Junior Team USA Preparing to Compete in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!
Share:
Various
The U.S. Junior Team Delegation is finishing up their preparations and getting ready for their exciting trip to represent the USA at the 36th IRF World Junior Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, December 5-13, 2025.
Upon arrival, the goals will be to recover and settle in at the host hotel, get adjusted to altitude, buy plenty of bottled water, and practice at the club.
Meet the Athletes and Staff
- 33junior athletes ranging from 20 years to 9 years old
- 8 U.S. Junior Team Staff members
- 67 parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and support staff eager to be there for the Team
That’s 108 in the delegation – a record!
The 33 athletes come from 8 states: California (12), Missouri (8), Texas (5), Illinois (3), Tennessee (2), Floria (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
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 has stepped up in a big way again this year, and we are so grateful for their support and encouragement. Thank you!
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, and their families, and we can’t say enough about Joe’s partnership.
Various
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 article wishes to explore contributing on a personal or professional level to the 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.
It’s almost here! As mentioned above, mark your calendars and read more in the Daily Blogs that will be published on USA Racquetball’s website and social media pages. The Daily Blogs will connect you with our Junior Team athletes’ IRF World Juniors experience beginning Thursday 12/5 and concluding Sunday 12/14.
GO TEAM USA!!
