At 15, Judo Competitors Already at the Top--and Headed Up

SAN DIEGO —  Athletes who win national championships usually must work many years before doing so. And the thought of repeating that feat can seem overwhelming.

But at 15 years old, Valerie Lafon and Andrea Jones of San Diego already have 13 national judo titles between them.

Lafon and Jones, who have been participating in the sport since age 4 and competing since 6, will compete today in United States Judo Assn. Junior Nationals at the Town and Country Hotel Convention Center.

The two-day, double-elimination tournament began Friday with the 6- through 12-year-old divisions and will conclude today with the 13-to-20-year-olds.

Both girls were born into judo families and are coached by their fathers. Gerald Lafon is the coach at Byakko Judo Institute, and Jesse Jones coaches at the Unidos Judo Clubs.

“It’s harder with dad always pushing me harder than other students,” Valerie said. “Then you have him at home to tell you to run or do extra stuff.”

Because of their caliber, Valerie and Andrea have a tough time finding adequate practice partners and usually must rely on their fathers for a workout.

“She usually winds up beating me up,” Gerald said. “In America there aren’t as many women judo players, so the coach winds up being a key training part for the better ones.

“I’m a small man and with my experience can give her the resistence and necessary moves to make her better.”

Gerald’s pushing and encouragement have paid off for Valerie, who has won eight consecutive national titles and became a member of the U.S. national judo team at 14. Her improvement has been continuous and steady over the years, and she’s right on schedule to reach her goal of making the 1992 Olympic team, Gerald said.

“At 15, Valerie is a very mature player. She’s still considered a junior (because of her age), but she’s definitely a senior player,” Gerald said.

Valerie today will be competing in two divisions--junior women (15-16) at 110 pounds and senior women (17-20) at 114. Lafon, a first-degree black belt, usually competes at 106 but is moving up for more resistence and competition. Jones will be competing in the senior women’s 132-pound class.

“I’ve never played these heavier girls, so I don’t know how these girls will play,” Lafon said.

Both agree that in a tournament such as this, where there is no distinction between rankings, the belt you wear doesn’t mean much. Lafon said that over the years she has defeated a number of girls with higher rankings.

“You can’t go in big headed,” said Jones, a third-degree brown belt. “You can get beaten by someone three belts lower than you.”

Teams from Canada, Puerto Rico, Brazil will compete in the tournament. This will be Jones’ first experience with international competition, and she is anxious to see how the different countries train and compete.

Lafon has competed in six countries. She has just returned from Brazil where, as a member of the U.S. national team, she took first at 106 pounds in the Kodo Kan Cup.

“Every country has its own style,” Lafon said. “The European girls are a lot stronger, and they crunch you down. The Japanese girls aren’t strong at all but have a lot of technique.”

Lafon attends judo camps each summer and July 7 will fly to France for a week-long camp with women from all over the world. From France, she will travel to Oklahoma for her first appearance at the National Sports Festival, where she will compete at 106 pounds.

In the summer between camps and tournaments, the girls intensify their training. During the school year, Lafon said, she practices four days a week, two hours a day. During the summer, that increases to six days a week. The girls also lift weights and run or bike for an aerobic workout.

Besides judo, Lafon has played soccer off and on since she was 8. But because of her travel schedule, she can’t be on a team other than that at University of San Diego High School. She played for the Dons last year as sophomore.

Jones said that in 11 years of judo, she has never wanted to quit.

“I’ve never really been burned out,” Jones said. “If you stay away (from the sport) it’s hard to get back into it. I take two weeks off if I really need it.”