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Athlete
Profile
Celita
Schutz
USA Judo
Judo
is as much a mental discipline as sport. To be successful
at its highest level is to have successfully integrated
the power of the body and the mind.
And
Celita Schutz has been very successful indeed.
The
Hillsdale, N.J. resident has won tournaments around the
world and is one of only five American women to have competed
in two Olympic Games. Her athleticism—she played soccer
and basketball at Yale— has been an asset but Schutz also
prides herself on her mental discipline. “Judo is an individual
full contact combative sport,” she said, “and because
it is that the nature of it requires that you be very
focused and aware of your body and your opponent’s body
more so than in other sports that I’ve participated in.
“In soccer and basketball there are times you’re away
from the ball, It’s not so important what you do. You
get a few seconds here or there where you may not be directly
involved in a play but in judo there's absolutely no room
for error in a match. If you make a mistake you are the
one responsible.”
Throughout
her career Schutz has prided herself on her ability to
stay mentally focused on the mat. “Whatever I’ve done
whether it be academic, creative or athletic I’ve always
had full involvement or complete concentration,” she said,
“to the point where I’m almost unaware of what’s happening
around me other than in my immediate focus. It’s almost
like going into ‘the zone.’ You hear about that phrase
but it’s very much true. Academically or creatively you
could be in a zone where you’re so in tune with what you’re
doing that it’s almost like you lose your sense of time.”
Schutz,
who took her first judo lesson at the age of six, took
third place in a national event at 14. Though she was
making tremendous progress she didn’t realize it at the
time.
“I
don’t think I was aware it was a national event,” Schultz
said. “I knew I had to fly somewhere. I admit it, I was
very late on grasping the steps and procedures of progressing
through tournaments. I really took them one at a time.
I never really connected them, which was probably to my
advantage.”
In
1993 Schutz won her first major title at the U.S. Olympic
Festival. She won her first national championship two
years later and added four more from 1997-2000.
By
this time she was establishing herself on the international
circuit. Schultz won titles at the 1994 Tre Torri in Italy,
the 1995 Scandinavian Open and the 1996 Finish Open to
earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team in Atlanta in 1996
where she competed in the 61 kg. weight class and captained
the women’s team. She placed fifth at the 1999 World Championships
and qualified for the 2000 games in Sydney, where she
won her first two bouts in the 63 kg. (138 U.S. pounds)
class before winding up ninth. Her two losses came against
eventual gold medalist Severine Vandenhende of France
and bronze medalist Sung-Sook Jung of Korea.
“There
really is nothing that compares to competing in the Olympic
Games,” Schultz said. “There is a definite sense of patriotism,
because you do want top do the best you can to represent
your team and your country. Your family and friends, everybody’s
rooting for you.”
Training
for competiition at the elite level is physically and
mentally challenging to say the least. Schutz typically
works out on the mat six days a week and supplements that
with cardiovascular and weight training. She’ll also spend
hours analyzing videotape of herself as well as past and
future opponents.
“There
are many techniques that you can use,” Schutz said but
usually players will favor three or four of them and some
players maybe even one or two. Not to say that they couldn’t
do other techniques if they had to but you definitely
recognize styles and patterns.”
Schultz,
who was approaching her 33rd birthday at the start of
2001 is contemplating her future in competitive judo,
She still relishes the competition but the international
travel that is required to compete in eight to 10 tournaments
a year is starting to take its toll.
“You
have all that time in the air,” Schutz said. “There’s
the adjustment to new time zones, new diets and foods
and the breaks in your sleep cycle.”
There
is also the not insignificant matter of funding. Schutz
receives some support from USA Judo and the US Olympic
Committee but she must always look for additional help
and many times has had to dip into her own pocket to cover
expenses.
Eventually,
Schutz will step away from the sport as a competitor but
it is impossible to imagine her abandoning judo altogether.
“I would like to (stay involved) at some level,” she said.
“I really enjoy working with children, I really enjoy practicing
and working out with people.
But no matter what I think I’ll stay involved with
judo if only for health reasons.”
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