Junior of the Month September 2022
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by Anwar Ali
Congratulations to Eshan Ali, Aarya Shetty, and Vaishant Mangalampalli, three Junior players out of Bay Club Fremont (California) who have earned their places on the U.S. Junior National Team (Esprit 14 & Under for Eshan and Esprit 12 & Under for Aarya and Vaishant) to compete at the IRF World Junior Championships in Guatemala City this December. They double- or triple-qualified in Des Moines in June 2022 and have been training hard ever since to bring their A-games and beyond to World Juniors!
Speaking on behalf of myself and my fellow coaches––Rod Guadalupe, Robbie Collins, and now Adam Manilla––we are incredibly proud of the hard work and spirit that has brought these great athletes to the national limelight.
Get to know Eshan, Vaishant, and Aarya better here, and please follow them and the entire U.S. Junior Team as they prepare for the trip to Guatemala (see companion article in this September issue of Serving Up the News!).
ESHAN ALI
Age: 15
School: Sophomore at James Logan High School, Union City, California
Started playing Racquetball at 5 years old
Multiple National Junior Singles and Doubles Champion and two-time World Juniors Bronze medalist in Singles and Doubles
Qualified at the 2022 Nationals for Boys 14 & Under Singles and Boys 14 & Under Doubles (Partner: Nathan Rykhus)
Special Racquetball Skills: Staying calm under pressure and keeping his focus
Eshan has always had great support from E-Force Racquetball, Reaching Your Dream Foundation, California Nevada Racquetball Association, the Northern California Racquetball community, and friends and family.
Eshan played 7 years of Baseball and 5 years of Basketball. He is currently trying Track & Field.
Interests outside Racquetball: Playing video games and hanging out with friends.
AARYA SHETTY
Age: 13
School: 8th grader at Horner Middle School, Fremont California
Started playing Racquetball at 3 years old after watching her big sister Sonya play
Played Baseball early on but started Racquetball full time at 10 years old
2022 Triple Gold Champion: Qualified at the 2022 USAR National Junior Championships for Girls 12 & Under Singles, Girls 12 & Under Doubles (Partner: Sarah Bawa), and Mixed 12 & Under Doubles (Partner: Vaishant Mangalampalli)
Special Racquetball Skills: Court awareness and learning to make amazing shots
Aarya is one of the sweetest and friendliest girls you will ever meet; all the players and coaches love her!
VAISHANT MANGALAMPALLI
Age: 12
School: 7th grader at Horner Middle School, Fremont, California
Started playing Racquetball at 6 years old
2022 Triple Gold Champion: Qualified at the 2022 USAR National Junior Championships for Boys 12 & Under Singles, Boys 12 & Under Doubles (Partner: Lucas Frost-Biskup), and Mixed 12 & Under Doubles (Partner: Aarya Shetty).
Note: In the Boys 12 & Under Doubles at World Juniors, Lucas unfortunately cannot attend; Vaishant’s partner in Guatemala will be Alejandro Robles Picon.
Special Racquetball Skills: Trying to make picture-perfect shots and his dedication for perfection
Vaishant is one of the fastest kids in his P.E. class and trains in Squash as well as Racquetball.
Interests outside Racquetball: Spending time with his little sister and dog, reading, watching TV, and playing video games.
Bay Club Fremont Junior Team
Coach Rod Guadalupe originally recruited the players. The Team has been recently coached by Robbie Collins (IRT Pro #23 and former Junior Team USA Assistant Coach) and is currently coached by Adam Manilla (IRT Pro #12 and founder of Manilla Athletics).
We have enjoyed great success at USAR National Juniors and IRF World Juniors in the past and are looking forward to continuing the trend in Guatemala City, December 2-10, 2022!
Bay Club team sharing their medals with Junior players
Medals and Awards Galore! Eshan Ali, Vaishant Mangalampalli, Robbie Collins, Aarya Shetty, Sonya Shetty, and Anwar Ali
In Des Moines, June 2022: Coach Anwar Ali, Nikhi Prasad, Aarya Shetty, Sonya Shetty, Vaishant Mangalampalli, Eshan Ali, and Coach Robbie Collins
Photos courtesy of Anwar Ali and Junior Families
