Daily Blog from the XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #9
Friday, December 13, 2024

We’ll jump right in first with Questions of the Day. It’s so great to hear from (or overhear) references to various answers. What strikes me is that those who are reading the blog are responding back talking about the impressive answers, many of them family oriented. One mom says she has learned things that she didn’t know before about how her daughter feels about things.  She loves it!

Question of the Day #1 -- What is your idea of a perfect day?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Everything goes well.  For right now, that would be winning a Gold medal.

Zane Horner, 9 : Waking up and playing video games until noon. Eating lunch and having my nieces come over and play more video games. Eat dinner and continue playing video games.

Sammie Rai, 9 : Spending time with my family, of course, but I would fit in some Roblox time!

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : No school, watching TV, making cookies, and staying up late 

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : First I’d probably head to the gym for racquetball then go shopping, then eat sushi and come home and read a good book.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Not getting in trouble LOL

Ava Leister, 12 : Being outdoors wearing something comfortable and having fun with friends

Addie Strobach, 13 : Making people happy and feel loved

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : On a vacation with my family somewhere exotic.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Hanging out with friends

Shreya Chandel, 14 : My idea of  a perfect day is waking up early, being able to play racquetball, and hanging out with my friends.

Sarah Bawa, 15 : My idea of a perfect day would be to go out with my friends or cousins and take a road trip to Tahoe. We would go skiing and go to a coffee shop while it’s snowing outside and get warm drinks.

Grant Williams, 15 : Get up early on a cold morning, grab breakfast at Panera and spend the rest of the day at a racquetball tournament until late at night.

Aarya Shetty, 15 : A productive one--Being able to study, go to the gym, hang out with your friends, and take a nap all in one day!

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Either hanging out with friends/family or any day that I sleep in

Eshan Ali, 17 : Nothing bad happens

Montserrat Torres, 17 : It would be being on some island and then going to the beach, having a great time, and then getting dressed up for a fancy dinner. 

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Fishing with my friends, Racquetball training with Cliff Swain, Tailgate, Texas A&M football game, Pittsburgh Steeler and Dallas Mavericks games at Richard Eismann’s house with all the Dallas racquetball crew along with buffalo dip and poke.

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Playing racquetball, pickleball, and Padel all day. Or playing video games all day.

Naomi Ros, 19 : Go eat breakfast with friends and then go practice (no homework)

Ella Boaz, 19 : I would sleep in until 10am and then go to an amusement park for the entire day with my friends. Added points if the weather was cloudy and breezy.

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Waking up around 8:30 getting a great breakfast, working out early, having a few things to do and getting them done. Then being able to relax with friends and family afterwards. Then staying up late because I have nothing the next morning. 

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Wake up, read some scripture, break, relax with the family, go out and exercise with friends, eat good food, have a great time. 

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Sunny with no clouds, a perfect 75 degrees. I would sleep in, go to the beach with my friends, have a picnic, and later, dress up and go to dinner.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Playing racquetball and getting to spend the day with my family, friends, and boyfriend. I would probably draw, sleep, and just hang out and talk with the people I love.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Lots of hiking

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Great racquetball with friends, then lunch after with great conversation

Jen Meyer : One spent creating memories with those I love.

Cheryl Kirk : Sleep in, talk with hubby, go out to lunch, go shopping, play racquetball in the evening, watch TV with aforementioned hubby. 

Cindy Tilbury : Getting up late, playing some racquetball with good friends, working out a little more after playing, watching a few podcast videos and TV shows, going to a movie

Question of the Day #2 -- If you could have lunch with anyone living who would it be?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : My mom

Zane Horner, 9 : Kane Waselenchuk

Sammie Rai, 9 : Definitely Taylor Swift!

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I’d have lunch with Elon Musk. I’d love to hear his thoughts on technology and the future.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Kane Waselenchuk because I want to ask him why he has 12 different grips

Ava Leister, 12 : Chris Evans

Addie Strobach, 13 : Lauren Daigle. She is a Christian music artist.

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I'd have lunch with James Rodriguez (Colombian Soccer Player).

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Taylor Swift

Shreya Chandel, 14 : If I could have lunch with anyone living, it would be Bill Gates because he is a philanthropist and entrepreneur who has positively impacted millions of lives, both technologically and financially.  

Vaishant Mangalampalli, 14 : 

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would have lunch with Elon Musk so I could try and understand his future ideas for technology.

Grant Williams, 15 : Dwayne Johnson

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I would want to have lunch with my sister.

Eshan Ali, 17 : Anthony Edwards

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would like to have a conversation with Michelle Obama because, as a woman, she has done amazing things.

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Donald Trump

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Jerry Rice

Naomi Ros, 19 : Family all the time 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Sal Vulcano

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Jayson Tatum because he’s my favorite basketball player

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Definitely with a friend whom I haven’t seen in a while. 

Ava Kaiser, 19 : My mom

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Probably Taylor Swift. I honestly love her music.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Billy Eilish

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Friends and family

Jen Meyer : I feel like there is never enough time to slow down and truly connect, so I would have lunch with loved ones.

Cheryl Kirk : My husband Kit

Cindy Tilbury : Marcus Lemonis (from the show “The Profit”)

A Letter From Luke St. Onge, Executive Consultant / Past Secretary General of the IRF

Dear All, 

“I would like to share some thoughts directly with parents and family on this trip. 

“The Junior Worlds began in the late 1980’s into the 90s at Junior Orange Bowl held in Coral Gables, Florida, during Christmas week. It was first moved out of the USA in 2004 to San Luis Potosi, Mexico. 

Over 300 athletes competed. Based upon the results from 2004, major changes were made to upgrade certified referees for all matches, hold Worlds in one venue, have professional monitors on each court, and ensure results are posted worldwide on time. 

“But this note is not about the progress or athletes, it’s directed to athletes’ parents, family, and friends who are largely forgotten during the fray. I am sure many of you have said, “Why Racquetball, when my child could start in many other more publicized sports? 

“The answer is as individual as each one of our young athletes. They answered their own “why’s” on the first day of this blog. Few were exactly the same, and their answers to further questions have been equally diverse. They cite fun, friends, family, competition, fitness, and more. Families, without your support and commitment to their participation in Racquetball, they wouldn’t have this opportunity to experience something they will always remember and that will shape their life view differently from here on out.

“The IRF and USA Racquetball owe you everything for your dedication to the future of the sport. The IRF has recognized this commitment and will continue to professionalize our events to make them events you are all proud of. I am sure that for many of you this is the first time you have spent nearly two weeks of intense quality time together. Treasure it! Life comes at you fast.”

Gifts, Trading, Connecting

One of the things you’d never know if you haven’t been part of World Junior Racquetball Championships in the past is the connections that are built with common ground and...stuff! Athletes from some countries arrive with trading pins, small bags of candy, bracelets, keychains, or any number of other cute and clever items. The below link will lead you to a video created by the IRF’s Nicolas Florio featuring Junior Team USA member Yana Alegria receiving a gift from Team Chile and reciprocating with Team USA pins that were created and generously provided to all of our athletes by Joe Hall of Splathead. 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1122272662642043

Another phenomenon is that by the time matches are complete, young athletes have already brokered deals with each other to swap out their uniform shirts. It’s fun, and it’s time-honored, but I have to say it’s a bit of a jolt on the final day of competition, after the awards ceremony, to see a kid that we don’t recognize running around looking like a U.S. Junior Team member. But, who am I to fly in the face of tradition? The kids are having fun and they’re taking home memories and connections. That’s what’s important!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Super Saturday at the IRF World Racquetball Championships

Saturday 12/14 is the last day of competition in these championships, and everyone is excited! Junior Team USA will be out in full force cheering for the three doubles teams who are competing in the finals for the gold tomorrow:

10:30 am Central: DJ Mendoza/Cole Sendrey (USA) vs. Eder Renteria/Jorge Gutierrez (Mexico) 

10:30 am Central: Montserrat Torres/Victoria Rodriquez (USA) vs. Andrea Perez Picon/Miranda Barraza (Mexico)

12:45 pm: Naomi Ros/Cole Sendrey (USA) vs. Nicolas Ramiro Iglesias Rivera/Florencia Villazon Chalco (Bolivia) 

Good luck to Team USA! After the last match has concluded on Saturday afternoon, a medals stand and flags will be placed on the streaming court (#6) and division winners (1st through 4th) will be recognized in both the straight draw as well as in the Olympic Format divisions. Then a few more photo ops will conclude the festivities here in Guatemala City. 

This Daily Blog will undertake a brief hiatus to allow the blogger to organize, pack, and prepare to return home. Watch social media for information in the meantime, and we’ll be back on Sunday with a report on overall results and a whole ton of thank-you’s for what has been an unparalleled experience here in Guatemala City.

Staying Connected with the World Junior Championships!

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches are broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

See the full tutorial at the end of Blog #2.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #8
Thursday, December 12, 2024

Welcome to Blog #8, and let’s begin with some good old-fashioned gratitude for assistance, support, and kindness. 

Warm thanks goes to Tom Travers for providing a treatment table for the use of Dr. Meghan Rohde, our Sport Physical Therapist, at the club. The table and surrounding area create Team USA’s natural habitat and meeting place in the midst of a fairly buzzing and chaotic atmosphere. 

Marie Gomar is an always-gracious host, from assisting with arrivals at the airport, to helping procure water and snacks for the coaches’ rooms, to getting a monster-sized bag of player bags/shirts from the club to the hotel. Marie goes out of her way to help us and the other countries’ delegations. 

Re Marie and speaking of the latter above, the process of moving tournament shirts and player bags from the club to the hotel was not for the faint of heart. Pablo helped us get the mega-bag into the back of Marie’s car. The hotel bellman loaded the mega-bag onto a luggage cart and brought it upstairs. Individual bags were separated out according to shirt size by Cindy Tilbury, Ruchika Mohan, and Nyasa Gupta. Once the invitation to visit Room 1006 was activated by Cheryl on WhatsApp, the list of sizes was used as a checklist and we just waited for the onslaught. It didn’t take long, and we had nice visits as athletes started stopping by to claim their souvenir bags that contained a towel, a water bottle, and a tournament shirt. 

Waseem Bawa of WIS International supports Team USA. As a sponsor the U.S. Junior Team, he and his staff arranged for a navy blue collared short-sleeved WIS shirt with USA Racquetball on the back to be gifted to each athlete. They’re seen around the club a lot!

Speaking of great-looking apparel, Joe Hall of Splathead donated each Junior Team USA’s official uniform oackage - shirts, pants, warmups. We can’t say enough about what Joe does for our team. We look sharp and professional. The colors and graphics are great!

Susan Hendricks made a generous donation in loving memory of her departed husband Barry who passed away four months ago. Thank you, Susan.

I can’t say enough about Cindy Tilbury’s assistance at this World Junior Championships event. She compiles the next day’s match list every evening so that the coaches can discuss the coaching plan and approach. Cindy also is the hero behind taking all of the QOTD responses and formatting them question by question. I’m so very grateful for her presence here!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Question of the Day #1 - What item would you grab first if your house was on fire (besides people, pets, or electronics)?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Passport

Zane Horner, 9 : The Bible

Sammie Rai, 9 : Roblox gift cards (I could never forget those)

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : My art supplies

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Probably my scrapbook. I started it when I was 7 and it hold a lot of memories to this day.

Noah Jackola, 12 : My racquetball bag

Ava Leister, 12 : My dog blanket

Addie Strobach, 13 : I think I would grab my bible and journal. 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I'd grab my pairs of shoes.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : My journal

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : If my house were on fire, I would grab would be my family's photo albums because those contain memories that are not even stored on our devices.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would grab my childhood stuffed animals, food, and my blankets.

Grant Williams, 15 : My racquetball bag

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I would grab my manga collection since it was incredibly expensive and it took a while to collect.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : My scriptures

Eshan Ali, 17 : My deodorant

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would grab my childhood teddy bear.

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Fishing poles and racquetball bag

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Racquetball bag

Naomi Ros, 19 : Money

Ella Boaz, 19 : My stuffed animal dog named “Dame un beso.”

Benjamin Horner, 19 : My car keys because I don’t want my car getting ruined and I keep stuff in there

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Bible

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Photos and my collection of keychains.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Either my college diploma or the drawing that I'm most proud of.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : This really cute painting my husband got me

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : My laptop and my racquetball bag

Jennifer Meyer : The book my grandma wrote in before she passed away about our family history, her childhood, family recipes, photographs, and all of the memories!

Cheryl Kirk : Lock box that contains important documents and family keepsakes. Also, my purse. I know that’s two items, but this is my blog.

Cindy Tilbury : My Week At A Glance and purse.

Question of the Day #2 -- What is the most rewarding or fulfilling thing you have ever done? 

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : My papa (my dad)

Zane Horner, 9 : Winning first place in multibounce at Juniors

Sammie Rai, 9 : Winning three gold medals from this and last Nationals

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Making Junior Team USA!

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I don’t feel fulfilled yet, but I’m working on finding things that give me that feeling, whether it’s through personal growth or helping others.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Winning my division at my first Junior Nationals--Kept my drive going

Ava Leister, 12 : I was nominated as the MVP on my school's tennis team.

Addie Strobach, 13 : Giving my life to God

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Getting 7th at a cross country middle school meeting running the mile. Making it to the US Racquetball team in 2024!

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Starting a mentoring program at my school to assist and guide younger students in their transition to middle school

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : The most fulfilling thing I have done was sing Christmas carols with my friends at a senior home a couple of years ago.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : The most rewarding thing I have done is go to worlds in Guatemala in 2022 in the 12 and under division, only having played for a year and a half.

Grant Williams, 15 : Getting confirmed as a Catholic

Aarya Shetty, 15 : Volunteering at a local barn rescue

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : For fulfillment, either getting baptized, getting Hazelton Awards at school, or winning my first nationals. Rewarding I would say reading scriptures because it developed my relationship with my Father in Heaven who has blessed and comforted me through so much.

Eshan Ali, 17 : Finishing the Quran

Montserrat Torres, 17 : Becoming a part of the US Team

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Reaching the top 25 on the International Racquetball Tour.

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Winning an open tournament with my dad.

Naomi Ros, 19 : The most rewarding thing for me is all racquetball goals I have achieved with a lot of work and also in school.

Ella Boaz, 19 : Going on a mission trip with my church.

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Without a doubt placing my faith in Jesus. I believe it’s the most important decision I have ever made and its changed my life in so many ways

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Graduating high school with a 4.7 cumulative GPA and an Associates’ Degree 

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Volunteering, specifically helping elementary school kids read, teaching kids 3-15 how to swim, and assisting senior citizens in their everyday lives.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Graduating high school with an IB Diploma. It was incredibly difficult for me--especially during the height of Covid, but It was incredibly rewarding when I finally got it. 

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Probably teaching and seeing kids fall in love with racquetball

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Doing it now--coaching

Jennifer Meyer : Being someone that I hope my family, students, athletes, nieces, and nephews can look up to in a positive way.

Cheryl Kirk : Protested with a group for over a year outside a store that sold puppy mill puppies. We shut them down!

Cindy Tilbury : Keeping National Masters Racquetball Association going when it looked like it was going to go away, keeping a nice home for 40+ round-robin players.  

Ode to Treats, Etc. (Part II)

In my admittedly overlong soliloquy a couple of days ago. I mentioned smiles, connection, and appreciation as benefits.  Additionally, the time of day really makes a difference in treat-dom. 

A mom celebrating her athlete's match win with a Rice Krispie treat – “This is better than filet mignon.”

When you’re a referee still at the club at 6:36 pm, you are offered a Snickers mini. “This is like water in the desert.”  

*Daily Blog #6 (Team Leader Reflection)                                            

Staying Connected with the World Junior Championships!

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches are broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

See the full tutorial at the end of Blog #2.

The IRF publishes the day’s live streaming schedule every morning on social media.

Fifteen matches tomorrow – six singles and nine doubles! Good luck and GO TEAM USA!!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #7
Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Assistant Junior Coach Pablo Fajre Recaps Day 5 of the Tournament

Today was a day full of mixed emotions. Although defeats always leave a bitter taste, it’s encouraging to recognize the effort and progress of our junior athletes. Competing at the level of strong rivals is already an important achievement and shows that the team is moving steadily in the right direction. With three more days of competition, we need to keep pushing and give our very best. This tournament provides us with valuable experience that we must use in the best possible way to continue growing as players and as individuals!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Question of the Day #1 -- What's your dream job?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : I don't know yet.  Maybe an explorer.

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Volcanologist

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : It’s not a specified job, but I’d like to become an entrepreneur

Noah Jackola, 12 : Be a pro and travel the world teaching racquetball

Ava Leister, 12 : Being a veterinarian

Addie Strohbach, 13 : I am 13, so I don’t really know yet, but maybe being an engineer, architect, or in the navy as a marine biologist. 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Don't care too much what the job is as long as I travel.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Doctor--Cardiothoracic surgeon or maybe an Anesthesiologist

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : My dream job is to be a neurosurgeon or cardiologist.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : My dream job would be something in the medical field because it would be very fulfilling and pay well.

Grant Williams, 15 : Professional racquetball player or a wildlife field biologist

Aarya Shetty, 15 : Veterinarian

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : No job

Eshan Ali, 17 : Investment banker

Montserrat Torres, 17 : Forensic Psychologist

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Commercial Real Estate

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Pro athlete

Naomi Ros, 19 : I want to have my own sports clothing brand or work for Nike as a designer for the tennis dresses department 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Forensic Scientist 

Benjamin Horner, 19 : I would love to be in the NBA but if we’re being realistic probably being a statistician for the Boston Celtics

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Playing a professional sport for a living

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Surgical Oncologist 

Annika Fiedler, 21 : I want to work in sleep research. I would love to do research within the intersection of sleep and sports psychology.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Barista

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Doing it now--Coaching

Jen Meyer : Teaching/coaching…how lucky am I? 

Cheryl Kirk : I’m so grateful for my years with McDonald’s. A dream that won’t come true is a career in law enforcement. 

Cindy Tilbury : Being the trusted assistant to a really smart businessperson.  

Robbie Collins : Pro golfer

Pablo Fajre : Astronomer

Question of the Day #2 -- What is your best childhood memory?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Playing with my dad

Zane Horner, 9 : Seeing Lucy (Niece) for the first time

Sammie Rai, 9 : Going on an Alaskan cruise with my parents

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : When we adopted our cats

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Going to Yosemite and getting stuck there for Christmas. It turned into an adventure, and become an unforgettable memory.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Skiing for the first time

Ava Leister, 12 : When I used to cuddle with my old dog or getting along with my older brother

Addie Strobach, 13 : It is when my Dad and I would go on the back porch of our old house and make rocket-ships out of cardboard boxes. They would be colorful and have wings that I imagined could take me up in the sky. Those nights my Dad and I would shoot up in space and race around. 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : My favorite memory is my first triathlon.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Spending time with my grandparents during summer break

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : My best childhood memory is going to Disneyland with my family for my sixth birthday.

Sarah Bawa, 15 : My best childhood memory was when I got my kitten when I was 6 years old.

Grant Williams, 15 : Throwing rocks into a creek with my mom after school when I was around 5 years old, while we were walking around a park

Aarya Shetty, 15 : My favorite childhood memory is traveling with my sister and parents to multiple countries.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Either getting baptized, getting a Hazelton award in 3rd grade, or hugging my mom and dad after a win in a tough racquetball match.

Eshan Ali, 17 : Quarantine when I had no worries and was talking to my friends all day. It made some of the best memories even if it was online. I really miss those days, they are nostalgic.

Montserrat Torres, 17 : Spending Christmas with my cousins

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Family cruise

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Winning the Longhorn Open as a junior

Naomi Ros, 19 : Skipped the question

Ella Boaz, 19 : Going back every summer to my favorite summer camp, Camp Whitfield

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Going to church camp every summer

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Going to the Mall of America with my grandparents. We would always go to Under Water World to see all of the sea creatures, and then we would grab lunch.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Getting to see Green Day in concert with my dad. It was my first concert.

Iain Dunn, 21 : Hitting a plastic golf ball over 2 trees with a baseball bat

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Camping with my family

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Learning to swim in Acapulco

Jen Meyer : Building forts with my sister and brother and staying the night on our trampoline in the summer.

Cheryl Kirk : Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house

Cindy Tilbury : Maybe singing in church choir or playing bassoon in school band.  Hard to pick a best.

Robbie : Going to University of Hawaii football games with my parents

Pablo : Competing in Track & Field in college 

Overheard...

...on the bus yesterday. A few USA older boys talking, “If Dr. Meghan was on our team, we’d win for sure! Who do you think hits harder, Cole Sendrey or Dr. Meghan?”  For Cole’s sake, we’ll leave the reported answer to the reader’s imagination.  

Bonus Question of the Day – What do we like?

Thought it would be nice to give the parents (and a few athletes) their 15 minutes of blog fame.

Buzura Aizezi (Jasur’s mom) : I like this international experience for Jasur. It is mind blowing. I also enjoyed police cars guarding us to the club and back, racing through red lights and stop signs. It is kind of fun. 

Megan Williams (Noah’s mom) : What I love the most is visiting a country where I have ancestral roots. It’s also so amazing to see so many kids and families from around the world come together for a sport and be so passionate. It’s like one big family full of encouragement and love. And the food is amazing.

Kadambari Beelwar (Aarya’s mom) : Our last Guatemala trip, we went to Antigua and had one of the top 5 meals of our lives. 

Anwar Ali (Eshan’s dad): The highly skilled and experienced coaches – they are all in 110%.

Jairo Torres (Montserrat’s dad) : What I have liked about Guatemala, to be completely honest, has been everything. Everyone is so helpful and laid back. The weather is perfect each day, it  almost feels like it’s being controlled by a thermostat. Guatemala has been amazing!

Bryon Haacke (Scott’s dad) : The first requirement for me to be having fun is that Scott is enjoying himself. Thankfully a big YES on that! What I have enjoyed most is the comradery between parents. Noah’s mom Megan was a huge help on day one when Scott had trouble acclimating to the elevation. Other parents have helped in various ways. Many of us are separated from loved ones on this trip, which can feel pretty lonely, but we have come together and made Team USA a family!

Kelly Leister (Ava’s mom) : For me personally I’ve been extremely impressed with the overall qualify of racquetball I’ve watched and the supportiveness of everyone and friendliness among the various countries. What a great group for my daughter to be a part of! 

Colleen Williams (Grant’s mom) : What do I like about the trip? That’s a blog in itself! I love watching these kids, from all over, live out their dreams. There is so much discipline and sacrifice that comes with competing at this level. Watching these young athletes see the rewards of their labors is incredible! Even if those don’t come with medals, they are seeing themselves grow each day at each match. They are exceeding what they thought they could do. Losses are hard but growth sustains. Growing in our Spanish speaking skills is always fun! Our Guatemalan hosts have been so patient with us as we muddle through. Google translate is super helpful when we are in a pinch! 

Grant Williams (Colleen’s son) : I like the quality of the facility and the hotel but especially the support I feel from the delegation. 

Ava Kaiser (Rhonda’s daughter) : The police escorts to and from the club! This is my eighth Worlds and never have we had escorts. There is never a dull moment!

Vineet Kumar on the Run!

Vineet (Nyasa’s dad) reports, “I always like to explore new places with a run! I started by sneaking in a 5K from the hotel to the tournament venue a couple of days ago. I decided to take it further and approached a tour company (gorunningtours.com) after getting it validated by a security officer. People often think that I run my unplanned marathons for fun, but they don’t know that my 75th consecutive monthly half marathon was just another excuse to eat local donuts!”

This was a shock to the system to hear about Vineet’s Wednesday run! Who knew there was life outside of Racquetball here at World Juniors?? Very cool, Vineet!

Volcanos

(switching temporarily to Travelogue mode)

One of the most meaningful and exciting attractions for both local and international visitors that Guatemala has to offer are its 37 volcanoes. The three active volcanoes, Pacaya, Fuego, and Santiaguito, are different in their level of difficulty given the time and effort needed to hike them.

For instance, in one hour, one can hike up Volcán de Pacaya to see the views of other volcanoes. The hike up Pacaya is on a trail of volcanic sand through a rain forest. Once high enough, volcanic lava rocks take over the landscape. The crater can be seen at a close distance with beautiful views of Volcán de Agua and Volcán de Fuego in the distance. Lava flows and explosions have been common, although Pacaya has been dormant for the past year.

Fuego is a different story. It gets the most attention, because its explosions are the most frequent (every 30 seconds to one minute). However, it takes two days to hike it, including camping to watch Fuego’s explosions late into the night and then viewing the sunrise. This is not an undertaking for everyone!

For more info, including a description of the eruption of Volcán de Fuego in June 2018, visit https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fuego.html.
Thanks to Marie Gomar for her help in this description of Guatemala’s volcanoes!

Staying Connected with the World Junior Championships

Things are heating up! Continue to join us via the blogs, social media, and live streaming...

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

See the full tutorial at the end of Blog #2.

The IRF publishes the day’s live streaming schedule every morning on social media.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #6
Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Assistant Coach Adam Manilla Recaps Day 4 (Tuesday)

Today we had close matches almost all day. We are now about halfway through the event. The kids have settled into their games and are adjusting to the altitude, the crowds, and being in a foreign country. Today was the end of pool play. These results were significant for establishing seeding for the main draws, and there are also points credited to the team for round robin results. Now it’s a fresh start for everyone and now the “real thing” begins. We have a ton of exciting matches tomorrow. Time for all the kids’ hard work to show. Let’s go for Gold! Go Team USA!!

Blogger’s note: May I say that even beyond the spirit and encouragement conveyed in Adam’s message, he earns major kudos for his spelling and appropriate use of the Oxford (serial) comma. So proud!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

The Host Hotel

The Clarion Suites is arguably one of the best hotels we’ve had the pleasure to stay in. Eleven days is a long time (although it passes more quickly than one might imagine). Happily, the spacious suites with a living area separate from the bedroom/bathroom reminds one more of an apartment than a hotel room. It’s clean and relatively quiet (unless you’re directly underneath the workout room or next to the elevator). The restaurant serves a hot buffet breakfast with made-to-order eggs, plantains, and a variety of breads and rolls. 

It’s easy to forget it’s the Christmas/holiday season until we notice the pretty tree in the hotel lobby as well as the several-stories-tall spectacular tree in the downtown square area with lights that change and a Gallo logo (big rooster head) on top.

Gallo es una cerveza muy popular en Guatemala! “

Gallo is Guatemala’s oldest continually produced beer, dating back to 1896. It is also the most famous beer in the country and has become a part of Guatemalan popular culture.” - Wikipedia 

(Never say you didn’t learn anything useful from these blogs.)

Question of the Day #1 -- Besides racquetball, what do you know how to do that you could teach others?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Swimming, soccer and animals

Zane Horner, 9 : How to do origami 

Sammie Rai, 9 : Piano

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : How to draw

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I can teach people how to build an effective study schedule. It’s something I’ve worked hard on myself and found useful.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Fortnite! My favorite video game

Ava Leister, 12 : Play tennis

Addie Strobach, 13 : How to bake brownies, how to Holiday decorate, and organization of spaces 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I can teach soccer to others.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : I enjoy writing, so probably that and the importance of the Oxford comma. 

Shreya Chandel, 14 : Aside from racquetball, I could teach others how to bake cinnamon rolls and also how to Bollywood dance.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I did gymnastics for multiple years when I was younger so I could teach others some tricks.

Grant Williams, 15 : How to fold the American flag

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I could teach other people how to play saxophone.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Read music and play piano

Eshan Ali, 17 : How to stay calm

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I know how to play the piano. 

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Fishing

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Football

Naomi Ros, 19 : How to sew

Ella Boaz, 19 : Ceramics

Benjamin Horner, 19 : How to play basketball or cut fruit ‘cause I work in produce at a grocery store

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Pickleball, eating good food, working out in the gym

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Spanish, swimming, reading, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, math, and how to take care of animals.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : I draw a lot so I could probably teach some techniques. I also know a lot about sleep and psychology that I could teach to others. 

Annie Sanchez, 22 : I know how to make really good alfredo sauce

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Graphics and web design

Jen Meyer : How to organize anything…I am CDO! 

Cheryl Kirk : Proper use of grammar and punctuation, especially comma usage. 

Cindy Tilbury : Running tournaments, doing crossword puzzles, Word, Excel, R2 Sports

Question of the Day #2 -- Would you rather go back in time or into the future? Where would you go?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : I would rather go back in time, so I could be in Pleasanton and spend more time with my papa (dad)

Zane Horner, 9 : Back in time - To Albert Einstein’s lab

Sammie Rai, 9 : I would go in the future and go to my house 10 years from now.

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Into the future to drive a flying car 

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I’d go into the future, maybe 50 years from now, to see how technology and society have evolved and what innovations we’ve made.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Back in time and tell my mom to buy Bitcoin!

Ava Leister, 12 : I would go back and meet Michael Jackson

Addie Strobach, 13 : Back in time because then there would not have been any phones and everyone would play outside and not be a screen zombie. 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Back in time to Medieval Europe

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Back in time so that I can see the Nyasasaurus (first-ever known dinosaur; FYI, I'm not named after it)

Shreya Chandel, 14 : I would rather go 100 years into the future to see how the world will change and the impact my generation made, whether it is positive or negative.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would rather go into the future and I would wanna see my life 60 years from now with all of the technological advancements and what/who was involved in my life.

Grant Williams, 15 : Back in time to Jerusalem

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I would go into the future to see if I get rich.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Back in time, because going in the future would honestly be scary. 

Eshan Ali, 17 : Back in time before there were any named countries

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would rather go back in time so I could relive my childhood, because I would not want to know what my future looks like

Cole Sendrey, 18 : I would go back in time to the 1980s for music and social aspects

DJ Mendoza, 19 : I would go back in time and never have stopped playing racquetball.

Naomi Ros, 19 : Back in time. I would go to relive old memories 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Future

Benjamin Horner, 19 : To the future to see what happened and bet on things to happen and be rich

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Probably jump to the future a bunch of years just to see how things turned out. 

Ava Kaiser, 19 : I would want to go back in time to be an observer of many historical events.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : I would rather go into the future but I'm not sure how far I would go. Maybe 30 or so years to see how things are. 

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Back in time, everything was cheaper, so I would go grocery shopping and get gas

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : The future about 200 years

Jen Meyer : I would go back in time to spend more quality time with those I love.

Cheryl Kirk : Back in time to fix a few things as I was growing up. I wouldn’t want to know the future!

Cindy Tilbury : Past. I’d go back to 1994 and avoid dating a few people I wasted time with. 

Team Leader Reflection

One of the arguably most important functions that the team leader serves, once the more mundane yet essential tasks (like hotel and ground transportation reservations, etc.) are behind her and the plane lands at World Juniors, is to supply energy and good will and connection in the form of...treats! Some are packed and brought along while, when supplies run low, a run to the La Torre grocery store is in order. Marie Gomar gets a HUGE thanks for her support, and Cindy Tilbury is a great shopping buddy. 

Treats are important. They are tradition. They come in the form of mints, chocolate, and miscellaneous sugar-laden delicacies. There’s a team leader established travel path in the club that includes a trip upstairs to the office, a run by the tournament desk for the staff and referees, a stop at the live streaming table, and then always having the Athleta silver bag on hand whilst watching matches. When kids from other countries are kind of standing close by with that gaze toward the bag, it’s time to offer a look inside! It’s a daunting responsibility to make sure one of the younger U.S. Junior Team members doesn’t outrageously overdo it on Hershey’s Kisses. (This isn’t easy.)

Granola bars aren’t the draw they used to be. Butter mints are a little ho-hum although an almost-instant sugar rush. Rice Krispie Treats get some borderline interest. Laffy Taffy left over from Halloween – nope. So what are the crowd favorites? Mini-Snickers and other chocolate tidbits are top choices. Welch’s Fruit Snacks are selected by those who “kinda sorta” want to give the impression they are healthy eaters. But the overwhelming choice, by kids, parents, referees, coaches, and sport physical therapists alike are something I just became aware of this year. It's little bags of Nerd Clusters! I don’t have enough to get the delegation through the rest of the week, and I’m scared. I just ate some while writing this blog. I feel guilty. But they’re SO good. 

Three paragraphs on treats is a lot. Sorry, but I’m on a manic sugar high. 

Staying Connected with the World Junior Championships

Things are heating up! Continue to join us via the blogs, social media, and live streaming...

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

See the full tutorial at the end of Blog #2. 

The IRF publishes the day’s live streaming schedule every morning on social media.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #5
Monday, December 9, 2024

Assistant Coach Bobby Horn Offers Monday Day 3 Comments 

Today was a day of mixed results. Although we didn’t have all of the results we were hoping for, we had a lot of positives we can take as we go forward into the tournament. We had a lot of good wins and some really tough losses. What has been amazing is seeing each athlete grow and improve each day as we head into the medal rounds going forward. 

The energy and support from the players, parents, and coaches have been top tier. This is by far the best part of international competition since normally racquetball is an individual sport. This group has been great to be a part of, and I can’t wait to see the energy later in the elimination rounds! Our players are getting more comfortable each match, and I’m looking forward to them bringing home some hardware for us all!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Dr. Meghan is in the House!

We are thrilled for the addition of Dr. Meghan Rohde to the U.S. Junior Team Delegation as our Sport Physical Therapist. She is also a Strength and Conditioning coach and a professor with over 20 years’ experience teaching students, residents, and other clinicians.  

Dr. Meghan is passionate about bridging the gap between rehabilitation and performance. She is a private practice owner and the founding program director for a hybrid DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) program with Southern California University of Health Sciences.

Dr. Meghan holds a PhD in Human Sports and Performance as well as her DPT and Sports Clinical Specialist Certification. She is also certified in dry needling and manual therapy.

“I own an out of network practice with my best friend, Leah Mycofsky, who is also a DPT and strength coach. We primarily work with athletes of all ages, and also offer physical therapy via telehealth and remote strength and conditioning programming and coaching.”

When not treating athletes, Dr. Meghan is an athlete herself, competing in Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit as a masters athlete. She lives in southern New Hampshire, a little in the woods and a little in town, with her husband, 6-year-old son, and a wicked salty 9-year-old Chihuahua.

Dr. Meghan comments, “This is a beautiful experience! The athletes and families are kind, generous, and appreciative. Delegations from other countries are also fabulous, and I’ve made friends with the physio from Costa Rica. Perhaps the best part is making friends with a Referee (Adrian) who has kept me caffeinated!”

Find out more about Dr. Meghan’s practice at https://revolutionwellnesscollective.com/.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Travelogue

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de Guatemala), is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Caribbean to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south. With an estimated population of around 17.61 million,  it is the most populous country in Central America and is the 11th most populous country in the Americas. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known as Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America.  

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala

Currency: Quetzal - same as the National Bird (about Q7.50 to $1 USD)

Population (Guatemala): 17.61 million

Population (Guatemala City): c. 995,000

President: Bernardo Arévalo (2024 - ?)

Official language: Spanish

Question of the Day #1 -- What was your favorite toy growing up?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Stuffy Crabby, who travels with me everywhere

Zane Horner, 9 : Stuffed Tiger (Tigy)

Sammie Rai, 9 : My computer. I love playing Roblox on it

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : A Spiderman Build-A-Bear

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Legos. I loved building things and creating different structures from my imagination.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Lincoln Logs

Ava Leister, 12 : My dog Murphy

Addie Strobach, 13 : Baby dolls and cardboard boxes 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Superhero action figures

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : A pink stuffed elephant

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : My favorite toy growing up was my Play-Doh.

Sarah Bawa, 15 : My favorite toy was my bunny, kitten stuffed animal or pillow pet. If you don’t know what they are, they are basically stuffed animals that have lights in them that when you turn them on make stars on your ceiling.

Grant Williams, 15 : Buzz Lightyear action figure

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : A stuffed tiger

Eshan Ali, 17 : Hot Wheels

Montserrat Torres, 17 : My teddy bear

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Stuffed bear

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Hot Wheels

Naomi Ros, 19 : All type of dolls and making them outfits 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Legos

Benjamin Horner, 19 : I’ve always loved sports so we had a mini basketball hoop in our house 

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Legos or my Nintendo DS

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Sassy the hedgehog

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Definitely my Nintendo DS. I played a lot of Pokemon as a kid (and I still do)!

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Polly Pockets

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Probably a baseball glove

Jennifer Meyer : Knicker (my stuffed animal). I still have him! 

Cheryl Kirk : My Pebbles doll. I still have her!

Cindy Tilbury : The Milton Bradley game Bash or tetherball (more of a sport than a toy).

Question of the Day #2 -- Do you have pets? If not, what pet would you like?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : I don't have a pet.  If I did, I'd want a dog.

Zane Horner, 9 : Hamster named Remi

Sammie Rai, 9 : I have one dog named Teddy (German Shepherd/Golden Retriever)

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : 2 dogs and 3 cats

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I don’t have pets right now, but I’d love to have a dog. A Golden Retriever preferably (they’re friendly, smart, and great companions)

Noah Jackola, 12 : I have 5 chickens, 4 cats,  1 dog, and a bearded dragon.

Ava Leister, 12 : I have a tuxedo cat named Slinky and an Irish Setter named Prime Rose

Addie Strobach, 13 : Yes. I have two dogs, Moe and Sam. 

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I have a Giant Schnauzer named Olaf.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : No, but I'd probably want a small dog

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : I do not have any pets, but I would like a puppy.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I don’t have pets currently but I used to have a cat and a hamster. If I could have a pet I would want another kitten.

Grant Williams, 15 : Yes, I have two dogs: Milo and Ringo

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I have a cat and a dog.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : I've had pets before, but not right now because we are so busy with racquetball. If I had one, I would want a dog because they are man's best friend and I think it would be comforting and make me really happy

Eshan Ali, 17 : I would like to have kittens, maybe 3

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would like to have a Doberman

Cole Sendrey, 18 : I have one dog….Trixie!!!

DJ Mendoza, 19 : We have two Chihuahuas who are brothers

Naomi Ros, 19 : Yes, his name is Reymon

Ella Boaz, 19 : I do. I have dogs and cats. I want a Samoyed in the future.

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Yes I have a Hamster named Remi

Paul Saraceno, 19 : I do have a dog. His name is Chico. He is a Maltese-Chihuahua mix. “Multihuahua”

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Yes! I have a pet turtle named Misty. I actually hatched her when I was 12. I’ve also had a hamster, a dog, and 3 ducks.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : I have a pug named Rollo.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : I love Chihuahuas and would like 10 one day.

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : No pets, but looking for an AI puppy that doesn’t grow up, doesn’t eat, doesn’t poop and is always happy to see you.

Jennifer Meyer : No (I am never home), but I would have a dog if I did.

Cheryl Kirk : Heidi the dog, a perfect storm of Shih Tzu/Small Poodle/Chihuahua/Min Pin, who loves people and is horrible around dogs. 

Cindy Tilbury : No pets currently, but we pet sit the neighbors’ dogs all the time.  They come over to swim.

Delegation Changes / Americans in Attendance

Ram Chandel has had to leave on business! Pam Sanders is traveling back to the USA on Tuesday as is Miles Williams. We will miss you! We look forward to Brandiss Boaz’s arrival on Tuesday. Mike Kinkin and Joumana Bawa will arrive on Thursday. 

Some Americans are here in Guatemala who are not part of the official delegation. Referees Justin Elways and Glenn Martineau serve om the IRF Referee team. Arriving here the last couple of days are Michael Martinez (Pro Kennex) and Joel Arredondo and Anthony Herrera (Gearbox). Happy to have you all!

Staying Connected

Some of the pool play/round robins have morphed into main draws that begin on Tuesday. The rest of the pool play draws will follow suit as matches are completed and results are applied to forming the rest of the main draws. 

Join us via the blogs, social media, and live streaming! Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #4
Sunday, December 8, 2024

Day 2 at World Juniors – Comments from Esprit Coach Jen Meyer 

We’re so pleased for the wins but equally proud of the athletes who didn’t happen to prevail on this particular day; everyone played so incredibly well! The level of competition at this World Juniors is intense, and every one of our athletes measures up. They all belong here on the world stage!

To continue with Coach Robbie’s thoughts from Blog #3, this delegation is filled with enthusiastic and caring family members who have now made this entire group their extended family. No player competes without the support of multiple cheerleaders who show up at assigned courts to encourage each of the athletes as they give everything for their team, their families, and their country. Even on the WhatsApp chat (75 members!), everyone is sharing photos, court assignments, needs for throat lozenges, organizing meet-ups for meals, etc. 

So, yesterday was a day of getting rid of nerves and getting that first day under our belts. Today was everyone acclimating to the club atmosphere and the rhythm of the tournament. It’s noisy and chaotic and constant motion, and we’re loving it! Day 3 is eight hours away as I write this, and we can’t wait!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Question of the Day #1 -- What accomplishment are you most proud of (besides making the U.S. Junior Team)?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : I am a top A student in class; I have a lot of medals and trophies for swimming, soccer and racquetball; I have traveled to eight different countries and many USA states; I speak five different languages.

Zane Horner, 9 : Winning a lot of trophies in bowling

Sammie Rai, 9 : Being a good daughter (not always, though)

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Drawing a banner for a parade 

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Getting 99th percentile on the COGAT exam (basically a Cognitive Ability Test that was regulated, like the AMC8)

Noah Jackola, 12 : Conquering my fear of roller coasters

Ava Leister, 12 : Overcoming my fear of heights and doing a 22-foot cliff jump

Addie Strobach, 13 : We were in the Grand Canyon and it was during our 7 day trip of rafting. We came to a stop where there was this big cliff that was about 25 feet high. I was so scared to jump off and everyone was chanting my name while I was trying not to embarrass myself by crying. Then I literally stepped a few feet back and counted to three and I just ran off. I think if I would’ve stayed up there for one more minute I would have never gone.

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Being bilingual. Speaking English and Spanish.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Earning the Junior Sportsmanship Award for racquetball

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : I am most proud of working with several other people to raise donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I am proud that when I graduated Middle School, I got a certificate that meant I had a 4.0 grade average throughout all quarters in all of my years in Middle School.

Grant Williams, 15 : Placing 2nd in my first ever 5k

Aarya Shetty, 15 : Being at the top of my classes

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Male Esprit Athlete of the Year

Eshan Ali, 17 : Finishing the Quran

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I am proud of my whole academic career and for always staying on top of everything. 

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Getting into the Business School at Texas A&M

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Winning open level outdoor and indoor tournaments with my dad

Naomi Ros, 19 : All the hard work I do every day

Ella Boaz, 19 : Graduating High School with excellent grades & a seal of biliteracy

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Graduating High school with a good GPA, becoming a leader for Salt Company, and being a big brother

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Graduating high school with a 4.7 cumulative GPA and an Associates’ Degree 

Ava Kaiser, 19 : I am proud of my 4.0 unweighted GPA in high school, as well as in college. I also feel accomplished for winning my nine Junior Worlds medals.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Graduating college in three years.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : I won an intramural dodgeball championship in college

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Coaching and giving back to the community

Jen Meyer : Being able to retire early!

Cheryl Kirk : Being the first woman president of USA Racquetball

Cindy Tilbury : Spending money wisely.

Question of the Day #2 -- If you could have a conversation with someone from history, who would it be?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : My papa (my dad)

Zane Horner, 9 : Abraham Lincoln

Sammie Rai, 9 : Frida Khalo. The conversation would be about art.

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : King Tut

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Probably my mom’s father. He died before I got to meet him, but my parents talk highly of him, and I’d really like to have met him.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Joseph G. Sobek because he is credited with inventing racquetball in 1950

Ava Leister, 12 : George Washington

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I'd have a conversation with Jesus Christ.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Margaret Thatcher

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : If I could have a conversation with someone from history, it would be with Princess Diana because she was an incredibly kind-hearted and wholesome person.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would have a conversation with Van Gogh because I think it would be cool to understand what he was going through and what inspired his art.

Grant Williams, 15 : Jesse Owens

Aarya Shetty, 15 : I would like to talk with Kurt Cobain.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Jesus Christ

Eshan Ali, 17 : Prophet Muhammad

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would like to have a conversation with Marilyn Monroe

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Theodore Rosevelt

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Coach John Wooden

Naomi Ros, 19 : I would have a conversation with my grandpa once again even if he wasn’t a celebrity 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Cleopatra

Benjamin Horner, 19 : I would say Bill Russell (Celtics Player) he changed the game of basketball and he seems interesting

Paul Saraceno, 19 : For sure Jesus

Ava Kaiser, 19 : Abraham Lincoln 

Annika Fiedler, 21 : Joan of Arc or Leonardo DeVinci

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Trudy Ederle

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : My great great great great grandparents

Jen Meyer : Eleanor Roosevelt (I love many of her quotes about life)

Cheryl Kirk : Eliza Hamilton

Cindy Tilbury : Elvis Presley.  I would ask him all about his love for racquetball.   

Text Exchange -- Ellen Williams (Grant’s Sister) to Coach George Bustos

This is too good not to share, having gotten everyone’s permission (except Grant’s). Ellen, you’re a hoot.

Just because certain family members are not here at the tournament, that doesn't mean they aren't staying involved!

Ellen to George: “I’m sure you are very busy, but Grant likes his honey sticks pre-opened before he calls a time out. Sometimes a pack of Liquid IV poured into his mouth. A tortilla is occasionally needed in between games. And if he gets honey on his hand or face, it is expected that you allow him to use your shirt to wipe it off. Sometimes he needs a kiss on the head before he re-enters the court! TIA!!”(laughing emojis)

George to Ellen: “Wow, sorry, I’m just now seeing this! Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve pulled that off today. Tortillas are basically a rare gem around here, Mexico is much easier, especially last minute. And as for my shirts? I have a strict “no honey stains” policy. But if I did have tortillas and honey handy, I think I could’ve rocked it. I sincerely appreciate the advice. I’ll consider it next match.” 

Appreciation for IRF Referees and Staff!

Twenty-one referees from 10 countries traveled here to support the IRF at this World Juniors event. The IRF has continually improved over a number of years from the time that “non-winning” players were required to referee the next match. These skilled individuals attended an update session on Friday right after the coaches’ meeting. We’re grateful for their support and hard work!

Thanks to Sebastián Digón (ARG), Germán Coppolecchia (ARG), Daniel Villarroel (BOL), Roland Keller (BOL), Gerson Miranda (BOL), Dorian Guzman (CHI), Fabián Torres (COL), Francisco Gómez (COL), Allan Chacon (CRC), Merynanyelly Delgado (DOM), Ramon De León (DOM), Martha Jarrin (ECU), Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU), Diana Aguilar (MEX), Iván Valdéz (MEX), Jaime Martell (MEX), Tucky Kravitz (MEX), Geovani Mendoza (GUA), Ángel González (GUA), Justin Elways (USA), Glenn Martineau (USA) 

The referees and all attendees are in turn supported by a seasoned staff led by IRF President Osvaldo Maggi (ARG). They are: IRF Secretary General Mauro Grandio, Pablo Berriel, and Adrian Macrino (all from ARG) as well as Dean Schear (USA), Alberto Sánchez (VEN), and Miguel Santiago (PUR/USA)

Pablo Fajre, Gary Mazaroff, Gustavo Farell (USA) and José Cruz (GUA) are providing live streaming through the entire event. 

Nicolas Florio (ARG) is working to publicize the event using his social media, photography, and graphics expertise. Visit the International Racquetball Federation on Facebook and Instagram! 

We thank the Guatemala Federation’s Local Organizing Committee, led by Dr. Estuardo Wer and Erny Escobar, for their considerable efforts in planning and operating this World Junior Championships: Emerson Beltetón , Zoila Ozaeta, Cindy Guerra, Heidi Sarceño, Hilda López, Angely de León, Marcela Escobar, Madeline Guerra. 

Division Formats Explained!

Depending upon the number of entries in each division (Boys/Girls in Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles divisions by Age), the divisions were organized into the most appropriate format: Olympic Format or Pool Play (aka Round Robins).

Boys 10, 12, and 14 Singles as well as Girls 12 and 14 Singles are competing in Olympic Format where first-round non-winners in the Gold go to the Red division (and then on to the White division if losing first round Red) and second-round non-winners in the Gold go to the Blue division. They all continue to compete until “not winning” in these “dropdown” divisions. This affords more match play and yields medals as well.

The rest of the divisions (30) are all organized into Pool Play format, with competition divided into smaller round robins for initial play. Once each of those are complete, the results are used to seed a single elimination playoff division that will be competed as a new draw to determine the medalists at the end of this coming week.  

Birthdays! 

After surviving (barely) the absolute anguish Sunday afternoon as I realized I neglected to wish Colleen Williams (Grant’s mom) a Happy Birthday on Saturday, I think it’s best to recognize right now the December birthdays in our delegation (plus a few others we know so well). 

Happy Birthday to all! Feliz Cumpleaños a todos!!

Buzura Aizezi 12/1, Luke St. Onge 12/2, Jenni Mazaroff 12/6, Colleen Williams 12/7, Gail Cowley 12/11, Slemo Warigon 12/12, Cole Sendrey 12/15, Anwar Ali 12/16, Jorge Suarez 12/17, Sarah Rykhus 12/23, Vaishant Mangalampalli 12/23, and Iain Dunn 12/28

Concluding...

More action tomorrow! Join us via the blogs, social media, and live streaming! 

Draws and Results

 can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports: https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

See the full tutorial at the end of Blog #2...

Signing off tonight from Guatemala City, and GO TEAM USA!!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #3
Saturday, December 7, 2024

Head Coach Robbie Collins Recaps the Day

“On this first day of competition, Junior Team USA worked through expected first-day jitters, becoming acclimated and more comfortable as the day went on. 

“Forty matches were competed between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, which kept the coaches moving briskly from court to court all day long.

“A great way to cap off our first day was with a nail-biter, hard-fought match in the Mixed 18 Doubles – Cole Sendrey and Naomi Ros vs. Jose Caceres and Andrea Reyes of Guatemala. This was world-class racquetball that ended with scores of 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 12-10 in Cole and Naomi’s favor. 

“Such great energy in this match and so many others that will set the tone for Day 2. Be sure to stay in touch via the information below on match results, livestreaming, and social media.

“Even this early into the event, I can’t say enough about the heart of this delegation -- athletes and parents alike. It’s a pleasure to have each and every one here with us. We have not only the largest delegation on record  (96!) but no doubt one of the most sincere and helpful. 

“It’s going to be a great week!”

Reminder on Results, Schedules, Streaming

Please go back to the end of yesterday’s blog for the full rundown on how to use technology to stay intimately connected to this XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships.

Here’s a quick synopsis:

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.

https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

Instagram: @international_racquetball

Facebook: /internationalracquetball

Website: www.internationalracquetball.com 

Please follow, like, and share posts! That goes for the USA Racquetball social media pages as well: 

Instagram: usaracquetball

Facebook: USA Racquetball

Website: www.usaracquetball.com

Hey, let’s talk food!

Question of the Day #1 -- If you could ban one food forever, what would it be?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Wasabi

Zane Horner, 9 : Brussel Sprouts

Sammie Rai, 9 : Beef because I don't eat it (and it sounds gross)

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Pickles

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I would ban pickles. The taste and texture just don’t sit right with me.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Artificial food coloring and fake dyes

Ava Leister, 12 : Brussel Sprouts

Addie Strobach, 13 : Cheese curds

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Pickles

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Bananas

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : If I could ban one food forever, I would ban blue cheese.  

Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would ban eggplants because they taste bad and have a terrible texture.

Grant Williams, 15 : Chicken pot pie

Aarya Shetty, 15 : Bittermelon

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : My mom cooks a bittermelon soup and (respectfully) it looks and smells not the greatest so probably that.

Eshan Ali, 17 : Bok choy

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would ban Octopus, because who actually enjoys eating that?

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Anchovies!!!  What are those things anyway????

DJ Mendoza, 19 : Mushrooms cause they’re gross

Naomi Ros, 19 : N/A I like everything 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Olives

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Brussel Sprouts

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Durian fruit

Ava Kaiser, 19 : I like to eat healthily, so I would have to ban all processed foods.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : I would probably ban circus peanuts

Annie Sanchez, 22 : All forms of raw fish

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Not a fan of liver

Jennifer Meyer : Hot dogs

Cheryl Kirk : Eggplant

Cindy Tilbury : For me?  All seafood.  But not for everyone, since they seem to like it.  

Okay, then, what DO we like? What about the opposite side of this topic?

Question of the Day #2 -- If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Junior Team Athletes

Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Sushi, because it is delicious

Zane Horner, 9 : Ice Cream

Sammie Rai, 9 : Nachos with extra jalapenos

Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Cheeseburgers because they’re delicious! 

Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Probably sushi. It offers so many different flavor combinations, and I love how it can be both healthy and delicious, making it hard to get bored of it.

Noah Jackola, 12 : Steak!!

Ava Leister, 12 : Smoothies, because they are delicious and healthy

Addie Strobach, 13 : Pizza because it has so many different ways to eat it, even as desert pizza’s!

Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I would eat pasta because it's delicious and has lots of different variations.

Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Crepes, since they can be both sweet and savory

Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : I would eat pasta for the rest of my life because there are different flavors and types.

Sarah Bawa, 15 : If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be pasta because there are so many types of pasta and I eat it all the time.

Grant Williams, 15 : A lamb gyro because it’s my favorite food and could eat it every day. It’s also healthy. 

Aarya Shetty, 15 : It would be soup because it has a lot of variety.

Nathan Rykhus, 16 : My mom's homemade pizza because it is really good

Eshan Ali, 17 : Buldak noodles, ‘cause they’re spicy and good!

Montserrat Torres, 17 : I think it would be a burger, or specifically, a bacon burger, because they are so delicious

Cole Sendrey, 18 : Poke, it is a sushi salad.

DJ Mendoza, 19 : I would only eat chicken because there is a lot of different ways to make it/ prepare it

Naomi Ros, 19 : Chicken salad or homemade burger 

Ella Boaz, 19 : Chicken pad thai. I love it so much and don’t think I would ever get sick of it.

Benjamin Horner, 19 : Wraps because I could make them for any meal and put different stuff in them

Paul Saraceno, 19 : Still steak… (did not change from last year haha)

Ava Kaiser, 19 : A Subway sandwich that I can customize each day.

Annika Fiedler, 21 : If pasta counts, definitely that. Pasta is very versatile and I love to cook so I would make a lot of various pasta dishes.

Annie Sanchez, 22 : Tacos because onion, cilantro, and lime are absolutely unbeatable.

Coaches/Staff

George Bustos : Eggs and pancakes combo... one of my favorites and can eat it anytime of the day

Jennifer Meyer : Raspberries because they are delicious and good for you!

Cheryl Kirk : Warm rolls with butter. Or maybe Triscuits and cheese.

Cindy Tilbury : Ice cream or frozen yogurt.  They are heaven’s gift to people.  

Mail from Home

Thanks to these fans back in the U.S. reading the Daily Blog who have communicated their encouragement to Junior Team USA: Sharron Bradford, LeaAnn Martin, Leslie Estrada, David Stob, T. J. Baumbaugh, Gail Cowley, Patricia Saraceno, Kit Lawson, Keith Calkins, Luke St. Onge, Patricia Rausch, Jennifer Donath, John O’Donnell, Jr., Susan Hendricks, and Maureen Keough. How great to hear from you! 

See everyone back here tomorrow, and GO TEAM USA!!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #2
Friday, December 6, 2024

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Good Stuff to Know

As you prepare to follow the U.S. Junior Team’s experiences in Guatemala City via livestreaming, social media, and the Daily Blogs, our goal is to make you feel like you’re here with the Team!

Time – same as U.S. Central time
Altitude – 4,920 ft. above sea level
Weather – 76 deg. day/63 deg. in evening
Currency – Quetzal (same as the national bird) 1 USD = 7.72 GTQ
Official Ball: Gearbox Sleek Black

World Championships Scoring

Rally scoring will be used, which means that a point is scored on every rally whether the rally winner was the server or the receiver.

The format will be Best 3 Games of 5, all to 11 points, all win by 2 points. In other words, the first player/team to win three games is the match winner. If one player/team wins the first three games in a row, the match is over. If they split with the opponent(s), two games each, they go to a tiebreaker fifth game.

Competition Divisions and Awards

Singles and Doubles will be competed in all age divisions. Medals will be awarded (Gold, Silver, Bronze) as will Overall, Boys, and Girls Team trophies. The Team competition is divided into two overall age categories: World Cup (21 & Under, 18 & Under, and 16 & Under) and Esprit Cup (14 & Under, 12 & Under, and 10 & Under).

Friday is a Wrap in Guatemala City

What a whirlwind of a day! Members of the U.S. Junior Team Delegation were all over the place – athletes with coaches practicing at the club; Robbie, Jen, Pablo, Cindy, and Cheryl at the noon Coaches meeting; parents making sure athletes were hydrated and fed; draws being received with great anticipation; and everyone in the delegation attending Opening Ceremonies at 5:30 pm at the Domo Polideportivo de la CDAG*.

The Domo Polideportivo de la CDAG, known commonly as Domo de la Zona 13, or simply as Domo (dome, due to the type of its roof structure), is a multi-purpose arena in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Built to host the 2000 FIFA Futsal World Championship, it is located in the Zone 13 of the Guatemalan capital.

The Coaches Meeting at 12 noon, attended by the head coaches and delegates of the 14 countries** competing here, provided general information about the tournament, e.g., water, meals, services, live streaming, schedule, transportation, format, medals/awards, seeding, appeals...and the draws!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

** The countries, their abbreviations and number of athletes from each stack up this way:

Argentina (ARG, 1); Bolivia (BOL, 43); Canada (CAN, 12); Chile (CHI, 15); Colombia (COL, 6); Costa Rica (CRI, 33); Cuba (CUB, 1); Dominican Republic (DOM, 2), Ecuador (ECU, 28); Guatemala (GUA, 19); South Korea (1), Mexico (MEX, 35); Peru (2) ; United States (USA, 41). That’s 239 in all, and it adds up to A TON of matches over the course of the next 8 days.

For Opening Ceremonies...we were a little concerned that traffic would be a major factor and deterrent to a smooth event this evening. Friday traffic jams...nearly 400 projected attendees. How would buses make their way from the hotel to Domo and back again? It could easily become an exercise in bus-ride frustration, for sure. BUT...something so surprising took place that changed everything. As the buses pulled away from the hotel, police motorcycle sirens began blaring from behind. Major intersections were temporarily blocked along the way by more motorcycles to allow the buses to move semi-freely through the streets over to the club. We had a police escort! It was really cool in part and also fairly deafening...but mostly just cool.

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Questions of the Day – Plural!

Athletes and staff diligently answered 20 questions that Cindy Tilbury has so generously organized and readied for the blog each evening. Here are two more:

Question of the Day #1: What is your favorite word in Spanish?

Junior Team Athletes

-Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Banana
-Zane Horner, 9 : Helado (Ice Cream)
-Sammie Rai, 9 : Hola (hello)
-Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Manzana
-Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Esperanza, which means "hope." It's a beautiful word & really represents my thoughts towards this tournament.
-Noah Jackola, 12 : Familia
-Ava Leister, 12 : Bien
-Addie Strobach, 13 : Vamos
-Nicolas Suarez, 13 : Renacuajo (Tadpole)
-Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Esperanza
-Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : My favorite word in Spanish is "dulce."
-Sarah Bawa, 15 : Vamos/Vamanos (Go / Let's Go)
-Grant Williams, 15 : Más pan
-Aarya Shetty, 15 : Si
-Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Señor
-Eshan Ali, 17 : Me gusta
-Montserrat Torres, 17 : Te amo
-Cole Sendrey, 18 : Rapido
-DJ Mendoza, 19 : Biblioteca or Basura
-Naomi Ros, 19 : Pedo
-Ella Boaz, 19 : Champiñones
-Benjamin Horner, 19: It’s not one word but the ending “ito” which means little. You add it to words and it makes them sound funny.
-Paul Saraceno, 19 : ESOOO!!
-Ava Kaiser, 19 : Esperanza, it means hope.
-Annika Fiedler, 21 : Esperanza (hope).
-Annie Sanchez, 22 : Jamaica

Coaches/Staff

-George Bustos : Chapapote = tar in english
-Jennifer Meyer : Hola (it is where it all starts) 😊
-Cheryl Kirk : Estacionamiento (parking garage). It just rolls off the tongue.
-Cindy Tilbury : Perrito (puppy)

Question of the Day #2: If you could live in any other country for two years, where would you go?

Junior Team Athletes

-Jasur Pridatko, 8 : Costa Rica
-Zane Horner, 9 : Australia
-Sammie Rai, 9 : Egypt. I would like to study about it more.
-Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Australia
-Aaradhya Raja, 12 : Japan. The culture, technology, and food seem amazing me, and it would be cool to experience life there.
-Noah Jackola, 12 : Spain because they don't add artificial dyes in food and drinks.
-Ava Leister, 12 : Switzerland
-Addie Strobach, 13 : Somewhere with a beach!
-Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I would go to Spain.
-Nyasa Gupta, 14 : Greece -- I've always been intrigued by its history and culture
-Shreya Singh Chandel, 14 : If I could live in another country for two years, I would go to Costa Rica.
-Sarah Bawa, 15 : I would want to live in Italy because I went there over the summer and it was amazing and I would want to go back.
-Grant Williams, 15 : Kenya
-Aarya Shetty, 15 : I would go to Singapore. The country is safe, clean, and close to other countries so I could travel!
-Nathan Rykhus, 16 : Somewhere in Europe, maybe like Italy or something. I've never been there, but it looks beautiful and the food looks really good.
-Eshan Ali, 17 : Morocco-
-Montserrat Torres, 17 : I would love to live in Europe.
-Cole Sendrey, 18 : Bahamas
-DJ Mendoza, 19 : Spain
-Naomi Ros, 19 : Spain
-Ella Boaz, 19 : Mexico
-Benjamin Horner, 19 : Probably Sweden? It sounds cool to live there and heard it’s nice.
-Paul Saraceno, 19 : Japan
-Ava Kaiser, 19 : Italy
-Annika Fiedler, 21 : Iceland or Germany. I've always wanted to go to both of those countries.
-Annie Sanchez, 22 : Switzerland

Coaches/Staff

-George Bustos : Brembate and Trezzo Sull Ladda Italy
-Jennifer Meyer : Italy
-Cheryl Kirk : Ireland or Scotland...return to my roots. But truly I just love where I live now, in Naperville USA.
-Cindy Tilbury : I would try Italy or Portugal for two years.

Back to Racquetball...

The World Juniors competition begins NOW! Athletes at this XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships will take to the courts on Saturday morning.

In times past, this Daily Blog has listed the day’s results as well as the next day’s match times.

Join us in leaping into the world of technology (and earning us a bit more sleep) by using the miracles of websites, social media, and R2 Sports on your computer or phone.

Draws and results can be viewed on internationalracquetball.com and R2 Sports.
https://www.r2sports.com/website/event-website.asp?TID=46434 (Choose View Brackets to see individual draws (click “eyeball” to see each division).

Choose View Media for Upcoming Match Days/Times as well as previous Results...here’s the pathway:

· Upcoming or Results

· Report Option: By Country or By Participant (your favorite athlete)

· Match Date: the date you want to look up

· Select Country: Choose Country by checking the box

· Click on Generate Report

Broadcast and Social Media

Select matches will be livestreamed/broadcast on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.

Instagram: @international_racquetball

Facebook: /internationalracquetball

IRF Website: www.internationalracquetball.com

Please follow, like, and share posts and stories! That goes for the USA Racquetball social media pages as well:

Instagram: usaracquetball

Facebook: USA Racquetball

Website: www.usaracquetball.com

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

GO TEAM USA!!

XXXV IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Blog #1
Thursday, December 5, 2024

Greetings from Guatemala City where 37 U.S. Junior Team athletes have arrived (or soon will arrive) to compete in the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships, December 6-14, 2024. These athletes qualified to play at the USA Racquetball National Junior Championships in Pleasanton, California, in June 2024.

Upon arrival, the priorities are to recover and settle in at the host hotel, buy plenty of bottled water, and practice at the club. Players got some good practice in at Complejo Domo de Racquetball, the 10-court host club, as they adjusted to the effect of the altitude on the ball and on themselves!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Meet the Athletes and Staff

· 37 junior athletes ranging from 22 years to 8 years old

· 8 U.S. Junior Team Staff members

· 51 parents, siblings, friends, and support staff eager to be there for the Team

That’s 96 in the delegation – it’s a record!

The 37 athletes hail from 10 states: California (16), Missouri (6), Texas (5), Oregon (3), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Minnesota (1), Nevada (1), New York (1), and Tennessee (1)

Racquetball players and fans across the country, get ready to cheer on the 2024-25 U.S. Junior Team!

World Cup (21/18/16)

Eshan Ali (CA)
Ella Boaz (MO)
Iain Dunn (OR)
Annika Fiedler (OR)
Benjamin Horner (IA)
Ava Kaiser (MN)
DJ Mendoza (TX)
Victoria Rodriguez (CA)
Naomi Ros (TX)
Nathan Rykhus (CA)
Annie Sanchez (OR)
Paul Saraceno (CA)
Cole Sendrey (TX)
Aanshi Thakur (CA)
Montserrat Torres (IL)

Esprit Cup (14/12/10)

Yana Alegria-Gonzalez (TX)
Sarah Bawa (CA)
Alexis Boyko (MO)
Reyansh Chandel (CA)
Shreya Chandel (CA)
Nyasa Gupta (CA)
Scott Haacke (NY)
Zane Horner (IA)
Noah Jackola (TX)
Ryan Joeckel (MO)
Ava Leister (TN)
Vaishant Mangalampalli (CA)
Sloka Marivada (CA)
Jasur Pridatko (CA)
Sameera Rai (CA)
Aaradhya Raja (CA)
Ayan Sharma (CA)
Aarya Shetty (CA)
Addie Strobach (MO)
Nicolas Suarez (MO)
Dhruv Vemulapalli (CA)
Grant Williams (MO)

U.S. Junior Team Coaches/Staff

Robbie Collins - Head Coach (HI)
Jen Meyer - Esprit Coach (CO)
George Bustos - Assistant Coach (TX)
Pablo Fajre - Assistant Coach (CA)
Bobby Horn - Assistant Coach (CA)
Adam Manilla - Assistant Coach (CA)
Dr. Meghan Rohde – Sports Physical Therapist (NH)
Cheryl Kirk - Team Leader (IL)
Joe Hall (TX) and Cindy Tilbury (CA) are here supporting the team as well!

Timeline

Arrivals 12/4-6
Practice 12/5-6
Opening Ceremonies 12/6
Matches 12/7-14
Awards Ceremony 12/14
Departures 12/15

Family and Coaching Support

The U.S. Junior Team Delegation will total 96 once everyone has arrived in Guatemala! Family members and friends numbering 51 will also be there in support of the Team. And, six dads** will do double duty as coaches for their own players and others, alongside the U.S. Junior Team Coaches.

They are: Surekha Anantharaman, Buzulagu Aizezi, Anwar Ali**, Megan Barrington, Waseem Bawa, Kadambari Beelwar, Sirisha Bhimineni, Brandiss Boaz, Mark Boyko, Ram Chandel, Amie Fiedler, Lilia Figueroa de Alegria, Bryon Haacke**, Dan Horner, Melissa Horner, David Joeckel, Rhonda Kimler, Nagamalli Kovya, Vineet Kumar, Kelly Leister, Sameer Mangalampalli**, Satya Marivada, David Mendoza, Ruchika Mohan, Raja Muthuraman, Almira Pridatko, Sathwik Rai, Drohn Raja, Bryan Roberts, Danielle Roberts, Victor Rodriguez, Sarah Rykhus, Steve Rykhus**, Jonathan Sanchez-Simancas, Pam Sanders, Kevin Sendrey, Shrinivas Shetty, Ritu Singh, Ashley Strobach, Jorge Suarez**, Rakesh Thakur, Adolfo Jairo Torres**, Claudia Torres, Balaji Vemulapalli, Dhathri Vemulapalli, Preetu Vashista, Colleen Williams, Miles Williams

Raffle Drawing Announcement

Many of the athletes took the opportunity to participate in selling raffle tickets to help raise funds for their trip to the World Junior Championships. They sent their tickets in to USA Racquetball’s Jonathan Greenberg who did the honors last week of conducting the drawing to determine the winner of the $500 prize.

Congratulations to Jeff Schuchardt of St. Louis whose ticket, purchased in support of Addie Strobach, was drawn from many across the country, and thanks to everyone who bought tickets to help our deserving junior athletes!

And now it’s time to re-introduce this wildly popular Daily Blog perennial feature called Question(s) of the Day!

Question of the Day (QOTD) -- What's your Why? Why do you play racquetball?

U.S. Junior Team Athletes

-Zane Horner, 9: Because my brother plays it a lot
-Sammie Rai, 9 : Because it feels good to earn medals, and win games
-Ryan Joeckel, 11 : Because it’s fun and I like to compete
-Aaradhya Raja, 12 : I love the sport itself and the friendships it builds. Playing racquetball has connected me with people I might never have met otherwise!
-Noah Jackola, 12 : It's such a fun sport and keeps me in shape.
-Ava Leister, 12 : I love the competition and it is a lot of fun.
-Addie Strobach, 13 : I play racquetball for the fun and the competition. Playing racquetball makes me a better person and shows me how to have fun in a sport and work your butt off at it.
-Nicolas Suarez, 13 : I play racquetball because my dad used to play and now we use it to bond.
-Nyasa Gupta, 14 : I play racquetball because I felt a genuine connection with it the moment I first stepped on the court.
-Shreya Chandel, 14 : I play racquetball because my family friends introduced me to the sport and encouraged me to play as well.
-Sarah Bawa, 15 : I was first introduced to racquetball by my dad and my brother. At first, I wasn’t interested in the sport, but as I played it more and kept getting better, I grew to love it. The speed and the amount of skill and agility it takes to play it are what hooked me.
-Grant Williams, 15 : I don’t know why I play. I just do. It’s just what I do and who I am.
-Aarya Shetty, 15 : I play racquetball because I love the sport and the community.
-Nathan Rykhus, 16 : I play racquetball because it gives me a way to mentally escape and get into a zone of my own, where I'm in total control of everything that I do on the court.
-Eshan Ali, 17 : It’s fun and I get good exercise.
-Montserrat Torres, 17 : I play it because of the fun and amazing opportunities I continue receiving throughout the years. I also enjoy the environment that Racquetball brings to me because it is truly like one big family.
-Cole Sendrey, 18 : I love the competitive atmosphere. I enjoy pushing myself beyond my limits to try and be the best player in the world.
-DJ Mendoza, 19 : I play racquetball because of my dad he is the one who introduced me to the game and coached me when I was younger.
-Naomi Ros, 19 : I play racquetball because it makes me feel stronger, I love the adrenaline of the game and compete
-Ella Boaz, 19 : I play racquetball because I love the strategy involved and think it’s a lot of fun.
-Benjamin Horner, 19 : I play racquetball because I love competing and the thrill of long rallies with lots of diving is amazing
-Paul Saraceno, 19 : Racquetball is an outlet for me to de-stress and enjoy a hobby that I’ve put a lot of time and effort into.
-Ava Kaiser, 19 : Racquetball has been a part of my life since I was 5, and without it, I wouldn’t be me.
-Annika Fiedler, 21 : I play racquetball because I absolutely love it. I also love the racquetball community. Playing in tournaments is one of my favorite things. I get to play the sport I love and talk to so many cool people who also love it!
-Annie Sanchez, 22 : I play because I love the game and I love challenging myself every day to be the best player I can be!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball

Coaches/Staff Weigh In!

-George Bustos: Love the Game and love to compete
-Jennifer Meyer: Meeting and creating lifelong friendships with people from all over the world.
-Cheryl Kirk: To support my chocolate habit. Also for fun, friendship, belonging, and competition.
-Cindy Tilbury: Originally to burn some calories. Burning calories is still important, but it is simply a calling now—the perfect sport with friends.

For the Fans Back Home...

It’s so important to the U.S. Junior Team Delegation that the love is felt from home! To help everyone back in the States feel like they’re right here courtside, the following will be offered:

1. The Daily Blog, accompanied by plenty of photos posted on the USA Racquetball website and social media.

2. Social media posts from the staff as well as the families and the athletes themselves.

3. Live streaming provided by the IRF for quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, (and the Awards Ceremony on December 14th), for fans from participating countries including the USA.

Follow along with us, here we go...

GO TEAM USA!!

Friends & Family of USA Racquetball