Meet David Lee | Head Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
From the moment I wake up to when I close my work laptop, all I think about is my Taekwondo team at the University of Colorado Boulder. There is no happier space in my life than the 1600 square foot mat room where we train.

Taekwondo has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. As a child, it helped me build confidence and discipline. Throughout my teenage years, it gave me the tools to succeed in school, play sports, and make friends. In college, it was my sanctuary from stress.

Now, as a working professional, it has evolved into a source of inspiration and joy. I work full-time remotely in finance. I love my professional job; I’m fortunate to work for a company that does good in the world and has values that I align with. But I’d be lying if I said my work inspires me.

Taekwondo, and coaching at CU specifically, fills my cup in ways that my 9-5 cannot. It is my physical, emotional, and spiritual expression of happiness.

First, it gets me moving and out of my office chair. Our bodies are made to run, jump, kick, punch, fall, get back up.

It also constantly puts me around inspiring people. In an increasingly remote world, it’s easy to settle into our comfort zones without challenging our minds, bodies, and relationships. I really enjoy being in the company of college students. They may be a little naive, but they’re fearless, navigating through their journey through mistakes and experiences. Their youth, energy, and hope remind me to not be jaded by my own mistakes and experiences. My athletes teach me life lessons every day and inspire me with their successes.

Community is the foundation for joy. We are all happier when we are together, understood, and supported and I’m incredibly privileged to be part of CU Taekwondo!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I coach the Sport Taekwondo Team at the University of Colorado Boulder. Sport Taekwondo is what you see in the summer Olympics. It’s the one where two competitors are kicking each other for points and screaming a lot!

Coaching was never something I planned for. I was competitive in high school and college, but I wasn’t elite enough to pursue something like the Olympics or International circuits. While I was an athlete in college, I realized that I had a passion for training and helping others. Since I was working jobs that I wasn’t passionate about, I ended up staying involved with the CU team after I graduated college. When our head coach retired, he passed the torch to my best friend and me. Coaching literally fell into my lap.

It was not an easy transition. My friend had been a former Collegiate National Champion and even traveled to Germany for the World University Games. But my accolades were not as impressive and felt immensely under-qualified. Also, most coaches at the time were more seasoned and oftentimes were grandmasters who owned their own martial arts schools. Imposter syndrome hit big time.

In retrospect, I think that feeling of not being good enough was the key to finding success. It meant that I had no ego and wouldn’t settle for anything less than my best. I spent countless hours of leisure time researching and learning on my own. More importantly, I learned to lean on my strengths while addressing my shortcomings. Imposter-me would say I don’t have the credentials or experience to be a successful coach. But I knew I was great at building relationships and had a teaching style that was relatable and relevant. So I needed to leverage my strengths and keep learning through experience.

In less than 3 years since I became the head coach, the CU Team grew from a casual interest club to a highly competitive sports team that tripled in size. We started our own regional collegiate league to create more competitions within our area. We hosted the 2016 Collegiate National Championships. We produced multiple national champions.

Since then, we produced a top 10 ranked athlete in the United States. We won multiple regional collegiate championships. We’ve been ranked in the top 10 universities in the United States for Collegiate Taekwondo. And although my friend retired from coaching, we have been able to grow a coaching staff to help maintain the team.

Throughout this process, I learned that we are always our biggest critic. Others’ opinions of us pale in comparison to how we judge ourselves. How we perceive ourselves can determine how successful we can be. Do we put others on a pedestal and believe that we are not good enough? Or do we ignore the noise and focus on what we’re good at, trusting that we’ll become the best version of ourselves?

If you’re passionate about something, your work will show. Opportunities and success will come with time. But we control the love for our work and how we define our narratives!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would be a terrible coach if I didn’t include a workout with the CU Taekwondo Team!

But you have to fuel up before and after working out! I love my hole in the walls: Zoe Ma Ma, Mediterranean Market & Deli (the best gyro in town), and Thai Avenue to name a few.

In summer time, the Farmer’s Market and lunch at Dushanbe is a must.
We also have to grab some inner tubes to go tubing on Boulder Creek or go hike Chautauqua.

In winter time, we would leave the city to go play in the mountains.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout every single person who I’ve met through CU Taekwondo. Whether it was an interaction that only lasted a short while, or a relationship that is still ongoing today, you helped me grow into the person that I am. We always preach that the moment you stop failing is when you stop growing. Every coach or athlete I’ve ever worked with knows how important this sentiment is, and every year I’m grateful for the past and humbled by the present and future. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey!

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Image Credits
Isaac Her