Daily Blog: Junior Team USA at the IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
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by Cheryl Kirk, Team Leader
XXXVI IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Blog #2
December 5, 2025
Friday is a Wrap in Santo Domingo
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, Charlie, 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 Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte, the host club officially named Pabellón de Racquetbol (Racquetball Pavilion).
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! A special letter from US OPEN Executive Director Jeff Collins was presented to the countries inviting them to come to Springfield, Missouri, next June.
** The countries, their abbreviations and number of athletes from each add up this way:
Argentina (ARG, 2); Bolivia (BOL, 55); Canada (CAN, 14); Chile (CHI, 16); Chinese Taipei (TPE, 1), Colombia (COL, 1); Costa Rica (CRI, 26); Cuba (CUB, 1); Dominican Republic (DOM, 14), Ecuador (ECU, 29); Guatemala (GUA, 17); Mexico (MEX, 43); South Korea (KOR, 1), United States (USA, 33). That’s 253 in all, competing in 31 divisions, and it adds up to A TON of matches over the course of the next 8 days.
For the Opening Ceremony...the traditional Parade of Nations took place in front of the Pabellón, where each country’s athletes and coaches were enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd and by several dignitaries from the Dominican Republic government and the city of Santo Domingo. They were in attendance along with IRF President Osvaldo Maggi and Dominican Republic Federation President Rafael Fernández. After welcoming words from each, a cultural display of dancing and singing entertained the attendees. Then it was back to the hotel for dinner and an early bedtime after checking match times for Saturday, the first day of competition.
Friends & Family of USA Racquetball
Friends & Family of USA Racquetball
Mail From Home
From the “sneak peek” list of folks who have opted (or been forced) to receive the Daily Blog in the early hours of each morning, a number of friends and fans wrote to say hello with encouraging words to the U.S. Junior Team as they begin competition tomorrow. They are: Waseem Bawa (WIS Inventory Solutions), Mike Kinkin (Team Dovetail), Brett Elkins, Sharron Bradford, Mary Gonzalez, Vivian Hsu, Edgar Pinto, Mike Lippitt, Gail Cowley, Maureen Mulvenna Keough, Teja Kondeti (USADA), Kevin Cowley (Nike APS), Gail Cowley (my good friend, no relation to Kevin), and Keith Calkins. Nice to hear from you all!
Question of the Day: If you had to eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
JUNIOR TEAM ATHLETES
Ella Boaz, 20: Chicken pad thai. I love it so much and don't think I would ever get sick of it.
Naomi Ros, 20: It's either a burger or a salad.
Juan Herrera II, 19: Pizza, because it's my favorite food and filling.
Joseph Marshall, 19: Pizza, so many different toppings.
Cole Sendrey, 19: I would eat sushi, because it tastes so good and there is so much variety.
Ellen Williams, 19: Strawberries! Strawberries are just the perfect food. They can be sweet, or tart, whatever you need them to be! Strawberries are just the greatest.
Montserrat Torres, 18: I would eat burgers.
London Townsend, 18: Chicken and Rice. Because it's good.
Aanshi Thakur, 17: I would eat potatoes, because there are so many ways to eat them, and it's good every time.
Rebecca Christopher, 16: Pasta because it's versatile.
Evan Whitley, 16: Spaghetti because I love pastas and could totally be fine with some spaghetti every day.
Grant Williams, 16: Street tacos, because they are delicious and there are so many different kinds.
Shreya Chandel, 15: Anything from Chick-Fil-A because everything there is so good and I never get bored with it.
Lucas Frost-Biskup, 15: Steak, because you can make many things with it.
Nyasa Gupta, 15: Crepes. They can be both sweet and savory! They're also present in so many cuisines.
Violet Kennedy, 15: I would only eat my grandma's tomato soup.
David Rada, Jr., 15: BBQ! It's the best dish in the world--especially with beef, salad and fries.
Ayan Sharma, 15: It would be grilled cheese with sourdough bread, because it just tastes so good.
Audrey Reed, 15: Blueberries. I don't think I could get sick of them!
Ashvin Aggarwal, 13: Marinara pasta with veggies. My mom makes it and it's super delicious and it has veggies.
Neil Govekar, 13: If I was only permitted to eat a single food for the rest of my life, I suppose I would choose dosa, because it is tasty, and I wouldn’t get tired of eating it every day, as opposed to something like pizza – which I also really like but couldn't possibly eat every day.
Ava Leister, 13: A smoothie because you can do many different things with them (different ingredients).
Aaradhya Raja, 13: Sushi. SO many different varieties of them.
Alden Townsend, 13: Sweet potato--great for you and tastes good.
Reyansh Chandel, 12: Watermelon because it's sweet, filling, and water, so it energizes you.
Ryan Joeckel, 12: Yogurt because it has a lot of different flavors and is good for you.
Elijah Machado, 11: Grilled ribeye steak and lamb because it is sooooo good!
Sloka Marivada, 11: Donuts taste yummy and come in different colors and shapes.
Sameera (Sammie) Rai, 10: Sushi!! Because it has salmon and seaweed and more delicious ingredients.
Riva Singh, 10: One food I would eat for the rest of my life is pizza, because it is my favorite.
Jasur Pridatko, 9: Sushi because it has rice, vegetable and meat.
COACHES/STAFF
George Bustos: White rice. Always loved it and can eat it plain just about any time.
Cheryl Kirk: Warm rolls with butter.
Jennifer Meyer: Raspberries. They are my favorite fruit.
Joyce Parsons: My husband’s seafood chowder. He makes it for me on my birthday, and I love it because of the time it takes his to make it, means the world to me! And he cleans up the kitchen after he cooks it!
Cindy Tilbury: Ice cream
Kristin Wattz: Anything Italian! I love, absolutely LOVE, Italian food!
Tune in tomorrow to hear about foods they would ban forever!
Back to Racquetball...
The World Juniors experience begins NOW! Athletes at this XXXVI IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships will take to the courts Saturday morning beginning at 9:00 am. Junior Team USA will compete in a total of 36 matches through the course of the day and into the evening.
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.
XXXVI IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships Santo Domingo 2025
Choose Participants to see the list of athletes competing. Choose By Country and scroll down to USA to see our U.S. Junior Team athletes, their divisions, and their doubles partners.
Choose Brackets to see individual draws (click “eyeball” to see each division).
Choose 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 broadcast starting Tuesday 12/9 on the panamsportshannel.org, IRF YouTube Channel, and Facebook.
Instagram: international_racquetball
Facebook: International Racquetball Federation - 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: USA Racquetball
Facebook: USA Racquetball
Website: www.usaracquetball.com
GO TEAM USA!!
Friends & Family of USA Racquetball
Friends & Family of USA Racquetball
Friends & Family of USA Racquetball
Various
Blog #1 -- INTRO
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Greetings from Santo Domingo where 33 U.S. Junior Team athletes have arrived (or soon will arrive) to compete in the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships, December 5-13, 2025.
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 on Wednesday and Thursday at the Racquetball Venue at the Olympic Center Juan Pablo Duarte, the 8-court host club. Practice will continue on Friday before Opening Ceremonies take place at 5:00 pm local time (one hour later than U.S. Eastern time) to officially kick off this exciting international event.
Meet the Athletes and Staff
- 33 junior athletes ranging from 20 years to 9 years old
- 8 U.S. Junior Team Staff members
- 66 parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and support staff eager to be here for the Team
That’s 107 in the delegation – a record!
The 33 athletes come from 8 states: California (12), Missouri (8), Texas (5), Illinois (3), Tennessee (2), Florida (1), Nebraska (1), and Hawaii (1).
Racquetball players and fans across the country, get ready to cheer on the 2025-26 U.S. Junior Team!
World Cup (21/18/16)
Ella Boaz (MO)
Rebecca Christopher (MO)
Juan Herrera II (IL)
Vaishant Mangalampalli (CA)
Joseph Marshall (TN)
DJ Mendoza (TX)
Naomi Ros (TX)
Cole Sendrey (TX)
Aanshi Thakur (CA)
Montserrat Torres (IL)
London Townsend (TX)
Ellen Williams (MO)
Grant Williams (MO)
Evan Whitley (MO)
Esprit Cup (14/12/10)
Ashvin Aggarwal (CA)
Reyansh Chandel (CA)
Shreya Chandel (CA)
Lucas Frost-Biskup (NE)
Neil Govekar (CA)
Nyasa Gupta (CA)
Ryan Joeckel (MO)
Violet Kennedy (MO)
Ava Leister (TN)
Elijah Machado (HI)
Sloka Marivada (CA)
Jasur Pridatko (CA)
David Rada (FL)
Sameera Rai (CA)
Aaradhya Raja (CA)
Audrey Reed (MO)
Ayan Sharma (CA)
Riva Singh (CA)
Alden Townsend (TX)
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)
Adam Manilla - Assistant Coach (CA)
Charlie Pratt – Assistant Coach (OR)
Dr. Joyce Parsons – Sports Physical Therapist (NH)
Kristin Wattz – Delegate (CO)
Cheryl Kirk - Team Leader (IL)
Parent/private coaches in service to the team’s athletes include Philip Eliana (HI), Dave Negrete (IL), Sandy Rios (TX), Jairo Torres (IL), and Dan Whitley (MO). Joe Hall (TX), Cindy Tilbury (CA), and Steve Wattz (CO) will be there supporting the team as well.
Schedule
Arrivals 12/3-5
Practice 12/4-5
Opening Ceremony 12/5
Matches 12/6-13
Awards Ceremony 12/13
Departures 12/14
Family and Coaching Support
The U.S. Junior Team Delegation will total 107 once everyone has arrived in Santo Domingo! These are the family members and friends numbering 66 in support of the Team:
Sonal Aggarwal, Buzulagu Aizezi, Surekha Anantharaman, Monica Ayala, Valeria Rada Ayala, Sirisha Bhimineni, Brandiss Boaz, Ram Chandel, Patrick Christopher, Bibiano Gonzalez Corral, Vikrama Ditya, Marlene Eliana, Philip Eliana, Jamie Frost, Shanad Garcia, Leticia Gonzalez, Prasad Govekar, Joe Hall, Evelyn Herrera, Juan Herrera, Lisette Herrera, David Joeckel, Leena Katoch, Liz Kennedy, Vineet Kumar, Gina Leister, Kelly Leister, Zach Leister, Alyana Machado, Devin Machado, Natasha Machado, Naylea Machado, Kyra Mangalampalli, Sameer Mangalampalli, Satya Marivada, Hardy Marshall, Kristy Marshall, Liz McKee, David Mendoza, Ruchika Mohan, Raja Muthuraman, Dave Negrete, Sweta Prasad, Almira Pridatko, David Rada, Sathwik Rai, Drohn Raja, Carol Reed, Sandy Rios, Pam Sanders, Kevin Sendrey, Vikas Sharma, Ritu Singh, Virender Singh, Rakesh Thakur, Adolfo Jairo Torres, Claudia Torres, Preetu Vashista, Colleen Williams, Miles Williams, Cindy Tilbury, Mark Townsend, Dan Whitley, Siri Uppalapati, Julie Vincent, Steve Wattz
Good Stuff to Know
As you get ready to fall in love with this Junior Team and follow their experiences in Santo Domingo via social media, the Daily Blogs, and live streaming, our objective will be to make you feel like you’re there with the Team. Let’s get started:
Time: One hour later than US Eastern time (DR does not observe DST)
Electrical: 110/60 (same as U.S.) – no adapters or converters needed
Altitude: 46 ft. above sea level
Weather: 85 day/73 in evening (https://weather-and-climate.com/Santo-Domingo-December-averages)
Currency: 1 US Dollar (USD) = 63.37 Dominican Pesos (DOP)
Match Format: The scoring will be best 3 of 5 games to 11 points, all games won by 2 points. Rally scoring (a point scored on every rally regardless of server or receiver winning the rally) will be used.
Official Ball: Gearbox Sleek Black
Support for the Junior Team
WIS Inventory Solutions stepped up in a big way again this year, and we are so grateful for their support and encouragement. Thank you, with an additional heartfelt message of gratitude to Waseem Bawa.
Splathead became the Junior Team’s Official Uniform Sponsor two years ago. Joe Hall is again providing a full uniform package at no charge (wait until you see the design!) to every athlete competing in Santo Domingo and to the coaching staff as well. This is a significant gift to USA Racquetball, the athletes, their families, and our sport. We can’t say enough about Joe’s partnership and friendship.
So, it’s expensive when you add up flights, hotels, meals, entry fees, etc. Organizations, state associations, and individuals are stepping up to help athletes and their families in their local areas. If anyone reading this blog wishes to explore contributing on a personal or professional level to the U.S. Junior Team and/or any of the individual athletes, contact Cheryl Kirk at cherylkkirk@aol.com. She’ll send you in the right direction!
To contribute to the costs for sending the coaches and staff in support of our U.S. Junior Team athletes, please consider a gift to Team USA’s Fundraising Drive, currently underway! Donate here: https://donate.givedirect.org/?cid=16393
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 there courtside, the following will be offered:
1. The Daily Blog, accompanied by plenty of photos posted on the USA Racquetball website and social media beginning Thursday 12/4 and concluding Sunday 12/14.
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.
More Information will be shared in the Daily Blogs as competition begins, but here are the three sites that will feature live streamed matches during the event:
IRF YouTube Channel – IRF Facebook page – Panam Sports Channel
Draws will be posted on R2Sports. Go to www.internationalracquetball.com beginning late Friday, 12/5.
-- Cheryl Kirk
Okay, just when you thought that Blog #1 was finished, it seems appropriate to introduce the wildly popular and eagerly anticipated feature, yes, it’s Question of the Day! Let’s go...
U.S. Junior Team, what's your “Why”? Why do you play racquetball?
Ella Boaz, 20: I play racquetball because I love the strategy and think it's a lot of fun.
Naomi Ros, 20: I play racquetball because I love the adrenaline when I’m in a competitive match.
Juan Herrera II, 19: It drove me to improve as a player and a person.
Joseph Marshall, 19: Because my dad introduced me to the sport when I was young and I've been dominating since.
Cole Sendrey, 19: I play racquetball to compete. I like the feeling of adrenaline and hard work coming together in battles on the court.
Ellen Williams, 19: I play racquetball because it has allowed me to grow in relationship with my brother. Racquetball is something we have both become passionate about and can talk about for hours. Racquetball has given me so much in terms of community but has truly deepened the relationship I have with my brother, more than anything else.
Montserrat Torres, 18: I play because it’s something that I enjoy and has opened so many doors for me and I have also met so many new friends and people throughout the years.
London Townsend, 18: Because I like it.
Aanshi Thakur, 17: I love how fast the game is, and the satisfaction of hitting a good shot.
Rebecca Christopher, 16: Because my best friend suggested it / because it's chaotic.
Evan Whitley, 16: I have a lot of fun playing the game with people I like and sometimes it helps relieve stress.
Grant Williams, 16: I play racquetball because I love the intensity of the game, and it is my safe space from the rest of life.
Shreya Chandel, 15: I play racquetball because I love the community and it’s a fun and fast-paced sport.
Lucas Frost-Biskup, 15: For the competition and fast pace.
Nyasa Gupta, 15: I play racquetball because it has helped me discover myself.
Violet Kennedy, 15: I play racquetball because I love the high intensity and adrenaline that it brings. I continue to play it because of the people I’ve met while playing!
David Rada, Jr., 15: I play racquetball because I love sports, and one of my favorites is racquetball. It’s really fun to play.
Ayan Sharma, 15: I play racquetball because it's so fun, especially when the ball moves so fast.
Audrey Reed, 15: I love the community and tournaments.
Ashvin Aggarwal, 13: It's a fun sport. Gives me the opportunity to make friends. I want to become professional player.
Neil Govekar, 13: I play racquetball because it's fast-paced, one of the quickest sports in the world! I consider it to be fun and I also play because I have a natural disposition for it.
Ava Leister, 13: I play for the fun, competition, and the friends I’ve made.
Aaradhya Raja, 13: I play racquetball because I have a passion for it. I love the sport and the friendships it builds, especially the ones I’ve made at previous worlds and nationals.
Alden Townsend, 13: Because it's fun.
Reyansh Chandel, 12: I play racquetball because it’s fun and it’s good exercise.
Ryan Joeckel, 12: Because I like being competitive and having something to train for. And there’s a great community of players.
Elijah Machado, 11: I like to play because the game is exciting and it challenges me.
Sloka Marivada, 11: It’s fun and a great way to make friends from different states and countries.
Sameera (Sammie) Rai, 10: Because it’s a fun sport. And my dad used to be really good so he introduced racquetball to me.
Riva Singh, 10: I play racquetball because it feels like a second home.
Jasur Pridatko, 9: I play racquetball because it is fun.
GO TEAM USA!!
Splathead & WIS Inventory Solutions
