Message from the Interim President
Reviving Eastern Collegiate Judo
By-Hector R. Morales
Interim President ECJA
We are in the process of rebuilding the Eastern Collegiate Judo Association. The ECJA was a great organization that provided a competetive experience for many collegiate level athletes since from 1961 until 2003. We owe it to Judo and collegiate level judo athletes to rebuild this opportunity and I challenge you to join me.
On this, the first publication of the new ECJA, we will review the purpose and organization of the Eastern Collegiate Association, present the reasoning of being part of the ECJA and present you with our vision of where Eastern Collegiate should be aiming.
Purpose ECJA
As stated in our constitution, the purpose of the Eastern Collegiate Judo Association is as follows
Bottom line, ECJA is here to help you, the collegiate Judoka that wants to succeed in promoting their program and keeping the support of the institution.
Member institutions will receive a copy of the constitution as part of the welcome packet we will send that includes a certificate of membership and other helpful documents.
Organization of the ECJA
Regional Support will lead to the Overall Success
ECJA is divided into 4 regions. The regional organization should provide an opportunity for the clubs/teams to support each other during the Academic year. The following are the established regions:
New England Regional Conference
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
Atlantic Regional Conference
Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania
Central Regional Conference
Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and D.C.
Southern Regional Conference
Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands.
The ECJA leadership understands the financial challenges college students and Judo clubs face because they are not recognized as a "varsity sport"; therefore, the regional conferences should provide a smaller target for collegiate competition purposes and then making the ECJA Championship Tournament the main event of the organization every year.
As we continue to revise the ECJA Constitution, we will bring back the regional representative to the leadership of the organization. These regional directors will then maintain the conference up-to-date on tournament information and events and will report the progress of the conference in our annual meeting. We planning on this, however, it can’t be done without you. We must work together to see judo earn the respect that is due on the athletic collegiate community.
Yours in Judo,
Hector R. Morales