WEST VANCOUVER, British Columbia — 

Q: Name and position with the team/club. 
A: Matt Bickel. Head instructor and owner.

Q: What team do you coach?
A: West Van Karate Academy, and I’m also the BC Provincial Team Kumite Coach.

Q: How long have you been coaching?
A: 15 years.

Q: What is your background in this sport?
A: I’ve been practicing karate for 22 years and fell in love with the sport the moment I took my first class. Since starting karate, I have been a member of the BC Provincial team, and the National team representing Canada internationally. Since retiring from competition, I have shifted my attention to coaching full time and found it to be an extremely satisfying and rewarding experience.

Q: What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
A: At our school, we do a great job of finding enjoyment in the training process. If training isn’t enjoyable at least to some degree, athletes are less likely to fully engage and progress to reach their potential. That said, we also expect a high standard from students as they progress to the more elite levels. We do our best to find the right balance of fun, and challenging students to constantly improve.

Q: Name a person who inspired you to play/coach this sport.
A: As a kid, I was obsessed with John Claude Van Damme, Bruce Lee, and Jacky Chan. So I think they helped to pique my interest into first enrolling in lessons. After I started training, my sensei became and continues to be a role model to me in karate and life.

Q: Please describe the most memorable games/tournaments/championships your team has won.
A: The most memorable success would have to be when we won our first National title. Since this victory, we have gone on to place higher in international events, but this first national title was special, and still gives me goosebumps recalling the experience.

Q: How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?
A: It’s normal to feel lousy after a tough loss; this just shows that someone is a serious competitor and had the desire to win. What’s most important though, is how we frame the “Loss”. In our sport sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose, but we must always learn a lesson. What matters most is the experience we gain, positive or negative, and bring it back to training sessions to improve upon.

Q: What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach?
A: I’ve learned that every student/athlete is different, so taking this outside the competition realm has helped me to better understand how to bring the most out of different personality types. I’ve also learned to focus energy on what I can directly control. To focus on things outside of my control only leads to potential frustration and stress when things don’t go well.

Q: What legacy do you hope to leave as a coach?
A: As much as I love competition success (I am obsessed with it), my main goal is to create a legacy of mentally strong, kind, and self-confident people.

Q: Please share a quote with a message of advice or support for the team.
A: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.” – William Arthur Ward.

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