(by Maggie Tian)

I was honored to coach Team USA at the 2024 Pan American U11 & U13 Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. My primary responsibility was coaching the U11 Girls Team, which included Anya Shanbhag, Emma Yang, Amanda Liu, and Shreya Venkateraman.

This was the girls’ first time representing Team USA in an international competition. Initially, I was concerned they might feel intimidated by the spectators, who were almost exclusively cheering for our opponents. However, perhaps they were too young to even feel nervous yet. I was incredibly impressed by how they handled the pressure both on and off the court.

I was also worried about their opponents using pips, but it was no issue — they handled it like pros! Their fighting spirit was remarkable. They always maintained their composure, whether they were leading or trailing. The team spirit was outstanding as well — they were always cheering for each other.

Overall, I couldn’t have asked for better results. Our U11 Girls Team won gold medals in all events, along with some silver and bronze! The other U.S. teams (U11 Boys, U13 Girls, U13 Boys) also performed very well, and we secured the overall gold.

This tournament was a blessing for me. I am thrilled to see U.S. youngsters thriving in the U11 and U13 age categories. It’s a great start, and I hope that one day we will excel across all age categories.

U11 Girls’ Teams
🥇 USA A
🥉 USA B

U11 Girls’ Singles
🥇 Emma Yang
🥈 Shreya Venkateraman

U11 Girls’ Doubles
🥇 Anya Shanbhag, Emma Yang
🥉 Amanda Liu, Shreya Venkateraman

U11 Mixed Doubles
🥇 Chirag Pradhan, Anya Shanbhag
🥈 Ethan Zhou, Shreya Venkateraman
🥉 Evan Dong, Emma Yang
🥉 Jacob Kordus, Amanda Liu

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