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.