Jason Morris is going back to the Olympics, but not as an athlete.
The Glenville resident was named head coach for the 2008 United States judo team that will compete in the Olympics in Beijing, China. He will also coach the U.S. national team at next year’s world championships.
Morris whose own judo club has produced three nationally top-ranked athletes in the past year said his appointment was a natural progression from his previous roles with the United States Judo Association.
`I believe that the development of the (Jason Morris Judo Center) started the ball rolling pre-2004,` he said. `And then, I got a few appointments to coach part of the national team at the Pan American championships and the world championships.`
JMJC athlete Carrie Chandler, who is part of the U.S. national team, said she’s happy to have her coach on board as she gears up for the Olympic trials in 2008.
`It works out especially good for me because I’m on the national team, so it means I get to take my hometown coach with me ` hopefully to the Olympics,` she said. `It’s like we’re a team. We’ve been working together, and now he’s getting rewarded, too.`
Morris knows what it takes to be an Olympian. He’s been part of four U.S. Olympic judo teams and won a silver medal at the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain.
Morris said he plans to work as closely as he can with every athlete on the national team.
`The first point will be to identify, evaluate and then work on their fundamentals `give them a bigger base,` he said. `And then the further we go down the road, eye their actual competition.`
Chandler said Morris’ greatest strength is his ability to guide athletes on the mat during matches.
`The biggest thing I can say is that Jason is bar none the best mat-side coach in the world,` said Chandler. `He does all the preparation, but when the people are actually out there fighting, he can make the adjustments that can make you win the match at the time. It’s hard to do that. It’s hard for a coach to sit on the side and say, ‘Put your hands here, put your foot here and you’re going to win,’ but he has the ability to look at what’s happening and tell you how to move to win the match.`
Morris will have the advantage of working with the top American judo athletes for two years instead of only a few months.
`I think the full four years is probably optimal so the kids could know who they’re going to be working with,` said Morris. `But I think instead of waiting till June of ’08 to say, ‘OK here’s your babysitter,’ this gives us a much better opportunity to be prepared. This doesn’t mean that we’re going to win any matches because we’re not exactly a powerhouse to start with, but this gives us a fighting chance, I think.`
Morris could have several of his JMJC athletes on the U.S. Olympic team. Chandler, Katie Mocco and Glenville native Jeremy Liggett are already ranked No. 1 in the nation, and several more JMJC athletes are ranked No. 2 in their divisions.
`For the ones that are already ranked No. 1, it looks good. They still have a lot of work to do, but they should be able to maintain their No. 1 status,` said Morris. `The other ones up and coming have a shot. There’s about three or four that have a chance, but it would be a bonus if they went ahead and made the team. I’ll be happy to have one player from my team to make it. That’s a huge achievement as it is.`
Besides his duties with the U.S. national team, Morris has a lot on his plate closer to home. He is moving his judo club from the basement of his Swaggertown Road home to the former home of Prestige Auto Motors on Route 50 before the end of this year, and he’s working on plans for the 2007 Morris Cup tournament at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School.
Morris said his wife Teri will be helping him on both the local and national team fronts.
`Teri is not only a huge asset, but she is the reason why (JMJC) works so well,` Morris said. `She’ll be hugely involved with the Olympic team. Not only will she help me plan the stuff, but I will be bouncing most of my ideas off her, as I do with this program. This is a real long shot, but I would want her to be with me in Beijing ` not because she’s my wife, but in my opinion she’s the best in the business in terms of planning. She’s got the whole package.`
Morris said he’s looking forward to going back to the Olympics, even if he’s no longer able to compete as an athlete.
`I’m pretty comfortable being a coach. I do it almost every weekend with my gang,` he said. `When we hit the bigger events, the electricity of the crowd still brings back a lot of fond memories and the fact that it would be great to be out there again (competing). But I’m comfortable with where I’m at because there’s an end to every athletic endeavor. If I can’t compete, this is definitely the next best thing.“
