On the list of things to do in the life of a preteen, what do you think you will find? Perhaps homework? Band practice? Maybe the next cool movie to see or music to download? Less likely would be practicing for and obtaining a third Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do before the age of 12. You may recall a similar article about some amazing children who were testing for their first degree black belts back in December of 2007. And they both passed not only with flying colors, but flying jump kicks and incredible performances. Today I have the pleasure of telling the story of a young man named Mathew. Matt is a 6^th grader at a local Catholic School who considers his sports activities his hobbies, and is particularly involved in baseball, basketball, swimming and obviously Tae Kwon Do. He also participates in the ATA Xtreme Martial Arts demo team. He enjoys studying history, has an interest in the military and likes to go fishing. As I write this I am reminded of the accomplishments of the kids in my previous article. These kids who are so amazing at Tae Kwon Do also seem to be excellent in many other areas of their lives. This of course will lead me to ponder more at the end of this article. For now, let's meet Matt.

When asked what prompted Matt to become involved in Tae Kwon Do, he states that there was a bully situation in school. In order to help Matt gain the self-confidence he needed and the ability to defend himself, Matt's parents decided to check out a free trial month at ATA Family Martial Arts Center in Littleton, Colorado. Matt and his dad went to one introductory class and ended up signing up that night. He was six years old at the time. He actually set the goal of becoming a Black Belt way at the beginning of his Tae Kwon Do experience. Although he feels that his first degree Black Belt was actually the hardest level he's achieved, he has met that goal and then some. He feels that first degree was harder to obtain because he had to remember all of the lower belt forms, as well as make up a creative form on his own.

Matt seems to live by the words "Never Give Up!" When asked what drives him to become a Third Degree Black Belt, he states, "It is one of my goals that I have set for myself and I just can't give up on that achievement." It makes him proud to set a goal and reach it. It's one thing to say words like this. I say them all the time! Do I follow through? Like most people, I have good intentions but I lack the persistence to keep going and reach my goals. Not to say that I haven't set goals and reached them; and it is such a good feeling when I reach a goal and work hard to get there. But I'm 35! When you talk to an 11 year old who understands the importance of setting goals and obtaining your desires by following through with those goals, that is something unusual and very special. And you can see that this kid is going to be somebody important in the world someday; because he already is.

In addition to his sporting efforts, Matt enjoys car trips with his family for the chance to spend quality time together. Matt is active in his Church as an Alter Server and he maintains a spot on the "B" Honor Roll at school. Recently he has joined the Civil Air Patrol where he is a Basic Cadet Airman in the Mustang Squadron. He plans on getting his pilot license. I think I need to re-write my own goal list of getting all the laundry done and washing the windows! It seems to pale in comparison.

Now for my promised pondering from the first paragraph. I think that all too often, especially lately for me, we can't see the good in the world because of all the bad things going on out there. It's not just in the news either. It's everywhere. I get a small thrill when someone holds the door for me once in a while. What has happened to our world? Everything is about dirty politicians or skyrocketing gas prices or war. The big ugliness of the world is creeping into our communities and it's hard not to be affected by that. Kids like Matt give me hope for the future. There are good people in the world doing amazing things. It's just that we hear more about the bad than the good. I think if more people feel good about themselves and take care of their own little corner of the world it can make a difference and spread to other people.

I plan on re-evaluating my goals after meeting Matt. This young man, by doing such an outstanding job in his own life, has inspired me to do a better job in my life and "never give up". Then maybe I can pass that on to someone else. I once heard a wonderful description of a really incredible person. It was that the person shined so much that you just wanted to stand nearby so you could soak up some of the light coming off him. I am delighted that Matt is shining and Ithink that he is going to rock his time in this world. Come soak up some of his glow at Black Belt Testing this Friday, April 25th at 6:00 pm at ATA Family Martial Arts Centers, 5170 East Arapahoe Road E-2, Littleton, CO 80122. Call 303-220-5956 or visit our website http://www.kicks4all.com/ or our blog at http://kicks4all.blogspot.com for more information.