2023 USA Judo Youth National Championships

Overflow Hotel 

Cotton Court Hotel

16010 Broadway St.

Lubbock, TX 79401

Headquarters Hotel (SOLD OUT)

MCM Elegante Hotel & Suites

801 Ave. Q

Lubbock, Texas 79401

Junior and Cadet Pan Am / Oceania Championships Trials

The 2023 Junior and Cadet Pan American / Oceania Championships will be held from Sept. 7-10 in Calgary, Canada. 

2023 Junior and Cadet Pan American / Oceania Championship Team Selection Criteria

• A total of 10 male and 10 female athletes will represent USA Judo at the 2023 Cadet Pan American/Oceanian Championships.
• A total of 9 male and 9 female athletes will represent USA Judo at the 2023 IJF Junior Pan American/Oceanian Championships.
• The Cadet and IJF-Junior gold medalists in each division from the 2023 USA Judo Youth National Championships will be offered the direct qualifier spot in their division.
• The silver medalists in each division will become the first alternates.
• The third-place athletes in each division will become the second alternates.
• The fourth-place athletes in each division will become the third alternates.

The teams (Cadet Pan Am/Oceania and Junior Pan Am/Oceania) will each also include two male and two female wild cards for both the Cadet and IJF-Junior ages (4 wild cards for the cadet team and 4 wild cards for the junior team), if applicable. These wild cards will be the two male and two female athletes with the most points on both the USA Judo National Cadet and IJF-Junior rosters as of end of day March 19, 2023. It is not possible to combine points from multiple divisions. In no case can any country have more than two athletes in one division.

To qualify as a wild card athlete, it is not mandatory to compete at the 2023 USA Judo Youth National Championships.

The wild card members cannot be in the same division.

If the PJC or IJF changes the number of athletes that can participate in these tournaments, then USA Judo reserves the right to adjust the criteria.

U15 & U13 Pan American Championships Trials

The 2023 Pan American U15 and U13 Championships will be held from July 14-16 in Lima, Peru.

2023 U15 & U13 Pan American / Oceania Championship Team Selection Criteria 

A maximum of four athletes per age and weight category will represent USA Judo at the 2023 Pan American U15 and U13 Championships.

• The gold, silver and bronze medalist in each weight category in the Juvenile division will directly qualify for the Pan Am U15 Team.
• The gold, silver and bronze medalist in each weight category in the Intermediate division will directly qualify for the Pan Am U13 Team.
• A fourth position on the Pan Am U13 and U15 Teams in each weight category will be allocated to the highest ranked athlete on the USA Judo National Roster in the Intermediate (U13) and Juvenile (U15) categories that is current as of March 20, 2023. In order to be eligible for this position, the athlete must hold at least ten (10) points on the roster as of March 20, 2023. This position will be allocated to the highest ranked athlete on the aforementioned roster who was not already selected based upon the individual’s finish at the Youth National Championships.

Should an event at the Youth Nationals have less than four participants, the remaining team slots will be selected from those holding ten (10) or more points on the USA Judo National Roster that is current as of March 20, 2023 in the order of their position on the roster.

Should any of the four athletes selected above decline their positions, alternate athletes will be selected from those holding ten (10) or more points on the USA Judo National Roster that is current as of March 20, 2023 in the order of their position on the roster.

All athletes must be members in good standing of USA Judo, including individuals without citizenship who are competing in events that are not a trials. Athletes may compete in the USA Judo Youth National Championships if they meet the following eligibility requirements and there is no conflict regarding weigh-in and competition schedules.

Per the USA Judo Athlete / Event Payment Policy, any individual who has an outstanding debt from an international trip and has not made the required payment(s) within the payment window outlined in the policy will not be eligible to compete until the payment has been made.

Regular Bantam and IJF-Junior Open Weight Categories and All Novice Categories

• U.S. citizens

• Athletes with green cards or visas

• Athletes who meet the criteria of the International Judo Federation refugee program and are currently approved with proof of documentation/acceptance from the IJF to participate in the refugee program, may also compete in the following categories. Please provide a copy of the necessary documents to austin.leath@usajudo.us.

IJF-Junior, Cadet, Juvenile and Intermediate Regular Categories

• U.S. Citizens only, or athletes who meet the criteria of the International Judo Federation’s refugee program

Rank Requirements

• Regular Categories: All ranks eligible

• Novice Categories: White, yellow or orange belts only

Point Roster criteria can be found at https://www.teamusa.org/usa-judo/athletes/juniors. 

Novice Eligibility

If a novice athlete has entered and medaled* in a regular category at a USA Judo national event, the athlete is not eligible to compete in any USA Judo national event novice categories during future tournaments.

Examples:

• If an athlete entered and medaled in a regular category at the 2022 President’s Cup, the athlete will not be eligible to enter novice category in 2023 and beyond in a USA Judo national event.

• If a novice athlete entered and medaled in a regular category at the 2023 Youth Nationals, the athlete is NOT eligible for novice categories at USA Judo national events for the remainder of 2023.

• Uncontested categories are exempt.

*If an athlete medaled in a regular category without winning a match, he or she is still allowed to compete in the novice division.

Any club whose athlete violates the above novice eligibility policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, the withholding of coaching credentials for future national events.