Kitagawa gets her kicks

Kitagawa was the only athlete from California to make the 16-member squad, which will travel to Seoul, South Korea in November to spar with three of the country's top university teams.

The birthplace of taekwondo, South Korea has dominated the discipline since it became a medal sport in the 2000 Olympics. But it might surprise many that the U.S. has been fairly successful, too, totaling three medals -- one silver and two bronze -- in the Beijing Games last year (South Korea led the way with four gold medals).

"I'm really excited to go to Korea," Kitagawa said. "When I spent three weeks in Taiwan this summer training with their team, it was really intense. They were training three times a day and I know Korea will be just as intense, if not more."

To earn a spot on the national team, Kitagawa only had to win one match. She did just that, 5-3, earning six points with two head kicks before getting deducted a point to account for her five points. Make no mistake: earning a place on the squad is extremely competitive.

Competitors were selected to go to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where a single-elimination type tournament determined who would get a spot on the national team. In the waning seconds of her match, Kitagawa knew anything could happen and that a win was anything but guaranteed.

"You can't relax until the very last second," she said. "In the final minute I had to keep my focus and stick to my game plan. It was a really good feeling (when it was over)."

Kitagawa has taekwondo in her blood. Her dad, Kent, is a Master fifth-degree black belt, having studied the sport for 34 years. Kent owns his own taekwondo studio, KIK's, in San Mateo, and is also an assistant on Stanford's club team. Kelsey splits her time training at her dad's studio and at Stanford, mostly against the guys.

Kent said her daughter is one of the top two or three fin weights in the nation. But the U.S. Olympic team only takes one athlete from the combined fin and fly weight divisions (108 pounds and below). That means competition for the one spot will be ultra-competitive.

Kitagawa has Olympic aspirations but doesn't think too far ahead. She's always focused in the present, knowing it will prepare her for the future. Although she's 5-2, Kitagawa is rarely at a disadvantage. Kent said the average fin weight is 5-2, with the tallest ones being 5-5.

The secret to Kitagawa's success?

"For sure, her speed," Kent said. "She's one of the faster fin weights in the nation, which creates a lot of power. Her footwork, motion and agility (is also excellent). But at this level it's about being strong mentally, and who is able to overcome the most mentally and can adapt to certain situations."

Kelsey started taekwondo at age 6, but it wasn't until she was 15 or 16 before she really got serious. She never made the junior national team in the 14-17 age group, something that served as a springboard for future success.

"It definitely motivated me to make a national team," she said. "It took me a long time (to get really serious) because when I was younger I wanted to compete but wasn't up to it."

Once Kitagawa started getting noticed by national team coaches, her passion for the sport grew because she realized with hard work and discipline she could accomplish a lot. A big part of Kitagawa's success lies in her pre-match preparation. The night before every match she visualizes what she's going to do and how each point will play out. She also watches videotape of her old matches to make sure she doesn't repeat the same mistakes.

"She repetitively goes over different situations that may occur so when it happens during matches she's already rehearsed it," Kent said.

Kitagawa played three years of volleyball at Hillsdale and was on the school's dance team as a sophomore. But this year she's solely focusing on taekwondo, and with good reason. She's in the Olympic pipeline, the first major step in the long, grueling road to a potential spot in the Olympics.

"As long as she stays healthy, she has a long life ahead of her," Kent said. "But it's a battle, year after year. It's a long road to the Olympic trials, but it's doable. The important thing is she's able to compete against national team members and being exposed to international training and competition."

Kelsey is glad to have her dad as her coach, knowing she's learning from the best.

"He's been very important (in my development)," she said. "It's nice that he's there for me both as a dad and coach."