Carla Bacco was a former national Taekwondo team from Peru who embraced the idea of continuing in the discipline as a coach. She went to Canada and from there she has trained and mentored athletes of all levels.
At this time she has great international prestige. There are several of her athletes with international results, and she is always seen traveling in tournaments and camps.
Mundotaekwondo.com recently interviewed her. This was what she told us.
MT. How do I start her career with tkd?
- As a kid I was always wanting to start practicing martial arts, I insisted to my mom and dad for a while, and after a couple of years, my mom decided to sign me up in a summer camp program around my neighborhood in Lima, Peru.
MT. Why did you decide to be a Tkd coach?
Once I finished competing, I felt that the relationship between Taekwondo and myself was not done, but in the contrary, it just began but with a different purpose, to help out athletes become better fighters.
Dedicated to being a full-time teacher in Ontario, her dream continues to be to lead her athletes to the top of the winning spot.
MT. What would be for you, the best virtue of a Taekwondo coach?
The best virtue of a taekwondo coach, would be someone who’s capable of not only understand the game, but also who’s able to identify their own athletes strengths and use them as tools to win. In one word, adaptability.
MT. How do you see Taekwondo? How a sport or how art sport?.
I visualize Taekwondo as a martial art AND as a sport. Both are compliment each other. The sport side can not exist without the martial arts.
MT. How much responsibility falls on a coach for the defeat of an athlete?
It’s been 20 years training children, youth and adults. He is currently part of the staff of Black Belt World.
It all depends. It can be many factors such as our athlete, the person who we are fighting against, what plan did we use, execution of the plan, etc.so it can vary from a little to a lot! Not all fights/fighters are the same.
MT. Do you have any sports idol?
Not one but many: Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, George’s St Pierre’s, to name a few.
MT. What relationship should you make between a coach and his students?
I think the relationship between coaches and athletes needs to be real and sincere. Willing and capable to understand that we are both human and we are in this (taekwondo) together as a team.
MT. What characteristics should a competitor have to be as complete as possible?.
I think an ideal competitor needs to be committed, love the sport, hungry for his/her own betterment and open to learn.
MT. What is your recurring dream in your task as a technician?
My current dream as a coach it’s to have my athletes achieve whatever dreams they have in the sport. Wether is to be a world champion, going to Olympics or win Olympics.
MT. WT taekwondo is constantly changing, what does the current tkd lack?.
I think that as an Olympic sport, change is always needed, and as it keeps changing we need to tweak it bits by bits to have the game we all want. At this moment, I think that consistency and clarity between what the rules are and the execution of them in the ring is what we need.
MT. Who was your inspiration to become a coach?.
I have a few, from my mom as she always supported me and inspired me to be the best that I can be, to all the amazing coaches that I see in the Olympic Games and around the world who not only have reached the highest of the stages, but also those coaches who are constant in doing it over and over again. Those are the best coaches I look up to.
MT. Which version of Taekwondo do you prefer? Old tkd (conventional with push button) or new tkd (electronic systems), and why?
I believe both Taekwondo’s are on their way, great. One for the power and speed that was required and the new one, for the accuracy and new skill development that was needed to be able to not only score, but win fights with them.
MT. How many hours do you spend learning new techniques and strategies for athletes?
It is a constant learning curve, many hours on and off the training schedule.
MT. During the preparation of an athlete, what do you think is the most important?
The most important thing during the preparation of an athlete is, in the beginning at least, tool identification for each athlete and the development of such tools.
MT. What is the best thing about being a coach?
For me, the best part of being a coach is helping my athletes succeed and perform.
MT. How to manage wins?
I think with each victory, we must respect the opponent, be humble, be thankful and enjoy the moment. And…continue to work hard the next day
MT. A recommendation for coaches in training?
For new coaches, my advice would be to enjoy the process as much as the athletes, because, athletes might stay or leave, we as coaches too, but the memories you will make as a coach, are worth remembering for the rest of your life . So, make sure those memories are more of the good ones than the bad ones.
Carlos Hernández
