Students at four Burnaby elementary schools are getting amped up about South Korea’s national sport thanks to the 2016 World Taekwondo Junior Championships in Burnaby this week.
Students from Lochdale, Aubrey, Lakeview and Edmonds elementary schools are taking in some of the competition this week, and some kids are even getting a taste of the sport through workshops at their schools.
“Kids are really pumped and excited about it,” said Lochdale principal Dino Klarich, who spearheaded the schools’ involvement.
Grade 4 and 5 students at his school have had one Taekwondo session, and he hopes to organize more in the spring.
In the meantime, he sees the world championships as a great opportunity for students on another level as well.
“There are athletes coming in from around the world,” he said. “We’re very multi-cultural here in Burnaby. Kids with different cultural backgrounds, now they can make another connection with their past or their culture and they can help champion that in their school community.”
Edmonds Elementary, meanwhile, has partnered with Tony Kook, a former national champion and Taekwondo school owner, to offer all students at the school eight lessons in the sport.
“It’s great because it’s teaching the kids a lot of discipline,” Edmonds principal Sean Glaster said. “It’s not just a martial art; there a whole social responsibility curriculum that they integrate into it.”
Another draw for Glaster was no doubt learning how to break a board in front of all his students.
“Now I’m considered a super hero amongst the little ones,” he said with a laugh.
Local business OMAC Master Taekwondo has agreed to waive fees for four Edmonds students who show promise in the sport or who could use an after school activity but can’t afford it.
Without Burnaby hosting the world championships, Glaster said it’s doubtful such partnerships between local Taekwondo schools and public schools would have sprung up.
“This has been a great catalyst to them reaching out to the various schools,” he said.
The 2016 WTF World Taekwondo Junior Championships takes place at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre from Nov. 16 to 20.
