When one thinks of sports that are featured at winter games, what usually comes to mind are skiing, hockey, curling and other sports that need cold temperatures.
So it might come as a surprise that judo is listed as a sport to be contested at the upcoming Alberta Winter Games this Feb. 9-12 in Spruce Grove.
And it’s at those games where 15-year-old Morgan Boyson will be competing with an aim to bring home some hardware.
“I’m excited to go,” he said during a break in a practice session Feb. 1. “I think it will be fun to go to the games.”
He made the Zone 5 team after competing in a qualifying tournament in Fort Saskatchewan in December 2011.
Boyson has been doing judo for four years, and in that time has ascended to an orange belt, which is the third level a judoka can attain, above white (the lowest) and yellow. Beyond orange, there are four more levels — green, blue, brown and black.
He first got into judo when he and his older brother saw an ad about it and thought it looked like a fun and cool thing to do. His brother didn’t stick with it, but Boyson did and has kept improving.
What attracted him and kept his interest in the sport was the competitive aspect, he said.
“I think it’s a rewarding experience to do judo,” he said.
The commitment involved in becoming a Winter Games-caliber judoka is “quite a bit,” Boyson said. On top of two practices a week, he also makes time to work out on his own to improve his conditioning.
Sensei Dave McKenzie said he feels Boyson has an excellent chance to come back from Spruce Grove with a medal.
“He’s been really dedicated this year and last, and he’s really focused on training,” he said. “I expect him to do well.”
He added that Boyson has a lot of natural talent for the sport, but he doesn’t sit back on those talents. Instead, he’s constantly working to improve all aspects of his approach to competing.
“He’s a pleasure to coach,” McKenzie said. “He has a great attitude about training, and he understands the balance between training and skills.”
When Boyson competes, he said his opponents range in experience from yellow belts up to blue belts. That way, both combatants are of roughly equal skill level, he said.
Looking beyond the Winter Games, Boyson said he wants to keep doing judo for quite a while yet and keep improving.
