Joseph Salim, an outstanding coach and former competitor, is leaving the us to coach the UK's olympic tkd team. He does not need it but I wish him the best of luck.Why didn't the us team pick him up? He is one of the most successful coaches around. The us will never reach the top unless they pick up a better coaching staff. His brother is still in la. Maybe they could get him. How about master Ryu? (Those who really know tkd know who he is) I believe he is in virginia beach. Who would you pick, honestly, to be our head coach in the us?
us loses a great coach to uk
- Thread starter msmitht
- Start date
It is a great honor for Coach Salim and I am sure he will do well in his new position. It is the 2nd blow in the form of lost coaching staff (First Tim Thackrey and now Joseph Salim) to Team-X in a year and it is likely that the team will not survive beyond this point.
Unfortunate for the kids of Team-X and their families but it was a fun ride while it lasted. I understand that some of the kids are transistioning over to Joseph's brother, Gergley's, school. I believe that is where Deireanne is going at least. Others will find a new school or seek a return to their previous school prior to joining Team-X.
Either way I wish Joseph all the best in the new job and the kids all the best in whereever they choose to train going forward.
Here is a nice tribute to Joseph and Team-X created by one of the parents after last night's farewell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrxOGD3SXsU
Team-X actually got started as private lessons between Tim, my daughter, and to other young men, Ben Bock and Jamison Keating. We would train at King's TKD in Chatsworth CA on Sundays with Luis and Manny Reyes' permission. After a few months Ben moved on to other things outside of TKD and Jamison was injured so it became just Sam and Tim for a while until I was able to convince Keith Bryant to bring his Daughter Olivia over and Enrique Vallejo to bring his daughter's Tatyana and Nicolette.
Soon after some King's parents learned that we were training there and determined us to be such a threat that they demanded Luis no longer allow us to tran under their roof on Sundays. So we started training on Tim's driveway in Van Nuys. A place we referred to as "The Concrete Jungle" since we didn't even have mats for the first few months.
As we worked out on Tim's driveway, the team grew to include past and future US Jr and Sr team members, Deireanne Morales, Gigi Gil, Jessie Bates and Jericho Yabut along with several other kids with great dreams of TKD athleticism. Eventually we outgrew the driveway and woman's center where we would meet on occassions and Tim opened a gym in North Hollywood to for his CrossFit business which he was also starting and the team continued to grow.
About a year later the Crossfit business out grew the gym in N Hollywood so we moved to Van Nuys but it was becoming pretty apparent that Tim's interest in training and coaching a TKD team was waneing. So he announced that the team would be moving back to N Hollywood and the both he and Joseph Salim would train and coach the team. But soon after Tim started showing up less and less until he eventually announced that he was leaving the kids in Joseph's good hands.
Under Joseph the team continued to grow and performed well at the events they participated in. But something just wasn't right. Please don't get me wrong here as I believe Joseph is a great coach. But when Tim left, something just wasn't right anymore. And I honestly didn't think that the team would last much longer.
And now I guess that day has come. Several months ago my daughter left Team-X to start life as an adult. I know she wanted to continue to train, but work schedules and transportation to make the 120 mile round trip to North Hollywood each day just didn't work out. Olivia has moved on to another school with more opportunities for her. 18 months or so ago, Jessie and Gigi along with a few others moved on over to Villa's to train with Octavio, Gus and Damian and now Deireanne is moving over to Gergley's school.
It sure was a fun ride while it lasted but I guess all good things do in fact come to an end.
Unfortunate for the kids of Team-X and their families but it was a fun ride while it lasted. I understand that some of the kids are transistioning over to Joseph's brother, Gergley's, school. I believe that is where Deireanne is going at least. Others will find a new school or seek a return to their previous school prior to joining Team-X.
Either way I wish Joseph all the best in the new job and the kids all the best in whereever they choose to train going forward.
Here is a nice tribute to Joseph and Team-X created by one of the parents after last night's farewell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrxOGD3SXsU
Team-X actually got started as private lessons between Tim, my daughter, and to other young men, Ben Bock and Jamison Keating. We would train at King's TKD in Chatsworth CA on Sundays with Luis and Manny Reyes' permission. After a few months Ben moved on to other things outside of TKD and Jamison was injured so it became just Sam and Tim for a while until I was able to convince Keith Bryant to bring his Daughter Olivia over and Enrique Vallejo to bring his daughter's Tatyana and Nicolette.
Soon after some King's parents learned that we were training there and determined us to be such a threat that they demanded Luis no longer allow us to tran under their roof on Sundays. So we started training on Tim's driveway in Van Nuys. A place we referred to as "The Concrete Jungle" since we didn't even have mats for the first few months.
As we worked out on Tim's driveway, the team grew to include past and future US Jr and Sr team members, Deireanne Morales, Gigi Gil, Jessie Bates and Jericho Yabut along with several other kids with great dreams of TKD athleticism. Eventually we outgrew the driveway and woman's center where we would meet on occassions and Tim opened a gym in North Hollywood to for his CrossFit business which he was also starting and the team continued to grow.
About a year later the Crossfit business out grew the gym in N Hollywood so we moved to Van Nuys but it was becoming pretty apparent that Tim's interest in training and coaching a TKD team was waneing. So he announced that the team would be moving back to N Hollywood and the both he and Joseph Salim would train and coach the team. But soon after Tim started showing up less and less until he eventually announced that he was leaving the kids in Joseph's good hands.
Under Joseph the team continued to grow and performed well at the events they participated in. But something just wasn't right. Please don't get me wrong here as I believe Joseph is a great coach. But when Tim left, something just wasn't right anymore. And I honestly didn't think that the team would last much longer.
And now I guess that day has come. Several months ago my daughter left Team-X to start life as an adult. I know she wanted to continue to train, but work schedules and transportation to make the 120 mile round trip to North Hollywood each day just didn't work out. Olivia has moved on to another school with more opportunities for her. 18 months or so ago, Jessie and Gigi along with a few others moved on over to Villa's to train with Octavio, Gus and Damian and now Deireanne is moving over to Gergley's school.
It sure was a fun ride while it lasted but I guess all good things do in fact come to an end.
Small business owner with his wife Carly - CrossFit High Voltage in Burbank CA - http://www.crossfithighvoltage.com/
Involved in USA Weightlifting
Dad of lady Taz!
White Belt
Could not have said it better myself! I think it was not really meant to go behond Tim Thackrey. To understand what Team X was....you had to be there for the journey. And Tim embodied that journey and vision. R.I.P. Team X.
outsider0506
Yellow Belt
It was really a sad day to see the school close. I'm sure his heart still aches for having to leave Team X behind. The opportunity was honestly too great to pass up for him, and all of us are truly happy for him.
The truth is that the school had a great team, but didn't have a commercial-base (i.e. regular non-team students) to support the Team X activities. The unfortunate truth is that to keep your doors open in the US in TKD, you have to 1st cater to mass market (through normal kids classes, regular color belt promotion tests, fancy uniforms, etc.), and then take care of your high performance team (after you have made sure you can keep the lights on!). Not everyone is meant to be a high performance competitor, nor does everyone want to be one.
At some point, Joseph will be back. If the UK does well next year, USAT won't be able ignore him any longer. In the mean time my family will keep training, and be watching the 2012 Olympics cheering for the Brits! When he comes back, we'll certainly rejoin him in his future endeavors.
The truth is that the school had a great team, but didn't have a commercial-base (i.e. regular non-team students) to support the Team X activities. The unfortunate truth is that to keep your doors open in the US in TKD, you have to 1st cater to mass market (through normal kids classes, regular color belt promotion tests, fancy uniforms, etc.), and then take care of your high performance team (after you have made sure you can keep the lights on!). Not everyone is meant to be a high performance competitor, nor does everyone want to be one.
At some point, Joseph will be back. If the UK does well next year, USAT won't be able ignore him any longer. In the mean time my family will keep training, and be watching the 2012 Olympics cheering for the Brits! When he comes back, we'll certainly rejoin him in his future endeavors.
Keep on rocking it and let the spirit of Team-X continue on!
outsider0506
Yellow Belt
USAT seems to be a real clique. They can make up excuses like, "oh Joseph's not American" or "we have our own guys that do things our way and they're just as good". I agree, the US doesn't stand a chance if they don't try a different perspective. The truth was that Joseph was dying to work for the US Olympic TKD team and he could have brought a fresh perspective to the team. It is a real loss to the US to have him working for the UK now.
I think these events were meant to unfold this way though, and I'm confident that Joseph will be back in the spotlight after the 2012 games. Way to go Master Salim!
Sad thing is they know who he is and don't care. His name is not lopez, moreno or kim so the usat does not bother. If the usat truely wants a great internationally competitive squad then they need to overhaul their entire program, get rid of the old coaching staff and bring back the resident athlete program at otc.
