XXXIV Pan American Racquetball Championships Blog

 

Rodger Fleming, our athletic trainer (see Blog #4), has been tirelessly treating Team USA since his arrival on Saturday. He’s a miracle worker. After the Awards Ceremony this evening, Rodger will prepare to catch the United redeye flight to Houston with Victor Manilla. Rodger, when asked for his perspective on his fourth international event with Team USA, had this to say:

“I was the last of the delegation to arrive (Saturday evening), and I had the entire team of six athletes receiving some form of treatment and recovery that very evening. As the days went by, everyone stayed as ready as they possibly could be. This type of tournament tests everyone’s physical and mental toughness! We didn’t succeed in every aspect, but what we did do, I could see by the hour, we grew as racquetball players, and most importantly, human beings. To battle through the adversity of what international tournaments present, this team is GOLD medal worthy! Without some failure, there can be no success. As the team heard me say this trip: “Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield.” 

 

“Thank you, USA Racquetball, Rhonda, Michelle, Erika, Jake, Sam, and Thomas for allowing me the opportunity to be here for you! Humbled and Blessed!!

 

“Thank you, Victor Manilla and Jen Meyer for taking me to dinner. As a medical provider, we sometimes are in some form of isolation or “on an island” during these types of trips. Forever grateful. 

 

A HUGE shoutout for Cheryl Kirk. Her attention to detail, passion, and dedication to individuals on this trip did not go unnoticed! Having Cheryl on a trip vs. NOT are drastically different experiences. Cheryl - you are the ROCKSTAR.  

Saving the most important for last, my dear, sweet, strong, and supportive wife, Michelle. I couldn’t do this without you! Thank you for doing everything behind the scenes at home and for putting your life on hold while I travel for work. To my son, Chandler: I’ll be home soon, and thank you for helping Michelle. I love you both! 

Thanks as always for your support of Team USA! 

 

Susan Hendricks, Maureen Keough, Sharron Bradford, Gail Cowley, Kit Lawson, Brett Elkins, Carrie Reitmeier, Joanne Pomodoro, John O’Donnell, Jr., Karen Key, Karen Bredenbeck, Luke St. Onge, Keith Calkins, David Stob...and more!

 

 

Men’s Open -- Playoff for 3rd: Jake def. Diego Garcia (ARG), WBF

Men’s 9/12 -- Playoff for 3rd: Thomas def. Gabriel Garcia (CRC), 11-3, 11-1, 11-1

 

Women’s 9/12 – Playoff for 3rd: Erika def. Maria Paz Munoz (ECU), 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8

Women’s 13/16 – Playoff for 3rd: Rhonda def. Anna Paula Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 11-13, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4

 

Women’s 5/8 – Final: Erika and Michelle def. Maria Jose Munoz/Ana Sarmiento (ECU), 11-4, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4

 

Men’s Open – Playoff for 3rd: Jake and Sam def. Gabriel Garcia/Andres Acuña (CRC), 11-9, 11-8, 11-4

Mixed – Playoff for 3rd: Sam and Michelle def. Maria Jose Vargas/Diego Garcia (ARG), WBF

 

Erika Manilla, Women’s Singles 9/12, #11  

Rhonda Rajsich, Women’s Singles 13/16, #15  

Erika Manilla/Michelle Key, Women’s Doubles 5/8, #5  

 

Jake Bredenbeck, Men’s Singles, Bronze 

Thomas Carter, Men’s Singles 9/12, #10  

Jake Bredenbeck/Sam Bredenbeck, Men’s Doubles, Bronze 

Michelle Key/Sam Bredenbeck, Mixed Doubles, Bronze 

 

1^st – Conrrado Moscoso (BOL)

2^nd – Carlos Keller Vargas (BOL)

3^rd – Jake Bredenbeck (USA)

3^rd – Diego Garcia (ARG)

1^st – Montserrat Mejia (MEX)

2^nd – Maria Jose Vargas (ARG)

3^rd – Maricruz Ortiz (CRC)

3^rd – Natalia Mendez (ARG)

1^st – Rodrigo Montoya/Eduardo Portillo (MEX)

2^nd – Kadim Carrasco/Conrrado Moscoso (BOL)

3^rd – Sam Bredenbeck/Jake Bredenbeck (USA)

3^rd – Gabriel Garcia/Andres Acuna (CRC)

1^st – Alexandra Herrera/Montserrat Mejia (MEX)

2^nd – Gabriela Martinez/Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA)

3^rd – Jenny Daza/Angelica Barrios (BOL)

3^rd – Valeria Centellas/Natalia Mendez (ARG) 

1^st – Angelica Barrios/Conrrado Moscoso (BOL)

2^nd – Paola Longoria/Rodrigo Montoya (MEX)

3^rd – Michelle Key/Sam Bredenbeck (USA)

3^rd – Maria Jose Vargas/Diego Garcia (ARG)

Congratulations to all of the countries for their efforts and results at the Pan American Racquetball Championships! Team USA was third in Men's Team, and fourth in Overall Combined Team. We're really proud of the effort everyone put in to play their hearts out and to support each other.

1^st – Mexico

2^nd – Argentina

3^rd – Bolivia

4^th – Guatemala

 

1^st – Bolivia

2^nd – Mexico

3^rd – USA

4^th – Argentina

 

1^st – Mexico

2^nd – Bolivia

3^rd – Argentina

4^th -- USA

 

The U.S. Team Delegation wishes to deliver our gratitude to those who made this event so truly memorable:

 

The Local Organizing Committee, headed by Dr. Estuardo Wer, for hosting this very successful event. The work behind the scenes to host a tournament of this magnitude is extensive. Congratulations on a job very well done! From the hotel to the transportation, the awards, the coordination, this experience was smooth and enjoyable. 

 

Javier Gomez and Marta Garcia of Las Americas Exclusive Service for their friendly and reliable ground transportation from airport/hotel/airport.

 

The staff of the Clarion Suites Hotel for their welcoming hospitality. 

 

The club staff members, the many volunteers at the club, and the shuttle drivers who provided excellent service and hospitality. You did your country proud!

 

Marie Gomar deserves a very special thank you for the many, many things she did for Team USA (and everyone else!) and for the multitudes of questions she answered immediately upon receiving them. What a blessing to have such a wonderful friend to help us navigate logistics and details on this 10-day trip! 

The desk staff and referees from eight countries who were on hand to provide a quality experience for the players:

 

=> Operations/Leadership: Osvaldo Maggi (Argentina), Mauro Grandio Buzeleh (Argentina), Dean Schear (USA), Gustavo Farell (USA/Uruguay)

 

=> Broadcast/Streaming/Social Media: Pablo Fajre (Chile), Gary Mazaroff (USA), Adrian Macrino (Argentina), Alexis Iwaasa (Canada)

 

=> Desk Staff and Referees: Alberto Sánchez (Venezuela), Sebastián Digón (Argentina); Ivan Valdéz, Diana Aguilar, Ricardo Gonzalez (Mexico); Fabián Torres, Francisco Gómez (Colombia); Alvaro Yáñez (Chile), Roland Keller, Daniel Villaroel (Bolivia); John Halko (Canada); Jehyson Franco, Luis Perez, Javier Martinez (Guatemala)

IRF sponsor Gearbox who contributes significantly to these international events.

 

Uniform sponsor Nike APS and Kevin Cowley (see Blog #7) – thanks for the outstanding assistance!

 

Jen Meyer and Victor Manilla for coming to hang with Team USA at PARC. Your uplifting presence made a big difference to all of us!

 

Tom Travers for the donated use of two massage tables so that Rodger could properly treat our athletes. 

 

Antonio Olivieri, USOPC Director of Security Operations, for his unwavering support of Team USA, not only during this event but over many years. We know you have our backs!

 

IRF President Osvaldo Maggi and IRF Vice President Marcelo Gomez Pacheco for their leadership and dedication to Racquetball and its development around the world. Also to Luke St. Onge and Keith Calkins whose earlier work set a solid foundation for the future. 

 

Aimee Roehler who posted the blogs and photos as they were sent over.  

 

Last but not least, to all the readers of this blog, some reaching out with comments, who helped Team USA feel the love from back home! 

 

That’s a wrap on the Daily Blogs from Guatemala City! Tomorrow we return to the U.S. and look back on this experience as one we’ll always treasure.

 

Happy Easter to all who celebrate, and...

Last but not least, Erika Manilla delivers her thoughts on this 10-day event:

"What a trip. As you have seen in the results, today was a tough day for Team USA. Win or lose, the mental and physical difficulty of this tournament is something I have never experienced before, and I applaud and admire all of my teammates for leaving it all out on the court. The new environment, humidity, last-minute changes of schedules, rules differences, adjusting to new foods, representing your country…it adds up!! We had a job to get done this week and although we fell short, there is no other shirt that I would have rather worn with pride than the three letters that mean the world to each and every one of the athletes and representatives here. 

 

"What makes this IRF event so different from not only a regular LPRT/IRT event but even a different IRF event is the significance of our performance. It is about bringing our best, day in and day out, for 8 days (repeat and emphasis on 8 days) to allow USA to have the best possible representation at the Pan American Games, the highest we go as a sport in the Olympic movement. This past week no one has even been alone, and we have continued to lean on one another and bring each other up as Team USA. Every athlete not only repped our letters with Pride but was there for one another. You need something, your teammate has you. You feel like you can’t get that last point, your team is there to give you the confidence that you can. Need a hug…well Jake has us all covered on that one! ha-ha

 

"Shoutout to everyone who has been watching from home. The support is noticed, and we are grateful for it. I am blessed to be here, blessed to compete, blessed to be an American. Thank you all, we are still not done, for our match results tomorrow will continue to determine rankings for the Pan American Games as well as overall points. Forever and always bleed the Red, White, and Blue, and Go Team USA!"

Semifinals: Michelle and Sam lost to Angelica Barrios/Conrrado Moscoso (BOL), 11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 8-11

 

Thanks for your emails and texts – you are making a difference to Team USA:

Alok Mehta, David Stob, Maureen Keough, John Thorson, Mike Russo, Kevin Cowley, Karen Bredenbeck, Kendra Tutsch, Joanne Pomodoro, Christopher Lawson, John O’Donnell, Jr., Susan Hendricks, Keith Calkins, Sharron Bradford, and Jonathan Greenberg

As in Antigua and Downtown Guatemala City, the Clarion Suites Hotel today created a sawdust carpet outside the front door of the hotel in observance of Good Friday. Jen Meyer and Marie Gomar helped out with information, research, and photos of this centuries-old practice. Read on...

“The most traditional use of these carpets is for processions related to Holy Week in Mexico and Central America (especially in Sutiaba, León, Nicaragua and Antigua Guatemala) and Corpus Christi in the United States. ...” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawdust_carpet

All times are the same as U.S. Mountain Time.

Men’s Open -- Playoff for 3rd: Jake, 11:00 vs. Diego Garcia (ARG)

Men’s 9/12 -- Playoff for 3rd: Thomas, 11:00 vs. Gabriel Garcia (CRC)

 

Women’s 9/12 – Playoff for 3rd: Erika, 11:00 vs. Maria Munoz (ECU)

Women’s 13/16 – Playoff for 3rd: Rhonda, 12:00 vs. Anna Paula Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA)

 

Women’s 5/8 – Final: Erika and Michelle, 1:00  vs. Maria Munoz/Ana Sarmiento (ECU)

Men’s Open – Playoff for 3rd: Jake and Sam, 2:00 vs. Gabriel Garcia/Andres Acuna (CRC)

Mixed – Playoff for 3rd: Sam and Michelle, 3:00 vs. Maria Jose Vargas/Diego Garcia (ARG)

 

After the Awards Ceremony takes place late tomorrow afternoon, the 14 countries’ delegations will be winding down, packing, and preparing to return home. 

 

This blog may reach racquetball fans a little off-schedule as six of us in the delegation (including yours truly) will make their way to La Aurora International Airport in the wee hours of Easter Sunday. 

 

But we still have an exciting day of competition tomorrow! In unison, join us in chanting...

All times are the same as U.S. Mountain time.

 

* Semifinals: Jake, 10:00 vs. Conrrado Moscoso (BOL)

Men’s 9/12 Semifinals: Thomas, 12:00 vs. Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) 

* Scheduled for live streaming on Court 6! Doubles times are approximate based on the length of earlier matches on that court. 

 

Thinking back to 2012, this annual PARC event took place in Temuco, Chile. I was the team leader and Rhonda Rajsich was the team. We both survived. Since then, we’ve been to many destinations together, with many delegations, with lots of stories to tell, with lots to reminisce about.  

 

It’s Rhonda’s turn for comments in the 2023 blog...enjoy!

 

“What a week it has been so far! This may be one of the smaller delegations that I have been a part of, but it is definitely one of the strongest and most talented, incredibly unified in purpose and support. Especially since most of us play our respective pro tours mostly in solitude, it is tremendous to have the support of such a well-seasoned group of champions in this lineup.  

 

“While each of us has run into an undesired outcome in at least one of our matches, we remain focused and determined to continue play hard and leave it all on the court. We want to achieve the best results for the USA for the Pan Am Games in October. The heart in this Team is stronger than I have the words to describe. I am incredibly proud to battle alongside each and every one of them, and will do so anytime, anywhere. Jake, Sam, Thomas, Erika, Michelle, just say when.

 

“That certainly includes our fearless and meticulous Team Leader, Cheryl, for putting in countless hours of preparation and diligence to ensure that the only thing we need to do when we get here is just play. She takes on so much to make sure that we don’t have to. Since I have been on the U.S. Team “a few” times, I can tell you it is drastically different as an athlete when there are events where we are absent of her thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Thank you, Chief!

 

“I know I can speak for us all when I say that Rodger is absolutely our secret weapon. He provides what we wish we had at every event we play throughout the season. From patching up wounds to taping ankles, pre- and post-match stretching, and multiple disciplines of therapies and treatments, Rodger makes sure that we can physically be at our best, even when that means early mornings and late nights for him to get each of us taken care of. We couldn’t play this hard for this long without his extensive experience and modalities to keep us ready and healthy. Thank you, Rodger! 

 

“The support for this Team from our loved ones at home is deeply appreciated. The words of encouragement, the comments on the live feeds, the phone calls and voicemails that we get from YOU go a long way in knowing that there is a nation behind us, supporting us and cheering for us. I would personally like to thank my closest for their dedication to tuning in when we play, and sending me into every match with love and inspiration: my partner Lea and our puppy, Lezbo, my mother Deneen and her husband, Randy, Ms. Jacque, Sara & Fiona, Coach Jim Winterton and from another plane, my father, Dennis. Also, shoutouts to Kit Lawson, Frank Taddonio, Nick Materese, Joanne Pomodoro, and Laura (from across the street).

 

“We may not find ourselves exactly where we had intended to be at the beginning of this event, but we have a lot more to give in these next rounds as we continue to fight as a group on a single mission. Thank you all for your support. We couldn’t be here without you!

 

“P.S. On a final personal note, I would like to thank Lea for spending a week in Guatemala with me ahead of this event to celebrate her birthday. We had such incredible experiences (and probably the best pizza we’ve ever eaten) in Antigua; hiking and spending the night at Acatenango volcano; stunned at the beauty of Fuego erupting. We made memories in San Marcos, San Pedro, Jaibalito, Santa Cruz, and Panajachel, all on Lake Atitlan, where we had an adorable, secluded lake-side cottage with an outdoor bathroom (yes, literally outside under the sun and stars) and breathtaking views. Finishing the trip with a tandem jump into the lake from our private dock, I was honored to share this dream trip celebrating my dream partner in such a beautiful place. Thank you, my love, I hope it was the best birthday yet!”

Jake def. Edwin Galicia (GUA), 7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5

Thomas lost to Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 6-11

 

Erika lost to Montserrat Mejia (MEX), 9-11, 14-16, 11-8, 13-15

Rhonda lost to Paola Longoria (MEX), 5-11, 5-11, 13-15

Adding to the list of family and friends who have been staying in touch so far via this blog, today I’m pleased to add Rosco Halsey and Brett Elkins. Brett shared some memories of Junior Worlds trips featuring Erika and Thomas as well as Jordan Cooperrider, Daniel Rojas, and Adam Manilla. Good times, great memories!

 

Speaking of Junior Worlds, guess who snuck into the country today with only the knowledge of a couple of people sworn to secrecy? It’s U.S. Junior Team Esprit Coach Jen Meyer! A couple days ago, Jen introduced this wild idea that sprung from a FaceTime call with Erika. Erika said, “I wish you were here, Jen!” Apparently when Erika speaks, airline tickets get bought, passports get dusted off, and ungodly layovers take place. But Jen made it here, and it instantly became “old home week.” She was greeted in a verklempt fashion including lots of hugs before settling in to watch some Team USA racquetball. Later, she chilled back at the hotel for a while before going to dinner with the gals on the team. Team USA in six total matches tomorrow will have the benefit of Jen’s encouragement and support! Welcome, Coach Jen!!

 

You know it’s hot and humid when support staff members take turns holding up (very) sweaty shirts in front of a huge pedestal fan to get them dry enough to put back on (Thomas) in case the 12:00 laundry run didn’t make it. (Note: fans that big and powerful make a train wreck out of perfectly coiffed hair – just saying.)

Rhonda vs. Erika, 10:00, Women’s 9/12

 

Jake, 11:30 vs. Andree Parrilla (MEX), Quarterfinals

 

Thomas, 12:15 vs. Fernando Kurzbard (ARG), Men’s 9/12

 

* Erika and Michelle, 1:45 vs. Jenny Daza Navia/Angelica Barrios (BOL), Quarterfinals

 

Jake and Sam, 2:30 vs. Jose Daniel Ugalde/Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU), Quarterfinals

 

* Michelle and Sam, 4:45 pm vs. Jaime Mansilla/Carla Munoz (CHI), Quarterfinals

Blogger’s Note: Wishing Terry Rogers a very Happy Birthday on Thursday! Terry is Vice President of the USAR Board of Directors and President of the California Nevada Racquetball Association (CNRA). She additionally serves in significant leadership roles with Military Adaptive Court Sports (MACS) and the Women’s Senior Masters Racquetball Association (WSMRA). Thanks for all you do, Terry, and have a great birthday!

Michelle: Today was an excellent day of relaxation and recovery. We enjoyed walking around and discovering new places to eat. We got some much needed rest so we can be ready for the rest of the event. For dinner, we went back to the Artisan Restaurante for that chocolate cake! Can’t wait for some great wins tomorrow.

“Love receiving these Blogs. Go USA!!!” – Keith Calkins

Jake said it best in a text to the team this evening: “I know a few of us had some tough losses. But proud of everyone for fighting and working. Great job to those who got the wins. Tomorrow the real tourney starts.”

Greetings, and welcome to Blog #3!

 

The next six installments will contain comments made by U.S. Team members, one per day, as they give their perspectives on their experiences here.

 

First up is Team Co-Captain Jake Bredenbeck:

“These first days in Guatemala have been great! The first two days of competition have gone very well for Team USA. We have won every match so far, but tomorrow will be the most difficult day of pool play for all of us. Nothing we can't handle. Not having a head coach here has been interesting but in a good way! Everyone on the team is supporting each other really well by being at matches when they can (have to take care of our bodies and our own needs to be prepared first of all), taking care of needs for others, etc. We have a good dynamic with other players coaching and helping in any way possible. Everything is running smoothly so far on that front. All of the players are dialing it in and turning it up, which is great to see knowing that each day is one step closer to our goal. I fully believe and know that this team can take home the overall title, as well as the men’s and women’s titles. 

 

“I am very thankful and happy to be here playing for Team USA. There is nothing I love more in racquetball than representing my country while playing the sport I love. To be able to have my brother here and to be playing doubles with him means even more and is something I will cherish forever. This team has been awesome to be a part of, and I know they all want to win just as badly as I do. Time to get some rest and take another step towards the gold tomorrow. 

 

“Thank you to everyone who is back home supporting us. Thank you to my parents for always supporting me.Thanks to my brother for being in my corner in singles and going to battle with me in doubles. Lastly, thanks to the team for putting in the effort and work needed accomplish our goals individually, as well as a team. Time to go to work.”

Rhonda def. Juliette Parent (CAN), 11-6, 11-9, 12-10

Erika def. Michele Morissette (CAN), 11-7, 12-10, 11-4  

 

Thomas def. Set Cubillos (COL), 11-9, 11-5, 11-2

Jake def. Fernando Kurzbard (ARG), 11-6, 11-8, 11-8

 

Jake/Sam def. Ronal Cardona/Carlos Eduardo Medrano Casco (HON), 11-5, 11-3, 11-7

Michelle/Sam def. Cristina Amaya/Set Cubillos (COL), 11-6, 11-3, 11-8

Michelle/Erika – Bye

 

Dedicated staff members and referees are here in support of the event and its athletes. The operations staff, including those who are providing live streaming, are a dedicated and talented team who do a magnificent job and continue to raise the bar at each and every IRF and PARC event. 

 

The referees (in Spanish, arbitros) met after the Coaches meeting on Friday, and we grabbed a great group photo before their meeting started. They are the unsung heroes of each event, officiating many hours a day to ensure that athletes get experienced referees and never have to think about being referees themselves. 

Operations/Leadership: Osvaldo Maggi (Argentina), Mauro Grandio Buzeleh (Argentina), Dean Schear (USA), Gustavo Farell (Uruguay)

 

Broadcast/Streaming/Social Media: Pablo Fajre (Chile), Gary Mazaroff (USA), Adrian Macrino (Argentina), Alexis Iwaasa (Canada)

 

Desk Staff and Referees: Alberto Sánchez (Venezuela), Sebastián Digón (Argentina); Ivan Valdéz, Diana Aguilar, Ricardo Gonzalez (Mexico); Fabián Torres, Francisco Gómez (Colombia); Alvaro Yáñez (Chile), Roland Keller, Daniel Villaroel (Bolivia); John Halko (Canada); Jehyson Franco, Luis Perez, Javier Martinez (Guatemala)

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.

Victor Manilla, Erika’s dad, is here in Guatemala as a racquetball fan and a tourist...although tourist isn’t exactly the right word to define what he did late last week. On Friday and Saturday, he joined with a hiking excursion group and had the experience of a lifetime. 

 

With a group of 20 other hikers (9 women, 12 men), two guides, and two well-treated stray dogs, Victor first ascended Volcán de Acatenango (13,044 ft. above sea level), slept in a 12 x 12 ft. tent with 7 other hikers (including one who snored), and go all the way down only to then hike toward Volcán de Fuego (12,346 ft. above sea level) where the most frequent and dramatic eruptions occur. In fact, it was Fuego that erupted significantly on December 11^th of last year just as the U.S. Junior Team Delegation was preparing to return home to the U.S. 

 

Victor’s fellow hikers were mostly young people in their 20’s, nomads per se, exploring the world and searching for their place in it. Countries represented included Spain, Australia, Italy, Wales, Germany, British Columbia and others. He was the only American in the group. Nearly all spoke English. 

 

Spectacular photos punctuated this arduous undertaking that Victor describes as “extremely difficult,” regardless of what the guide company described. 

Reflections on the Adventure:

 

“First there was the jungle, then the tree line, and above that was volcanic rock. The trails were crushed dirt or rock, and steep. They recommended that you bring climbing sticks (could be bought in the village before ascent), and I found I needed them as much to climb up as to break a fall.

“Getting to know the people in the group, I was thoroughly impressed with their work ethic to support traveling the world on their own. They prefer not to have friends or family travel with them. They feel it drags them down, that they can’t be completely free when they’re with another person, that being by themselves makes them more outgoing, and it’s easier to meet people. They look for adventures in cities with hostels. Almost no one knew each other in this group. They told me about Workaway.com, where jobs can be found in countries around the world, to earn money to live this kind of life, for example in agriculture, as au pairs, etc. 'Employers pay you, let you live with them, and feed you, which allows you to save money, explore, and then move on.' The girls in the group, in particular, impressed me with their confidence. They reminded me of my own daughter.

 

“When I got back to the hotel on Saturday, I took off my shoes and socks, and my feet were nearly black from the dirt and ash. I wish I had taken a photo to show Nancy!

 

“Socks? I went through two pair, the second dirtier than the first.

 

“Overall, it’s amazing what the body can do when there is no choice but to finish. Once you started this, there was no turning back.

 

“A Gallo Cerveza tasted great on Saturday night!”

 

After a good night’s sleep, Victor was at the club Sunday to cheer on the U.S. Team to their 6-for-6 wins.

All times are the same as U.S. Mountain Time.

 

Now it’s on to the final day of pool play/round robin competition. 

 

The matches on Monday are the last of the round robin seeding rounds. Results from these past three days will now be used to create the main draws that will be played out in the last half of the tournament, resulting in finals and individual/team medals presentations on Saturday, April 8^th.  

Jake – 10:00 am vs. Juan Salvatierra (GUA)

Thomas – 10:45 am vs. Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU)

 

Erika – 12:15 pm vs. Montserrat Mejia (MEX)

Rhonda – 12:15 pm vs. Paola Longoria (MEX)

 

Jake/Sam – 2:30 pm vs. Conrrado Moscoso/Kadim Carrasco (BOL)

Michelle/Erika – 3:15 pm vs. Alexandra Herrera/Montserrat Mejia (MEX)

Michelle/Sam – 4:45 pm vs. Maria Jose Vargas/Diego Garcia (ARG)

 

Be sure to visit www.internationalracquetball.com, www.panamericanracquetball.com, or R2 Sports to keep up with the results and review the live streaming schedule each day. 

 

From Guatemala City...GO TEAM USA!!

I’m usually not at a loss for words, but the best way to convey the emotion of today is O.M.G.

 

Resilience, mental toughness, experience, grit, determination, power – it was all there on display as Team USA went 6 for 6 on this first day of round robin competition. And it certainly wasn’t without a couple of nail-biter 5-game matches that had us sitting on the edge of the bleachers with hearts beating fast. Please let them win. Please let this be over. Some of us, or at least one of us, is too old for this! 

This was especially true for Rhonda’s singles match and the Sam/Michelle mixed doubles war that ended the day.

 

Rhonda took on Merynanyelly Delgado from the Dominican Republic. Rhonda’s experience and maturity prevailed over the younger player’s impressive textbook racquetball performance. I’ve been watching Merynanyelly for years but hadn’t seen her in a while. She played great! She has come of age.

 

Michelle and Sam took on Pazita and Cueva of Ecuador, and we had another 5-game battle on our hands with three of those games going into extended “win by 2” territory. As fifth-game spectator Gary Mazaroff was overheard to have predicted when the score was around 9-9, “This is going to go 17-15.” 

 

He could have saved my manicure if he had just told me that. Gary, you owe me $40. 

 

So take a look at how it all unfolded on this first day of April and first day of competition:

Thomas def. Ronal Cardona (HON), 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 

Jake – First-round bye

 

Erika def. Maricruz Ortiz (CRC)  11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8

Rhonda def. Merynanyelly Delgado (DOM) 11-8, 8-11, 16-18, 11-8, 12-10

 

Jake/Sam def. Christian Wer Llerena/Edwin Galicia (GUA) 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5

Michelle/Erika def. Carla Munoz/Paula Javiera Mansilla Cid (CHI) 11-7, 11-8, 11-9

Michelle/Sam def. Maria Paz Munoz/Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU), 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-14, 17-15

 

Let’s stop here for a moment and review some key points about this event:

 

As mentioned yesterday, the first part of the tournament is pool play/round robin, seeded by countries’ past results. The outcome of this first phase will determine the seeding for the main draws* that will commence on Tuesday 4/4. From there, individual medals and team honors will be awarded on Saturday 4/8. 

 

The format throughout 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 their opponent(s), two games each, they go to a tiebreaker fifth game. 

 

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

 

*Usually once the main draws have been established, it’s single elimination from then on. However, this event is different in that it is the sole qualifier for the Pan American Games (Santiago 2023) that will take place in October. What this means is the 14 countries in attendance are vying for how many will be allowed to participate and then of those who qualify to go, how many players they will be allowed to bring (male and female separately, based on this event’s results). All places will be played out via dropdown places to the very end. 

 

In Santiago, 24 men and 24 women will be invited to compete. For the first four countries, male and female positions can earn a maximum of 3 positions (with Chile as the host country automatically being one of these four.) Then, another six will earn positions for two players.

 

The U.S. Team athletes competing for their country are not necessarily the ones who will go to Santiago. Once USAR knows how many slots have been earned, that number of athletes will be selected, via recommendation of the U.S. Team Committee and approval of the USAR Board of Directors, from the roster of the new U.S. Team whose term runs from 6/1/23 through 5/31/24. 

 

Long story short, these six athletes competing their hearts out here are doing it for love of their country and their sport with no guarantee of a spot on the Santiago 2023 U.S. Team delegation. Thanks to each and every one. 

 

Welcome to Rodger, our athletic trainer, who arrived tonight. As an April Fools’ joke, I thought about telling the team today that Rodger had to cancel his trip here at the last minute...but Rodger is WAAYY too important to mess with their heads like that, even for 20 seconds. So this day passed without a single April Fool’s joke played.

 

Oh, I take that back. 

 

Several years ago, my good friend Marie Gomar who lives here in Guatemala wrote to say her son was starting a lawn-mowing business and could I arrange to send a lawn mower to Guatemala? Not wanting to disappoint, I thought hard about how I could pull that off until she sent a hysterically laughing emoji and “April Fools.”

 

So anyway, revenge was mine today. I had brought Marie some Cadbury Chocolate Eggs (Royal Dark), something she really loves, and I was keeping them safe with me at the club. She came to claim them, and putting on an “oh no” expression, I told her that I had shared some with the team and then had carelessly left the rest on the bleachers three courts down. She started off on a sprint until it hit her: April Fools’! 😂

 

If that didn’t come through as a hysterically laughing emoji, use your imagination.

 

But I digressed significantly. 

 

Welcome, Rodger! We’re so glad you’re here!

All times are the same as U.S. Mountain Time.

Rhonda – 10:00 am vs. Juliette Parent (CAN)

Erika – 10:45 am vs. Michele Morissette (CAN)

 

Thomas – 11:30 am vs. Set Cubillos (COL)

Jake – 12:15 pm vs. Fernando Kurzbard (ARG)

 

Jake/Sam – 3:15 pm vs. Ronal Cardona/Carlos Eduardo Medrano Casco (HON)

Michelle/Sam – 4:45 pm vs. Cristina Amaya/Set Cubillos (COL)

Michelle/Erika – BYE

 

To help everyone back in the States feel like they’re right here courtside, the following will be in place: 

 

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

2.     Social media posts from USAR as well as the athletes themselves.

3.     Live streaming provided by PARC and also broadcast on the panamsportschannel.org. (Download the app!). This should begin on Sunday 4/2. 

 

Be sure to visit www.internationalracquetball.com, www.panamericanracquetball.com, or R2 Sports to keep up with the results and see how your favorite players are doing.  

 

Sunday, here we come!