XXX IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships Daily Blogs

San Luis Potosí, Mexico

b y Cheryl Kirk, Team Leader

photos courtesy of Ron Denler, Scott Fish, and Cheryl Kirk





Blog #10

Monday, November 12, 2018

With the exception of Dave Ellis, Pat Ellis, and Prem and Kareena Mathew (who were winging their way back to California today), I am happy to report that all members of the US Team Delegation are safely home and starting their week.

For 44 members of the delegation, Sunday morning came very early, before the dawn at 3:00 am, when we and our massive amounts of luggage were loaded onto a mega-bus and transported for just under an hour to the airport. Once there, we waited for approximately 90 minutes for American and United Airline employees to arrive and check us in. Whilst in line, a number of our girl players, still not sure how many, took a group nap ( the floor appeared clean enough). It appeared to be a random pile of legs and heads -- check out the photo!

Now it's time to hear from Coaches Jen and Charlie as they wrap up this amazing week in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

Summary from Esprit Coach Jen Meyer:

What an incredible week! From the opening ceremonies to the closing ceremonies and uniforms being exchanged afterwards, the experience was second to none. All athletes left their hearts on the court and gave everything they had to give. The USA and all racquetball fans should be extremely proud of how each kiddo represented the USA throughout the tournament both on and off the court. Congratulations to Timmy and Andrew, Heather and Julia, and Nikhil for winning gold. It is always so much fun to see kiddos earn their medals and reach their goals when you have seen the work they have put in over the years! There are not many kiddos around the world who can say they are the best in their sport. It is quite the accomplishment! The competition level was extremely high, and kids from all countries formed forever friendships. Elizabeth Denler even had Mexico cheering for USA against Mexico! Yes, this event is about racquetball and competition, but it is also about life. Each of the Team USA athletes grew as a competitor and as a person throughout the week.

Thank you to all of the referees and the local committee for making sure everything ran smoothly. A big shout out goes to all of the parents who took time off of work to support their kiddo's dream of becoming a world champion. Parents also made sure we did not have to worry about food each night due to each taking the time to organize having the meals ready for us as we finished our last match. Thank you to all of the sponsors who donated money for the meals every night. Your help is needed and very appreciated!

Last, but definitely not least, a huge thank you to Cheryl Kirk. Anyone who knows the time, effort, and organization that goes into this trip from before Junior Nationals, through the event, and until every last one of us has touched down in our hometowns knows we could not do her job. She allows kiddos to play, parents to cheer, coaches to coach, and takes care of everything else! It is appreciated so much. She is one of a kind, and we honestly could not do this trip without her!

I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a wonderful team of coaches, athletes, and parents! Congratulations to all of the kiddos and their accomplishments. I am already looking forward to next year!

Thanks, Jen! Last up is a great read from Head Coach Charlie Pratt. All day I waited for his final thoughts, thinking he must have fallen asleep (and who would blame him) or he had gotten pulled away to other duties. But no -- he was writing ALL DAY LONG! It's seven pages and worth every minute of reading. What a great recap, and I believe he will be winning the award for "Longest Summary by a Head Coach in Racquetball History." Charlie's great comments end the blogs for the XXX IRF World Junior Championships, and before closing, I want to personally thank both Charlie and Jen as well as the members of the delegation for their kind words and assistance. It was an honor to serve Junior Team USA's coaches, players, and their families.

On to Charlie's final comments...enjoy!

Summary from Head Coach Charlie Pratt:

It all goes by so fast. Between the five days at the Junior Training camp in Colorado and the 10 days at the World Championships, we become a team, share memories that last a lifetime, and give everything we have into our journey. It is an intense two weeks, and it never seems like enough.

The 2018 World Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, was a flashback of memories for me since it was my last Junior World Championships, at the same club, same courts. I can relive almost every match I played and watched 14 years ago. The same green AstroTurf in between the courts, the same natural light coming in through the ceiling, getting brighter and dimmer with every passing cloud. The same packed stands. This is a very special venue for so many reasons.

Team USA came in prepared to go to battle, as we knew we would. It was clear in the first few days of practice that this team was ready to compete, and so was everyone else. The only thing that has changed since my time on the team is the depth of talent from many other countries. It is no longer USA vs. Mexico in the semis and finals. It is all about who brings their best every single day. As much as you may have prepared, you need to get up for every match. There are no easy days, and that was apparent from day one.

The first few days featured pool play competition that determines your seeding into the main draw. Although not crucial to individual overall success, it's very important to the team's success, as multiple losses might result in early round matchups of USA vs. USA. This was the case in Girls 14 Singles and Girls 16 Singles. Perhaps the toughest part of the tournament was watching Annie Roberts vs. Erin Slutzky, who were also doubles partners, knowing that one would be knocked out. The same was true for Heather Mahoney vs. Julia Stein. We weren't the only country it happened to. All you can really tell a defeated player in that situation is that we are proud of them, and "let's focus on doubles now."

As we reached the quarterfinals with three days remaining, everyone was still in at least one division, which was not the case last year - already an improvement. It was a tough day of ups and downs, a rollercoaster of great wins and hard losses. As coaches, we ended each day saying, "What a day." You feel the joys of every win and the lows of every defeat. At the end of quarterfinals on Thursday, about half the team remained. The team meeting that night was now focused on supporting your team if you were out of the draw. You could see the look on the kids' faces, knowing how much they put into this journey, and it had now come to an end. I have been there, several times at their age. I can definitely relate. It is not an easy feeling. Of course you are happy for your teammates who are still in the tournament, but you can't help but think, "Why not me?" Success in a tournament like this does not come easy. There are so many factors involved. Hard work, patience, courage, luck, recovery, mental toughness -- and they all need to line up. You are up against the best in the world. This is an individual sport, and it's either you or them, and it's not always going to be you.

Let's recognize our Esprit team. It is easy to focus on the World Cup Team of 14s, 16s and 18s, but for almost all of us, we started competing at a young age. I remember my first World Championships at age 8 in Fountain Valley, California, at Los Caballeros. It has been so many years since I have been there, and I imagine that if I went back, it would bring back a huge rush of memories. The younger years were truly the best for me, and I have no doubt that the Esprit players will eventually feel the same way.





When I got the Head Coaching position, like most new hires I received a lot of phone calls from parents, coaches, and friends offering advice. My theme for this team is sportsmanship and carrying ourselves well, having fun and having a great experience. But something I wasn't prepared for was our involvement with the Esprit players. It's not necessarily part of the job description, but after speaking to many parents, I realized the importance of involving the younger players and being there for them as much as we are for the World Cup Team. They are, after all, the future of this team, and the future of our sport.

We made a point last year to be at every single USA match, younger or older, no matter what division they were playing, even if it meant going to the club three hours before any World Cup matches. And it was not just the coaches; we respectfully asked our older players to come as well, as long as it didn't throw them off their normal routine. Jen Meyer, coach of the Esprit team, is an absolute superstar and has been for almost two decades (but somehow hardly looks a day over 30). I have learned more from her than anyone else so far in my two years as coach.

We stayed true this year to our Esprit support. It is more fun than it is work, trust me when I say that. Coach Jen said it best. "You coaches have been a huge help, and at the same time, these players will be yours someday. Think of the amount of experience you will have with them by the time they are on your team." True that, Jen!

Semifinal Friday was once again filled with ups and downs. It is hard to describe some of these performances by our players, but I will do my best. First up with Heather Mahoney vs Mexico's #1, Daniela Edith Rico Segura, in 14 Singles. Although I was not on that match, I was able to catch some of the first game then went to coach another teammate. When my match finished, I ran back over to Heather's, which was at 6-6 in the tiebreaker. Just looking at the body language of both players, it was clear that they were in perhaps the biggest battle of their racquetball careers. Without knowing who would be victorious, I immediately had a tremendous amount of respect for both players. Every rally was played at 100%, and both players were hunched over, either on their knees or on the back wall. The look on their faces was like looking at someone fighting for their life, and that is not an exaggeration. Pain, desperation, determination, hope, strength, weakness, fear, confidence. I was blown away by the toughness and heart of both players. It was the type of match that no one should lose. In the end, Heather was victorious, 11-9. She nearly fainted at the end. She was on to the finals.

Next match was Andrew Gleason, our Boys 14 for singles and doubles. Andrew was also playing Mexico's #1 player, Andres Ruelas Reza. This was Andrew's first year on the team. It was clear from the very beginning that Andrew was more than ready for this event. His work ethic is unmatched. He is fearless, something you can't always find at his age, especially in your first year on the team.

Andrew's match was much less dramatic than Heather's but extremely fun to watch. Andrew put on an absolute clinic. He looked comfortable and confident. He was just out there having fun, hitting any shot he wanted, including an overhead backhand to the opposite corner -- the type of shot you would never think of doing in a semifinal of a world championship. That made all of us coaches look at each other in disbelief, and we are pros! Andrew won his match in two games. Even his opponent walked off the court with a grin on his face. Andrew was on to the finals, a truly remarkable accomplishment for his first year. He and Timmy Hansen also won their doubles later that day to reach the finals for 14 Doubles.

Following Andrew's match was Kareena Mathew in the Girls 12 singles semifinal against Mexico's #1 player, Cynthia Araceli Gutierrez. They found themselves in a tiebreaker with the momentum in Kareena’s favor. She was playing outstanding, making great gets, great shots and found a serve to the right that was working. She reached match point, 10 serving 4. Most of the time, the last point is the hardest one to get. Cynthia held off multiple match points and scored points along the way. The momentum had switched. Both players showed a lot of courage in the tiebreaker, but Kareena was unable to close it out, and Cynthia ran seven straight points to win 11-10. It was a heartbreaking loss for Kareena. We all felt the loss. It was an incredibly emotional ending for both players.

In the other semifinal of Girls 12, Ava Kaiser took on Naomi Ros from Mexico. Coach Robbie Collins was on the match while Jen Meyer was on Kareena’s match. Ava was down match point in the second game but came back to win 15-14. The tiebreaker was point for point, but in the end it was Mexico who edged out the victory 11-8. A tough day for our Girls 12s. One or two shots could have been the difference in both matches. How close we were to an all-American final. As I coached another match a few courts away, I looked down over to where Ava had just played and saw Coach Robbie, still sitting, staring at the empty court. We feel the wins and losses almost as much as the players, and those two hurt. Ava and Kareena had a chance at redemption in doubles against the same two girls from Mexico but fell short in two close games. Their tournament was over, but we were all so proud of the way they competed. As disappointing as it was, it is important in your career to have those kinds of days, those kinds of tournaments. Without them you will never succeed. We look forward to the future with Ava and Kareena. As I looked to their empty court once again, I saw Jen Meyer hugging Ava and her mother, Rhonda. That would be Ava’s last match as an Esprit player, something that didn't occur to me until now. Just like our 18 and unders graduate out of Juniors, our 12 and unders also move on. Although they will still be around, every year we as coaches, players, and parents, must say goodbye to something or someone.

Later that day, Dane Elkins and Ricky Diaz played their last match as juniors. They went up against a tough Bolivian doubles team, the same team they played and lost to a few days before in pool play. They gave everything they had, but the Bolivian team, who clearly had an edge of experience together, was too much to handle for our boys. Bolivia won in two games. Disappointing for Dane and Ricky, but they did earn a bronze medal, which was their only Worlds medal in their junior careers. All we can say is, thank you for a great ride, and thank you for giving everything you had. Now, welcome to the big leagues! This is just the beginning.

The final match of the evening featured our dynamic duo of Elizabeth Denler and Lillian Ford-Crimi taking on Costa Rica in the Girls 10 doubles semifinal. We absolutely loved watching these two compete but even more enjoyed their antics and personalities off the court as they were often featured in the “Overheard” section of the nightly blogs. In this match, Elizabeth learned the importance of getting out of the doubles box and into good position as fast as possible. To this day, I have never seen anyone do it better. Multiple people were taking video of her sprinting out of the box as soon as the ball touched Lily’s racquet. Her father, Ron Denler, videotaped the whole match and later posted clips of her speedy positioning on Facebook, which got a lot of laughs and thumbs up including a comment from legendary coach Jim Winterton. One of the highlights of my tournament was when Lily asked me for advice on stretching before a match -- a very responsible inquiry from a 10 year old. I showed her my routine, the same one I do every match, every practice, and the same one I teach to the World Cup Team. From then on, Lily found me before every one of her matches, asking me to help her warm up. We would go through the five-minute routine and then always end it with an extremely enthusiastic high five!

So, their match with Costa Rica was going very well. They won the first game pretty handily and were up 14-9 in the second when Lily hit a backhand that appeared to be a rollout but was called a skip. We all looked at each other and agreed that it was good, but the match continued nonetheless. Costa Rica got the serve back and ran six straight points to force a tiebreaker. At this point, this was the last match being played that night, so the crowd began to grow as people migrated from other finished matches. The tiebreaker was point for point. Parents and coaches were beginning to get nervous, probably more than the players were. Our dynamic duo stepped up and won 11-8 to move on to the finals. A great and relieving way to end the night!

Our final day was now upon us. We had six matches where a gold medal was up for grabs in the Gold (top) divisions:

Boys 12 singles featuring Nikhil Prasad vs. Bolivia

Girls 14 Singles featuring Heather Mahoney vs. Bolivia

Boys 14 Singles featuring Andrew Gleason vs. Bolivia

Girls 14 Doubles featuring Heather and Julia vs. Mexico

Boys 14 Doubles featuring Andrew and Timmy vs. Bolivia

Girls 10 Doubles featuring Elizabeth and Lily vs. Mexico

Nikhil started us off on the main court against a very tough and very well known player from Bolivia, Jhonatan Flores. We knew going into it that we had our hands full. Jhonatan’s skills with the racquet are unmatched. His hands and his backhand splat rival professionals. He is smooth, calm, and despite not being very big, can cover the court and get to balls that normal 12-year-olds cannot. Our theme with Nikhil was to play hard. In his semifinal the day before, Nikhil came out slow, flat footed, and was down 11-5 against a tough Mexican player. We called a timeout, and it was time for a pep talk. Sometimes it is important to be calm with players, sometimes encouraging. In this case, it was time to be tough. I told Nikhil that he would never win this tournament without giving 100%. At the US Junior Training camp, like most young players, he challenged all the older players to games, including myself. He wanted to see how he stacked up against the best and knew he had nothing to lose. He actually took a game off of me, but I have my excuses! During the timeout in his semifinal, being down 11-5, I reminded him of camp, and told him to play every point like he was playing me. Nikhil went back in and won 15-13, 15-2, a nice 25-4 run. After the semifinal, I made him promise that he would play every point like that from now on.

In the final, he did exactly that. Although Jhonatan was a tough and worthy opponent, he was just no match for Nikhil Prasad's 100%. Nikhil was moving his opponent front, back, side to side. Great serves on the glass and incredible shots from the back court. He had the entire USA Team cheering for him. In the middle of a timeout, a few of the team members started singing the National Anthem. The coaches stood up, put a hand on their heart, and sang with them. This was our time. Nikhil won 15-10, 15-6. As the players shook hands, I waved at Nikhil and told him to do his trademark dance, “The Floss." He did, with extreme enthusiasm. Many of us got it on camera, and so did the IRF stream. Go take a look if you have a chance. It will brighten your day.

Next up was Heather Mahoney in the final of Girls 14 singles. Heather won the 12 singles title last year in Minneapolis and was having a spectacular tournament this year, especially considering it was her "down" year (the first of two years she is eligible for 14s). She was up against a very tough opponent, Micaela Meneses from Bolivia. The coaches, like every night, watched tape on any opponent we could find. We watched Micaela, having not seen her play yet, and knew we were in for a tough match. She was very good on both sides -- great serves and moved very well. Heather gave everything she had, as usual, but Micaela was just too strong, winning 15-7, 15-4. A wonderful tournament for Heather, receiving a silver medal in singles, and she still had a gold medal match in doubles to play later in the day.

During Heather’s final, Andrew Gleason played another Bolivian, Luis Antonio Aguilar, in the Boys 14 singles final. Luis had played Timmy Hansen, our #1 singles player, in the semifinal the day before. Timmy was not on his game, but at the same time, the Bolivian was playing very well. Once again, we knew we would have our hands full. This was Andrew's first time on the team, so to be in the final of the World Championships was a phenomenal accomplishment. It was unfamiliar territory, but he was not at all thrown off his game. It was a hard-fought battle with the Bolivian taking the first game and up big in the second, only to have Andrew go on a 13-0 run to win the second and force a tiebreaker. The Bolivian built a small lead in the tiebreaker, then Andrew tied it up. Luis continued to play solid, with great Z serves to Andrew's backhand that died in the corner every time. Luis found himself at match point and then served a crack ace to the left to end it. Andrew would settle for a silver medal. He showed true class in defeat, shaking his opponent's hand and giving him the credit he deserved. Andrew fought hard, but in the end, it was not his day. He displayed everything that we coaches could ever ask for: heart, integrity, class, sportsmanship, and more. Andrew made this team proud, and I speak for all of us when I say that we look forward to many more years with Andrew Gleason.

We had a small break in the action for Team USA. The coaches grabbed lunch, the kids went to the hotel to rest a bit, then we were back for our final three matches of the day, all at 2pm. Jody and I were on the Girls 14 doubles final featuring Heather and Julia vs. Mexico. These two teams met earlier in the week on the first day of pool play, with team Mexico winning in a tiebreaker. On a side note, after the first loss, I went up to Julia who was a little upset and said, “Don’t worry, we will get them in the main draw.” Julia shook her head as to say, “No, we won’t.” I was a little confused by this, thinking that I had missed something. Turns out that Julia thought that was just a round robin and that the first loss meant that they would not receive a gold medal. The next day, Julia ran up to me and said, “Did you know that we are doing a main draw also?!” There was a look of excitement in her eye. They would, in fact, get another chance to play them. This time, it would be revenge.

Before the match started, while we were waiting for Mexico to finish warming up, Julia said, “I’m nervous.” It was time for another pep talk. I told her “That’s ok. Turn the nerves into strength. Understand that is this going to be a battle, and there is no way around it. This is revenge, and I’d rather be the one climbing the mountain than the one looking down. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. A few days ago you didn’t even think you would have another chance at this. Know your roles as players. Heather, get every ball! Julia…Smash! You can beat this team!” Our girls came out firing and controlled the game right from the start. Julia was hitting great jam serves, something we hadn’t seen all week. Heather was controlling the front court and making great gets all over. They won the first game 15-10. They came out of the court and we told them to keep it up, but in the back of my mind I knew Mexico was not going to roll over that easy. They were going to make adjustments, and they were going to step their game up. They did just that, coming out to a huge lead. We took our timeouts just to slow them down a little. Mexico won the second game 15-1. The girls came out. I said “Racquetball, especially doubles, is a momentum game. Right now, they have the momentum, but you are a few shots away from taking it back. Be patient, hit the right shots. Communicate. Be ready for anything. Fist pump every rally. This is your match!” The girls played a near-perfect tiebreaker. Heather was getting every ball possible, keeping the rally alive until either Mexico made a mistake or we capitalized. Julia was hitting perfect serves and devastating passes to the corners. I have been saying for two years, “I have not seen Julia Stein at her best yet.” In the tiebreaker, Julia was at her best. The girls won 11-1. They are World Champions. It is my most proud moment as a coach to date.

Another proud moment for us as a team was how much support we gave our players. Despite being in Mexico, I am willing to bet that we, overall, were the loudest at the event. Julia Stein was the leader of the support team, bringing small but mighty cowbells from home and handing them out to everything. It was a great way to tell how our team was doing, even if you weren’t watching the match. Every time you heard the jingles, it was music to our ears. As a rebuttal, Mexico went out and bought wooden spinning clackers (for lack of better description) and blow horns, which made it sound like a soccer game. We all agreed that our cowbells sounded way better and were far less annoying. During Julia and Heather’s match, the Head Coach for Mexico was swinging a wooden clacker every time Mexico won a rally. All you can do is roll your eyes and keep playing. It was nice to keep them to an almost-zero noise factor in the tiebreaker.

On the court next to Heather and Julia, Lily and Elizabeth played Mexico in the Girls 10 final. I didn’t get to see the match, but it appeared that they were up against a very tough team. The scores were 15-6, 15-4. We couldn’t be more proud of our Girls 10 -- they received a silver medal. They were the youngest players on our team and kept our spirits high every time we saw them. I think back to when I was that age. It was a long time ago, but it still seems like yesterday.

Same goes for Eshan Ali and Ace Akins, who played 10 Boys singles and doubles. Although I also played at their age, I didn’t get a chance to travel outside of the country to play racquetball until I was 18 years old. What a great experience for these kids! A special shout-out to the 10 and under parents: Anwar Ali, Donnie and Wendy Akins, Ron Denler and Skip and Gina Lecy. Yes, we had an Ace and a Skip on our team! Thank you for providing this opportunity, not just for the kids, but for all of us to enjoy!

A few courts away, Andrew and Timmy were in a tiebreaker of their own against Bolivia in the Boys 14 doubles final. The Bolivian team featured Luis Antonio Aguilar, the new World Champion, having defeated Timmy and Andrew in singles. It was time for more revenge. The tiebreaker was fast-paced, with lots of long rallies. Bolivia went up 9-6. Coaches Bobby and Robbie called a timeout. USA got back in the box and scored a point to get to 7-9. Andrew served a crack ace that will be remembered for a long time. It may sound funny, but I knew we were going to win after that serve. The next few rallies were long and intense, with players making great gets, switching sides, scrambling back into position. There were a few calls which were appealed and overturned. It was a true World Championship final. Team USA closed it out with a patented Timmy Hansen forehand pinch in the right corner. World Champions! Such a great way to end it. Special shout-out to Team Bolivia, coached by Felipe Mercado, who not only won the Boys Team Title and 2nd place overall, but also displayed great respect and sportsmanship throughout the whole tournament.

Our World Cup Team finished 3rd overall, 2nd in the Girls, and 3rd in the Boys. We showed a lot of improvements in many divisions, capturing 2 gold medals, 2 silver, and 3 bronze.

Our Esprit Team finished 3rd overall, just 7 points behind Bolivia (879 to 872). The Girls finished 2nd and the Boys finished 3rd. They took two gold medals, two silver, and four bronze.

Congratulations also goes to Ashton Akins, our only Challenger (aka Friendship) Division player who competed in a ton of matches all week and took a silver medal!

Just like last year, I, along with the other coaches, had the time of my life. They say that things get easier when you love what you do. That is exactly the case with this team.

I have been around the game all my life, been to almost every tournament imaginable. Junior Worlds is by far the most exciting tournament on the planet. The others don't even come close. The passion, competition, camaraderie, and friendships, from people all over the world, ages 10-18, creates an environment that is unmatched. Before the event I tell the whole team, Esprit, World Dup, coaches, and parents, that my main goal as coach is to have a great experience. I didn’t think it could get better than last year in Minneapolis, but this year was equally amazing. This truly is a team!

Special thanks to Cheryl Kirk for everything she has done. A few months ago I was reading some comments on Facebook about her being team leader. Some people actually mentioned that other people should be given a chance at team leader. No disrespect to the others out there, but there is absolutely no one on the planet who can do what she does. No one. Thank you, Cheryl!

Special thanks to Scott Fish, fellow Oregonian and Associate Team Leader, who was a huge help and support in the event! Welcome to the Junior World Championships, my friend! Hope to see you at many more.

To the parents and grandparents, you all truly make this the experience of a lifetime. I can’t thank you enough for the support, and for raising such great kids. Thank you for giving the other coaches and me the opportunity and respect to coach this team. You are all a huge part of it, whether you know it or not. Thank you!

To the players, whether you know it or not, you all inspire me each and every day to not only be a better coach and racquetball player but also a better person. I look up to all of you and admire what you do. Thank you for letting me be your coach (not that you have a choice!).

To my fellow coaches, Robbie, Bobby, Jen, and Jody. The best thing that I have done for this team is pick you four to be coaches. You have my full trust at all times, which makes my job so much easier. I have the title of Head Coach, but let’s be honest -- this team is coached by five equally great coaches. I admire and look up to you all. You make me a better coach. Thank you!

Signing off from my couch in Portland. It feels good to be home, but I miss the experience already. Looking forward to seeing many of you in my home city, Portland, Oregon, for Junior Nationals 2019!

GO TEAM USA!!

Blog #9





Saturday, November 10, 2018

COACHES' COMMENTS are deferred until tomorrow on the journey home so that Charlie and Jen can have dinner and sleep a little before morning comes WAY too early. Look for Blog #10 that will contain final recaps of this World Juniors event sometime Sunday or early Monday morning!

What an exciting day for Junior Team USA! Check out the results below, including the overall outcomes for the XXX IRF World Junior Championships. It's in the record books now!

Team USA's Saturday Results

CB12S – Ashton Akins lost to Javier Farfan Enriquez (Bolivia), 3-15, 3-15

B12S Blue – Gatlin Sutherland lost to Hernan Ruiz Michel (Bolivia), 2-15, 3-15

G12S Red – Sonya Shetty def. Florencia Villazon (Bolivia), 15-7, 15-10

B12S – Nikhil Prasad def. Jhonatan Flores (Bolivia) 15-10, 15-6

G14S – Heather Mahoney lost to Micaela Meneses (Bolivia), 7-15, 4-15

B14S – Andrew Gleason lost to Luis Antonio Aguilar (Bolivia), 6-15, 15-9, 6-11

G14D – Julia Stein/Heather Mahoney def. Jessica Balderrama/Daniela Edith Rico (Mexico), 15-10, 1-15, 11-1

B14D – Andrew Gleason/Timmy Hansen def. Mateo Claros/Luis Antonio Aguilar (Bolivia), 5-15, 15-3, 11-9





G10D – Elizabeth Denler/Lillian Ford-Crimi lost to Andrea Martinez Zarmeño/Zara Ximena Barraza Ozaeta (Mexico), 6-15, 4-15

US JUNIOR TEAM MEDALS

TEAM USA Overall Results -- Individual -- WORLD CUP

Girls 14 Singles -- Heather Mahoney -- SILVER

Boys 14 Singles -- Andrew Gleason -- SILVER

Boys 14 Singles -- Timmy Hansen -- BRONZE

Girls 14 Doubles -- Julia Stein/Heather Mahoney -- GOLD

Boys 14 Doubles -- Andrew Gleason/Timmy Hansen -- GOLD

Girls 18 Doubles -- Hannah Carver/Megan Carver -- BRONZE

Boys 18 Doubles -- Dane Elkins/Ricardo Diaz -- BRONZE

TEAM USA Overall Results -- Individual -- ESPRIT CUP

Girls 10 Doubles -- Elizabeth Denler/Lillian Ford-Crimi -- SILVER

Girls 12 Singles -- Ava Kaiser -- BRONZE

Girls 12 Singles --- Kareena Mathew -- BRONZE

Girls 12 Singles Red -- Sonya Shetty -- GOLD

Boys 12 Singles -- Nikhil Prasad -- GOLD

Boys 12 Singles Blue -- Gatlin Sutherland -- SILVER

Girls 12 Doubles -- Kareena Mathew/Ava Kaiser -- BRONZE

Boys 12 Doubles -- Nikhil Prasad/Gatlin Sutherland -- BRONZE

TEAM USA Overall Results -- Individual -- CHALLENGER CUP





Boys 12 Singles Challenger -- Ashton Akins -- SILVER

Overall Results -- Country Standings

World Cup -- Girls

1. Mexico

2. USA

3. Bolivia

4. Canada

World Cup -- Boys

1. Bolivia

2. Mexico

3. USA

4. Costa Rica

World Cup -- Combined

1. Mexico

2. Bolivia

3. USA

4. Canada

Esprit Cup -- Girls

1. Mexico

2. USA

3. Bolivia

4. Guatemala

Esprit Cup -- Boys

1. Mexico

2. Bolivia

3. USA

4. Colombia

Esprit Cup -- Combined

1. Mexico

2. Bolivia

3. USA

4. Costa Rica





Uniform Exchange Uniform Exchange

After the medals ceremony, after the multitudes of photos, a mass exchange of uniform shirts and jackets took place. Technically, uniforms are not to be exchanged with other countries. However, in instances where the head coach agrees, and since EVERYBODY was doing it, the USA joyfully participated. It was no longer easy to spot Team USA players once this took place. You actually had to look at their faces to see if they were part of the team. At one point I looked at a group and thought, how nice that Team USA and several other countries are chatting together. Then I realized it WAS Team USA, they just weren't wearing their own uniforms anymore!

Overheard (at the Club)

Coach Jen: I want to switch shirts, I need to find a Canadian.

Elizabeth: Hey, I'M a comedian!!

Eye Guards for a Young Player

Earlier in the afternoon, I went down to Court 8 to quietly work on this blog and saw four (presumably Mexican) kids in their early teens playing recreationally. One was playing without eye guards. I stopped the game and told him he had to put on eye guards. He wasn't sure I had authority (I actually wasn't sure of that, either), but since I was older than he was, he decided to come out and look for eye guards somewhere. He didn't find them, came back, and sat out while the other three played cutthroat. I felt bad, and not wanting to be the Wicked Witch of the West (er, North), I asked Ron Denler if he had any extra eye guards. He did! We loaned them to the kid, and he went back on the court and played for quite awhile. When I started packing up my stuff to go down to another court, he came out to give me back the eye guards. I told him again how important it is to wear them, and he said his had gotten broken when a ball hit him. He turned to walk away, and I called him back. I now owe Ron Denler a pair of eye guards. (Ron said he would have done exactly the same thing...whew!)

The Last QOTDs

You've been a lovely, lovely group of readers. Thanks for tuning into the blogs this past week. As a reward and a farewell, yes, you are getting two more Questions of the Day! You deserve it.

Penultimate Question of the Day

It's almost Thanksgiving! What is your favorite family tradition, holiday, or gathering?

Eshan Ali: EiD

Lillian Ford-Crimi: Christmas

Andrew Gleason: My birthday

Erin Slutzky: Thanksgiving, because of the food

Ava Kaiser: Christmas because the celebration is at our house and we have great food, family and fun.

Elyse Duffié: Christmas

Gatlin Sutherland: Thanksgiving -- the food!

Timmy Hansen: Christmas (holiday); Spring Family Cruise (tradition)

Cayden Akins: Christmas Day with the family!

Ace Akins: Christmas with the family and Nana's cooking! Thanksgiving Brunch at the Gaylord Texan Hotel!

Benjamin Horner: Putting up Christmas tree; Halloween

Kareena Mathew: My family normally visits a new country every summer for vacation (tradition); Christmas (holiday)

Elizabeth Denler: Every year we go to the ‘cut your own tree’ farm for Christmas sausage, sleigh rides, hot cocoa and cider, and fireside chats.

Heather Mahoney: Christmas

Annie Roberts: Christmas with my family is very cool

Dane Elkins: My birthday

Hannah Carver: Christmas and New Year's

Megan Carver: Christmas

Krish Thakur: Halloween

Sahil Thakur: Diwali (November 7th this year)

Ashton Akins: Christmas

Nikhil Prasad: I enjoy the annual party at my house in December because I get to meet many of my friends and chill.

Graciana Wargo: Christmas family gatherings, plus we always celebrate birthdays in a big way

Julia Stein: Christmas

Anonymous Guest Responder:





National Punctuation Day, followed closely by National Grammar Day

Final Question of the Day

What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?

Eshan Ali: Going to college

Lillian Ford-Crimi: I will still be playing racquetball.

Andrew Gleason: Architect or Engineer with racquetball

Erin Slutzky: I will be living in a city with a good job.

Ava Kaiser: I will still be in college as I want to be a veterinarian. Also having fun playing racquetball.

Elyse Duffié: Hopefully traveling and experiencing all types of cultures.

Gatlin Sutherland: Law enforcement

Timmy Hansen: Working towards being a doctor, playing racquetball

Cayden Akins: Programming

Ace Akins: Training to get on a football team or working at Chick-Fil-A

Benjamin Horner: Playing racquetball and buying a house

Kareena Mathew: Hopefully getting a job, I want to be a physical therapist, and still playing racquetball and soccer.

Elizabeth Denler: Taking classes to learn about art.

Heather Mahoney: Hopefully playing in the LA 2028 Olympics for racquetball!

Annie Roberts: Playing racquetball and working as a personal trainer

Dane Elkins: Playing Madden 28 against my bro Cody

Hannah Carver: Becoming a physical therapist

Megan Carver: Hopefully pursuing a career in art and playing professional racquetball

Krish Thakur: Hopefully finishing college

Sahil Thakur: Hopefully working and getting $$

Ashton Akins: Going to medical school

Nikhil Prasad: I will be in college getting an MBA.

Graciana Wargo: Living with a great husband, in our own designed home, with 3 awesome dogs.

Julia Stein: I will either be on the LPRT or becoming a doctor.







Thank You’s

The US Junior Team Delegation wishes to deliver our gratitude to those who made this event so truly memorable:

All the individuals who made contributions large and small...every bit counts! The Team USA Challenge on provides the opportunity for racquetball players to support the US Teams with their participation at international competitions. Please remember us on Giving Tuesday! www.usaracquetball.com provides the opportunity for racquetball players to support the US Teams with their participation at international competitions. Please remember us on Giving Tuesday!

The tournament staff and referees who came in from several countries to provide a quality experience for the players, including the significant gift that no player had to ref the next match!

Pablo Fajre , Tim Baghurst , Paula Mansilla, Raphael Gatica, Diego Gatica, Alex David Cocco Hayes, Gary Mazaroff, and Gustavo Farell for live streaming quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals action to viewers.

The staff of the Ankara Hotel who were friendly, efficient, and responsive to all requests.

The owners, management, and staff of La Loma Centro Deportivo for providing a first-class facility for this World Juniors competition.

The parents and cheerleaders who were there for every match, living every point as if they were out there playing themselves, and pitching in to provide/arrange meals and snacks and multitudes of small favors that were hugely helpful to the coaches and staff. We felt the love!





Once again, the associations who made contributions for team meals -- Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Kansas x2, and the Reaching Your Dream Foundation x2. You guys are the best! And to Becky and Mike Gleason and all the parents who arranged for the meals, awesome job!

Renée Gundolff, USA Racquetball staff member, who assisted the team with multiple duties behind the scenes -- US Junior Team contracts, timeline communication, insurance set-up, and parent and private coach certifications, to name a few.

USAR Official Apparel Sponsor Rollout Racquetball (Jonathan Clay) -- thanks for making the US Junior Team look so good!

Last but not least, Leo Vasquez who stopped whatever else he might have been doing as soon as a blog and photos were ready for posting.





Personal note: To my husband Kit Lawson who always supports me 100%...you are my best friend! <3

Signing off from San Luis Potosí, and all that's left to be said is...

GREAT JOB, TEAM USA!

-- Cheryl Kirk

Blog #8

Friday, November 9, 2018

Greetings from San Luis Potosí as we move into the final day of competition. But first, let us tell you about Friday's results!



