THE LEAGUE VIRTUAL staff CARDS

 Background – Born in Mississippi and raised in San Jose, California.  Moved to Sothern California to attend UCLA in 1987, before moving back to Northern California for a second time.  This time, I moved to Hercules, in 2008, where my son, Terrell “TJ” Carothers, II, was introduced to Dumlao’s Martial Arts in 2010, by Lisa Greene who was the mother of TJ’s classmate. To better understand what was going on at tournaments, I took classes on how to judge all martial arts events in 2012.  Immediately thereafter, I started to help in the rings (run clock, check-in participants, etc) and judge non-black belt events in Northern California, as well as developed a new love for the art that extended beyond supporting my child.  There was not only a love but respect for the teachings about the karate way of life. 

Experience: Share how long you’ve been involved in karate or coordinating.  I was invited to serve as a Ring Coordinator in 2015 and continue to serve in this capacity at localNorthern California events and the League Finals. 

Achievements: I have been blessed to lead rings at every local event that has been held by Sean, Tony, and Theresa, with a few exceptions, since 2015.  I have received lots of praise from parents and participants for being thorough, honest, and approachable. To me, it is always nice to get my flowers while I can personally appreciate them.  I have also been blessed to travel to Texas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Southern California, Ireland and Italy, in support of this art and the kiddos that have become brothers and sisters to my son.  Theresea has also publically honored me at her event 2023, for my volunteer work with The League. 

• Why They Referee: DMA’s Mantra of Dedication, Sacrifice and being an Overcomer.  As a believer in Christ, this ties so well to every facet of my life, as I face hurdles that can block my blessing.

• Fun Fact: Add a personal or quirky fact, like a favorite kata or training mantra. Supporting karate events allows for me to unplug from work (that pays my bills) and other adulting responsibilities (paying bills, home repairs, parenting, etc). I find these things never distract me while I am at karate events, which is therapeutic. :0