“Paola Longoria wins her 1st Pro Stop of 2014 in Cincinnati, OH”
“Rocky Carson makes it to two semi-finals starting out in 2014 in Long Island, NY & Sioux Falls, SD”
“Wayne Antone took 2nd in Men’s Open Singles at the OSU Invitational in Corvallis, OR”
“Jordan Cooperrider wins Women’s Open Singles and Mixed Open Doubles at the IRT Satellite Pro Stop in Tampa, FL”
My “Adult Championship Racquetball Team” led by Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria, both had a tournament(s) in January returning from the Holiday Break.
Rocky Carson had a few rough tournaments to start off the 2nd half of the 2013/2014 season as he had a sinus infection for over a month. At the IRT’s Coast to Coast in CA he lost to Del A Rossa in the quarters; at the Salon Cactus NYC Open in NY he lost to Del A Rossa in the semis and at the Lewis Drug Pro/Am in SD he lost to Beltran in the semi’s in singles and to Waselenchuk/Mannino in the finals of the doubles. No question it is back to the drawing board for Carson and he will have to start to focus on the basic core principles of the game, which is what has propelled him to the top and the #2 IRT pro ranking.
Paola Longoria had a great start to the 2nd half of the 2013/2014 season by capturing her 28th consecutive professional tournament victory at the Tour of Hope in Cincinnati, OH. The win in Cincinnati pushed Paola’s consecutive winning streak to 112…an incredible feat.
Paola is getting ready for the Mexican National Championships on February 5-9 in which she will compete for a spot on the Mexican National Racquetball Team that will compete at the Pan American Championship and the World Championships, both very prestigious events.
My “Junior Championship Racquetball Team”
Wayne Antone took 2nd place in the Men’s Open Division at the OSU Invitational in Corvallis, OR after beating the #1 seed, Dan Cramer. Wayne’s hard work and dedication to his game and his newly found fitness level is an important factor in his development as a “championship player.” With the win over Dan Cramer at this event, and taking Andrew Gale, IRT Pro #30 to 5 games in the quarter finals at the IRT Satellite event in Boise, ID in December this is a sure indication of what is to come from this 15 year old spit fire.
“Thanks for being the best coach a student could ask for Fran,” Wayne January 5th.
Jordan Cooperrider took 1st place in the Women’s Open Singles and Mixed Open Doubles at the IRT Satellite Pro Stop in Tampa, FL. As a 14 year old she is dominating.
Mitchell Turner, new to my “championship team,” is now making it to the finals of Men’s C events and even won a Men’s B Consolation at the ripe age of 13.
“Thanks to Fran, I have a better understanding of shot selection, therefore I am a more consistent player which gives me a greater overall level of confidence. Above all, I feel more mentally strong and it now shows up on the court especially when I am playing tournaments.”
Rocky Carson and Paola Longoria both are preparing for a successful 2nd half of the 2013/2014 season.
***All IRT and LPRT Tier 1 and Grand Slam events are streamed live on the IRT Network.
Enjoy your journey to your “championship game” – like my “championship team.”
Good Luck Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII….here’s to a GREAT game.
