or help with anything. So thanks to these young students for helping. ... Sebastian McKee, Valeria Tapia, Taylor Hawthorne, Bruce Brindley, Brandee Ebert, Odessa Mckee, Zack Skelton, Matthew Zedell, Caden Borden, Mackenzie Houston, Gunner Rodarte, Josh Downes, Evan Doble, Aidan Santana, Elijah Catbagan, Megan Petrusha, Claudia Mascari, Peyton Thomas, Claudio Verdugo, Eden Morris, Hannah Thomas, Cyan Hayes. And the best part occurs when they reach their teen years and want to take on more responsibility, like these young leaders. .. . Cody Downes, Madison Houston, Slade Krawcheck, Lizzy Jones, Kaitlyn Hixson, Rylie Bachus, Alexis Campbell, Trevor Doble, Brian Orrino, Madison Petrusha, Juliana Mascari, Gina Mascari.

So often we talk to parents and stress that our children do what we do much more consistently than they do what we say. In other words, the example we set as parents is a much greater teacher than the words we speak. So after reading that list of childrens names above, it is not unusual to find the names of the adult helpers listed here that match the childrens names. Linda Brindley, Jerry & Jen Gonzalez, Vic and Carol Pia, Mike & Sara Campbell, Jeff and Candice Ebert, Julie Skelton, Melanie Dush, Vanessa Dunham, Leah Zedell, Tina Borden, Kris & Neil Houston, Krystal Hayes, Kathy Meyer, Kim Leckey, Pat McCabe, Tracy Rodarte, Denise Day, Brian Borden, Gary Doble, Alba & Vincent Orrino, Leslie Santana, Corey Catbagan, John Petrusha, John & Stacie Ball, Andy & Christine McKee, Claudio Verdugo, Dawn Thomas, Ron Lubbers, Cary Morris.

We know that the old adage, many hands make light work is totally true. There were about 40 people behind the scenes making everything fall into place and run smoothly on tournament day. So when students, parents and their guests from all over the region and out of state were greeted & checked in, had a place to sit and watch the competitions, a place to sit and eat and had their questions answered it was because this TEAM went the extra mile on behalf of Babins Black Belt Academy and Karate for Kids.

In making an attempt to thank everyone involved in this huge event, the likelihood of omitting a name is high. If we have left out your name, we sincerely apologize. Please understand how much we appreciate everyones contribution, how much we appreciate your enthusiasm for our program, and how much we appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your children. Because of all of you, this event was overwhelming successful and next years GATHERING OF EAGLES VII will be even better!