Michael Sybert is very much a typical 14-year-old.

Sybert catches and plays third base for his Pony League baseball team, rides a skateboard and does what most boys his age do.

Except when it comes to Taekwon-Do.

The Valencia resident has been involved in the sport for 10 years, is already a third-degree black belt and recently returned from Riccione, Italy, where he earned a silver medal in patterns at the 2004 International Taekwon-Do Federation Junior World Championships.

Sybert was one of the youngest of the 21-member U.S. contingent that made the trip to the event, which was for competitors ages 13 to 18.

"Going overseas for the first time at any age can be a bit nerve-wracking," said Charles Foley, leader of the U.S. team. "But if Michael was nervous, he never showed it."

"Being nervous isn't my thing," Sybert said. "I've gone to so many different competitions at different levels and that's how I treated this one.

"I was just hoping to go. I wanted to see Italy, how different it was. Being over there was a little distracting, but I was focused. I went over there trying to win," he added.

There were more than 300 competitors from 30 countries at the event, but only four were third-degree black belts. Three of them were on the U.S. squad.

The other - a 17-year-old from Argentina - defeated Sybert in the finals.

"It's extremely rare for a 14-year-old to have a third-degree black belt. There are very few in the world," said Sybert's instructor, Dwayne Allen of Allen's Red Tiger Taekwon-Do in Glenshaw. "Most kids don't get started in this until they're 7 or 8 years old.

"Michael got started early (at age 4) and he's improved every year."

The morning of the finals in Italy, Foley gave his team some time off to rest.

"They could have slept until noon if they wanted," Foley said. "Michael was up at 7 a.m., went outside and started practicing. He worked out for an hour and a half on his own.

"Most of the team figured they were already good enough because they made it here. Michael always wants to get better," he added.

Sybert placed second at a regional qualifier in Philadelphia to qualify for the U.S. team. He excels in sparring - a two-minute physical competition against an actual opponent - but his parents only permitted him to compete in patterns at the world event.

Patterns competition is lining up alongside an opponent and demonstrating skills.

"We wanted him to compete in both, but he might have been up against an 18-year-old with advanced skills," Allen said. "We understood and respected their (parents) concerns.

"Michael's power-breaking skills are exceptional. He can break six one-inch boards at one time with a side kick," he added.

The ITF Junior World Championships are held every two years. The 2006 event will be in the Honduras.

Sybert plans to be there.

"We're known for being really terrible (as a country) in this sport, but this year, we held our own," he said. "We had a lot of people make it past the first round.

"I didn't set any goals for myself because I didn't want to be disappointed if I didn't get a medal. And if I did - woo-hoo!

"I'm planning on going to the World Cup (an open competition) at Disney World in November. I've learned I have to work as hard as I can because there's kids working just as hard all over the world. They want that gold medal, too," Sybert added.

Sybert was one of only three Americans to return home with a medal from individual competition.

"He represented his country well," Foley said. "I'm proud of him. It's incredible the way he and our other team members handled the pressures of world-class competition.

"In Romania, they give kids a month off school to prepare for this event. In Poland, Korea and a few other countries, it's subsidized. We don't treat Taekwon-Do like other countries do."

But Sybert does.

"I love it," he said. "It trains your mind as well as your body. It gives you discipline. It's preparing me for life.

"It's a competitive, individual sport. I have no doubt I'll be doing this the rest of my life."