US Open de Pickleball: Todo lo que Tienes que Saber + Nuestra Experiencia

0:00Hello, dear residents! How are you? Hey, how are you, David? Very good. How are you, Angelito? I'm good. I'm good. And you, Carlos? Yes ok. How is Dad? I'm so happy we're all here together. And well, this life, this life of being a father, I think I started very late, but it's good, good, good. Seriously, no, I'm not sure you ever grew up mentally. With you, I feel like I'm with a

0:23friend of 18 years old. I no longer believe it. For me, that's the secret to forever life. In other words, never grow up. Don't grow up, always feel like a child. But anyway, we're here today, in today's episode we're going to talk about, look, the US Open Pickable. Okay, we're going to give you some information, and a little bit about our experiences too. I think each of us has played it a couple of times, right?

0:52No, I haven't played yet. I'll tell you about my experience in a moment. Okay, now tell us a little about the experience. Uh, the reason for this podcast is to give you some information, more or less, to prepare you if you're interested in playing in the US Open. Personally, I think the US Open is one of the most important tournaments at the amateur level. Okay, let me be clear on that part. It's also

1:16played professionally, but it's very important for amateur players because it has a unique feature : you can play by age, by category, by level, but always by your own age, so the tournament is more balanced, giving you the opportunity to truly measure yourself against people of your own age. In that respect, I think the tournament is very, very good . Uh, this year marks the 10th edition. It's been 10 years already. It's been

1:4910 years since it started in 2016 and curiously it has always been in the same place in Naples, the same location. Yes, it's called Veterans Park and it has about 70 courts. The Rizch has 68 courts, right? But there are 68 courts and the main court, which is a spectacle, seems to me to be one of the most spectacular courts to watch the Masters tournament that is being played there right now.

2:17That court is beautiful, but the US Open court is special, it's beautiful, you can see it from outside, you can see it from the sky, you can see that court. So, well, nothing. Let's begin. Uh, let's tell him, uh, first he has to be ready to play in that tournament. There are some dates, okay? They call it what would be the lottery registration, okay? Like quinine, right? Like the cinema. Falta saca la cula, [laughs] el quino.

2:46Don't get the kino from there. He's like the whole lottery of Venezuela. From Venezuela. But it closed millions of years ago. By the way, I won a prize. Not me, my mom. Once my family, I mean, we won a prize and thanks to me we didn't go to pick it up because I was like, "Mom, what a hassle to go there," and stuff like, " $00, right?" We did look for it; it was

3:10good money back then. But anyway, getting back to the opening, you have to pay attention to the moment we're recording this video, the lottery has already been opened, okay? It started on January 14th, the lottery opens, uh, it even has a date until January 20th, okay? So you only have a few days to find a partner, try to convince your partner, they do n't want to play with me. I just accepted the invitation

3:39my brother extended to me here [laughs] that's how they are, you see how they are? Because new Santos are coming and the old ones are already... what you don't know is that he 's explaining to us that thanks to what Bando is saying, the US Open is unique because it has age categories, so usually they would play by division, uh, from 19 years old and up, players 19 years old and

4:07up, uh, if it were 5.0 or any division, but here there is also an age division. Uh, players of any age, of any, I mean, of any level can sign up for that vision that will play with David, which is the 25 to 29 year olds. Yes, he's an old man, but he got involved in that. Yes, I've been researching that. I think you can enter a category younger than your age, but you can't

4:34enter a category older than your age. No, you can't be 19 and play in the 30-year-old category, because you can't be 40 and play in the 19-year-old category. Which I like, it seems fair to me because it's obvious that right now, especially with how the sport has grown , that young people are... I'm more afraid to play in that one right now. I wanted to enter the 33-year-old category. [laughs] That's the unique thing about

4:59this tournament, that's why I like this tournament so much, because you have the opportunity to measure yourself against people your own age. The level doesn't matter so much anymore, but you do play a lot with people your own age. So, personally, I too, when I play in this tournament this year, well, if we get selected, right? If we win the lottery, you've been lucky, haven't you? During the months you've

5:21signed up, you've played. The thing is, that's what I also wanted to talk about. Well, I've been lucky too, it's because I write to myself, when I write to myself , it's because of my age. Okay, let's get back to the topic of age. I'm writing myself up in the 40 category, between 40 and 49 years old. That's a division. And another division I play in is 40 to 44 years old. Okay.

5:42Okay. So, if I have been more successful, if I have been more lucky, or if I have been selected quite often every year, it's because I think that those ages, okay, I mean, I think they give preference to people who have registered in previous years. No, no, I don't see it. I don't see it. That's what I heard. No, no, I don't see it that way. I don't believe it. But do you think it's because they

6:03registered and played? Because I applied last year and wasn't selected. No, no, I think it's much more because of the quantity, right? Because of the amount [laughs] of love. Yes, I do believe in love very much. This, but it is, I repeat, it is because of the issue of the lawsuit. We're clear that between the ages of 19 and 30 there are a much larger number of players than between

6:3040 and 49, because after that you jump from 50 to 59. It's not like normal tournaments where there are regulars who have a certain capacity. You play open, right? That's from 19 years old up to open, it can be any age. And then there's the other category which is for people 50 years and older. Can you explain? I mean, I'm 42 years old now, so I can't play on the 50 Plus,

6:57you understand? So, I would always play open, open. So, that's why I also love this tournament so much, I really like it a lot, it's because I can play, I have the opportunity to play with people my own age. I've never won. [laughs] I 've never won the three times I've gone. Well, the experience has been fabulous because with so many people, there are approximately more than 5,000 players playing everything in practically

7:27a week and a half of competition. Uh, another unique feature of this tournament is that there's a category called split age, where you can play with an older person and a younger person. I was actually going to play the past with my partner Rob, but a corporate event came up that will make me some good money and he wasn't scared, scared, scared, scared to play. It was the same.

7:51But the only thing about that is that it's only in the professional category. Yes, nothing more professional is that you can play with the ages, one old and one young, or it can be vice versa too, did you know? In other words, it can be the same whether you're old or young. Exact. But the only thing is that if you sign up for anything that is considered professional, you can no longer

8:13join any other category of your age, whatever level you want. Once you log in and select pro, the only things you can sign up for are pro stuff. Yes sir. That's another thing. And that's why I don't think I'll ever play Speed ​​Open. And there are also some very good players playing in speed open, but I want to, I mean, I want to play a category where I think I have a chance

8:38to win, and if I could play spirit open, but I would also play 5.0 , but I prefer open because it's not as much and it's also much more expensive. I'm going to pay 300 for it. But I think it would be different because, let's say, if we have 6 months where we're not going to give a single class and we're just going to train, you and I, I guarantee that we can at least win

9:02a couple of pro matches, but it's really difficult to compare ourselves with the people who are training 6 hours a day, who are also training, and are moving to places in Florida with an even higher level to have more exposure to these players. The level is quite different . The level is quite different, in fact, completely different. One of the things that I at least recommend, in these 3 years that I have

9:29done it, I have tried to play and all this, I register or at least when it is time for the lottery, I register in all the categories, all of them, singles, I enter mixed by age, mixed by category, men by category, practically there are five divisions that I register in. Mm. Well, I've never been selected for all five events, I'm always selected, sometimes I'm selected for four, sometimes I've only been selected for three.

9:58Mm. So, I also recommend that while the lottery is running, sign up for all the categories, and then if you choose, you decide which one you would play because there are days when it's played, for example, the singles is played on April 12th, the men's is played the next day, but then the other men's that you would play by age and category and level, is played on the 15th, so there are some

10:30breaks. The mixed one is played on the 14th, then there are several, they are played every day, they will be played every day . Okay. And that is my first recommendation. Sign up for the lottery in all divisions, because when they send you an email, by the way, you only have a chance in the lottery until January 20th, okay? I repeat, to find your partner, uh, wait for them to accept you

10:59and then from the let me look for it here that we didn't David on Monday, April 13th. Exact. Then he said that the mens of two, ours was the 12, right? The tournament started on the 12th. As such, the singles begin. Uh-huh . I played on the 13th with David. And when will you and I play the power divisions? I don't think we could play it because it's on the 15th

11:31and you don't want to stay so many days there in Naples because it's like the 13th, 14th and 15th. Well, it's not that far away, is it? That 's two hours, three hours, a little more. Yes, I want to stay armed because when I've gone, I'm talking about myself now too. Did you know? If I'm going to help Bob register for the US Open, if he gets in, we can go on his plane.

11:57I ask him, and that would be for one day, and we come back the next day, and then the next time he keeps driving, right? Yes, yes, I do accept, [laughs] even though I don't play, it doesn't matter, I don't play, I'll go and drive them. That would be good. Wouldn't it be cool to have an episode where we play and you coach us ? Yes. I do it, I do it, I do it.

12:18That's mostly for But now you really have to listen to me because if you don't listen to me, marriage therapist. But anyway, continuing with this, well, let's take advantage of the moment here, this episode comes to you thanks to the people at RPM. Okay. This is a brand that's just starting out, a brand that I really , really like. It's the best brand. It's the best brand. It's the best brand, sure,

12:48but it's a racket that's actually designed by professionals, by professional players, okay? And what I particularly like about this racket is that it has, if you can hear it, a sandpaper, a sandpaper. I personally use slice-and-paste games a lot, and I like it; I like soft games, and they work great for me. David and I reiterate that it's the best palette of the 25, but there's a bit of a fence there,

13:16but from kitchen he named Persy as number two. And you know what, I mean, I feel like you can tell when a racket is good, when unsigned professionals use that racket without, obviously, I imagine you 're not playing professionally yet, you send them a message, send me three rackets because I'm going to play in the tournament, I assure you they'll gladly send them, but they're not paying most people a single dollar.

13:42I think the only one getting paid is Ryan Fu, who's going to get his shovel, his po, which I think is coming out next week, the blue one. It's pretty, but all the others I can tell you about, especially those playing on the app, are playing very well and using that racket. Chris Crouch is using it right now. Oh yes, I've been using it since yesterday. He's using it, but it's really funny because he

14:07won the tournament and then he comes out with his duel. Yes, but he's going to use Duel, he 's just waiting for Duel to be certified again. So, while he was using the RPM, what a coincidence that he won the tournament, right? The black woman is very good. It's very good. And what is the code that people have to use to see if house 15 is the correct one? 15.

14:28Well, and I also think it's a good time to celebrate Carlitos and me. I did n't know you sent the photos about the sponsorship contest . I knew it. Well, Carlitos and I won the influencer sponsorship. One shovel per month. They're going to give us a free shovel every month, they're going to give us clothes, and they're also going to put us on the website and everything. Congratulations, guys. And hats off to

14:59you. Very good. Thanks RPM. Don't worry, I'll send a photo soon. One day you'll be less lazy. No, no [laughs] don't worry, don't worry. So, well, getting back to the topic of the US Open, they have a date, remember, they have a lottery date. You only have 5 days to enter the lottery. Then, on January 28th, okay? That's when they would announce it, they would send you an email, okay? an email,

15:27uh, if you were selected and from that day on you practically have 3 days to pay. Okay, this is very important. Can you repeat that information I missed? When do they tell you whether they accept you or not? January 28th. Okay. Soon. Yes, yes. So, the lottery closes on January 20th, okay? It starts on January 14th, closes on January 20th, that's when you have the chance to enter all the divisions you want to play

15:54and on January 28th, 8 days later, they would send you a confirmation email if you were selected. Okay. If you didn't go, if you don't receive any emails, don't waste your time writing to USO, but simply didn't get in , and try again next year. Yes, I mean, that's my experience, I can tell you. You go to the website called Picoben and it appears there, and for

16:19me it appeared as if I were on a waiting list, and I refreshed it every day and it kept appearing. I'm telling you, if the US Open doesn't send you an email, it's simply because you weren't selected, maybe. But I think if you write to them on the first of February, if you write an email on February 1st at 11:59 at night, then it's like, look, here's the money, I'll pay you double, I've made sure they

16:52accept it, you're not in Caracas, [laughs] you're not in Caracas. I heard some shady characters around here. I heard about it, but you know, I also realized that they hold qualifying events where they give you a golden ticket because they support our acquaintance SAC, whose godfather is Carlos, more than they support us on social media. Something was won, something was won, right? And he earned a pass to the US. Ah, that.

17:21Yes, yes. There's a golden ticket for him too, so please congratulate your ado. [laughs] So, going back to the topic of Okay. Very important, you have 5 days to enter the lottery. They would send you an email on January 28th. If they send it to you, please don't waste your time and money. Pay now because you only have until the 31st, you practically have two days to pay. If you don't pay, you'll automatically be kicked out

17:50. They take you off the list of selected people and give your position to someone else who, like Carlos, sometimes doesn't pay his dues. So, by the way, you have to pay me my share of the house. So if they don't pay, if they don't pay on time within those three days, they're going to kick you out and they're going to call those who are on the Wi list. Okay. Uh, another thing. Uh-huh. After

18:14that, after you pay, well, on March 15th they release the list of players, so you'll see more or less who you're playing against on March 15th. March 15. March 15th, yes. There, there they specifically launch, what they launch is mostly the list of professional players, more than anything it shows you the list of players with whom you are going to play, but not against whom you are going to play, simply the list of

18:41players who are in your group. The chart, but they show you the list. They show you the list of players. Correct. And by the last date it's practically a done deal. April 1st. Okay, the US Open already shows the schedule as such, it already shows you what day it is, the exact day and date, the time you are going to play. Okay. The tournament, once again, the tournament kicks off on April 12.

19:08Okay. The Juniors play first. Okay. Here it is. Here I have a calendar that could be said to have been one of the first tournaments that introduced Junior Tournaments. Yes. To the world of Paball tournaments. Yes, yes. Like I said, it started in 2016. Well, that would be the calendar. By the way, you can find all the information on the internet, this episode on YouTube; we'll put it in the description. Yes,

19:37yes, it's true. We left it below in the description on the US Open Minto page, Pickor's Minto. Okay. There you have it, there you can get all the information, the calendar, the days and the events that are going to be. Oh, look, I'd play on the 15th. The 15th when it's just you and me. Yes, we left early Monday and returned on Wednesday because I personally, this is the only tournament I play in, the only

20:08singles tournament I sign up for. It's the only one because I play by age. And when is the singles coming out? The single is on April 12th, or rather, it's the 13th, sorry. Let me see. No, it wouldn't be the 14th, would it? It's the 12th. April 12th. That's the singles, right? It's either that I can play singles, I prefer to play singles, to play with David and because that's until Thursday. Do

20:33you know what I've been thinking about right now? whether they accept us or that they accept anyone. That's the first thing. If there are any invitations, if there are any Latin American brands that are interested in supporting us a little by renting an Airbnb or whatever, we can use their brand throughout the tournament. We can make videos there with the whole video. So this is an invitation. If you're interested in supporting us on this trip ,

20:59let's go for it. First invitation. I like it, I like that one. There's the cell phone. That's my plan. Well, this is going to be quite interesting for other information from this year. Every single game in every division will have a referee. Wow. All, all the games. Damn, you know what? I don't really agree with that because for me, tournaments with benchmarks... Yes, there are many more. They are much slower, but

21:34for a round like the one I do, I don't want a referee, but I think it adds prestige and also adds prices because he charges you. Uh-huh. We haven't discussed prices yet. This year it's a little more expensive than... Oh yes, it went up. Yes, yes, it went up 50 loquetas. Uh, just the registration fee, nothing else, if you are selected, you just have to pay $150. Therefore, there are several costs. There's the cost of

22:06registering for the tournament, but that doesn't happen if you play in a division. You have to pay for each division that you pay for. I think it's 45. Yes, 50 maximum. Yes, I'll play one with you and that's 50 more. One with David makes 50 more. the 50 most singles. If I pay for the mixed option, 50 more is 350, which is an expense. That's another little thing to consider. Uh, if for

22:35example, if you're like me, who signs up for the lottery, signs up for all five divisions, mixed, men's doubles and singles and gets selected and wants to play all the divisions, be prepared to spend about $ on registration fees. Look, we're not talking about per diem, we're not talking about travel, we're not talking about RBNB, nothing like that, just participation in the tournament and that's only for amateurs, okay? At a professional level,

23:05the price is much higher. Practically per division, it's almost $100 that you have to pay. It's cheaper than the PP. Yes, yes, yes. PP is about 300 per event. Yes, I think at PPA the registration fee is around $100, but per event it's about the same this year as well. This year, the professionals, for example, will also play on the day they are scheduled to play. For example, there is one day when they only play singles,

23:36another day when they play men's singles, and another day when they play mixed doubles, but they play until the semi-finals. They left the final games for the final day, which would be Saturday, April 18th. That day everyone plays, all professional categories play the final. Okay. Uh, what other part like that? Other interesting or different information from other years. I think this year's edition is going to be special. Let's get back to the topic. That's

24:09number 10 and I think they're going to prepare something, they always do something special at tournaments. Last year was a surprise when Andre Agasi joined for the first time and started playing professionally, playing with Analí. Mm. David was there. Yes, David was coaching and he's going to tell us about his experience. So, well, nothing, the rest, uh, let's start talking a little more now about our personal experiences. Our recommendation is to point out

24:42for the people who follow the professional circuit a lot, most of their favorite players aren't playing in this tournament because this is a tournament that isn't part of the UPA tournaments, which are the tournaments of the session that MLP and PPA manage. This is something separate, and yes, there are many players from the PPA, like Megan Fotch, Sofia Swing, and on the men's side there's Jack Monroe, but, I mean, most UPA players can't play because their

25:27contracts don't allow it. But Ana Le Pick, who just decided to sign with Nike, yes, she's going, yes, they allowed her to play the US Open, and I think this is the second or third consecutive year that she's going to play the US Open. I think last year she played the mixed doubles with Agacy and won the Women's with her mom, beating Jil Breverman and Megan Fotch. Correct, correct. One type is that this

25:56type is the encyclopedia, the encyclopedia of Father Carlos Zambrano. I listen a lot. I do n't really watch that much, I mean, I don't watch, but I listen to a lot of podcasts. That's good. That's good. I'm more of a viewer. I am me, to listen to podcasts I have to listen to them once, twice, three times, four times. I'm a little old. My main process, you know, late. So, tell us, let's talk about

26:15express here since you're the host today. Tell us about your experience. Okay. Well, my experiences at the US Open have been, uh, 50/50. Here's a recommendation I'm giving you from today: if you want to play in that tournament, prepare yourselves physically, prepare yourselves physically because that time of year, especially that time in Naples, in that part of Florida, is very hot. Humidity kills, it really does, it wears you down in a way that I

26:46have felt. Every time I've played it, I prepare a little more each year, but in the end I feel I have to prepare even more because there are so many games you play, so many hours you play if you manage to reach the final, and the physical strain is enormous, enormous, enormous. I really recommend that you prepare yourselves physically, and hydrate. Hydration is always important whether you play or not, but if you

27:19really want to play, I'm telling you to prepare because it's tough, it's a tough tournament, it's not an easy tournament, you don't start playing at 8 in the morning. Normally, the times I've had to play, it almost always starts at 10 in the morning, and by the time I'm finishing my matches to qualify for the final rounds, it's already 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and I'm exhausted.

27:44Yes, I also want to give you a kind of warning: it's not a slow tournament, it 's not a fast tournament, it's not a tournament where you play match after match, winning one match and not playing the next for 30 minutes. Minutes later or even an hour later, while you're playing, there are also 300 other matches that are—I'm exaggerating—but they're on the waiting list to start. That's right And well, I've played singles every

28:17year. I try to prove myself because at the end of the day I play singles to test myself, to challenge myself to see how far I can go. Uh, I haven't achieved the goals, not at all, I haven't even passed, I failed again. I haven't even made it past the first round, but I am very aware that this is because I don't practice singles. That's what David always tells me. David thinks that I

28:46could be a good singles player, but if I train a little more in singles than in doubles. I love playing doubles, that's why I don't play singles much. Well, personally, I'm fascinated by this tournament because there are so many people you meet, and every year you meet new people, and every year you meet the people you met last year, and a huge, huge community is created, and that for me is going to be the big difference

29:23between Pique and tennis. In other words, tennis will never be able to surpass or replace the community in the pick. The community at Pable is huge and grows more every year, and these kinds of tournaments are what make it so, because not only do people from Florida come, but people practically come from all over the United States and the world as well. I remember a tournament, a tournament, an edition, some people from Peru, and I

29:51think that's where I first met these brothers, they were the ones who organized the World Cup tournament. I met them there in the first edition that I participated in. I'm surprised you greeted him because you hate those people over there. Lie. I'm lying, [laughs] lying, lying. I love them very much. They are doing an extraordinary job with the World Club. Okay, so go ahead with that. Don't listen to this clown. I've played all

30:21the editions, I've played with different partners, okay? Only in mixed doubles have I played twice with the same partner, Ering, but in men's doubles I have played with different partners each year. I think the furthest I got was the semi-finals. Semifinal, but sorry. It was to advance to the gold one. Okay. That's when I lost that game. I was moved down to the loser bracket because amateurs still play double elimination.

30:55At a professional level, no more. At a professional level it's simply you lose and goodbye, you're out, you don't play anymore. So, we were very close last year with Ariel, who I think is a resident we have, by the way, this year I already sent him the invitation. Let's see, I sent him a message, he said, "Okay." He replied, "Okay." Ah, but I don't know if it's okay. It's yes or no.

31:22You tell me, "Okay, and I'll delete my contacts." No, come on, we have to congratulate Ariel. From what I see he's posting on social media, it looks like he's starting a junior program there in Brookville, right? Greetings Ariel Álvarez, a hug, we love you. Okay, keep going, keep at it and I hope he replies to my message to see if we can play this tournament together. This, I repeat, I've been through editions where the cramps have

31:50killed me, I'm exhausted, I'm destroyed, destroyed, destroyed the next day. That's why sometimes I prefer to stay put, I prefer to stay in a hotel or a RBD over there because after playing and driving back to Tampa for 3 hours, well, it kills me, it kills me. But otherwise, I really think that every time the US Open comes around, it's like, 'That's the tournament, that's the tournament I want to play, that's the tournament I

32:20want to win, nothing else matters to me.' But anyway, let's see if I get selected this year . That's the first thing you have to do, get selected, and once you're selected, pay quickly, pay quickly, because otherwise, look, really, they'll take you off the list and put in the one who hasn't paid yet. defaming my name, but I want to know, I want Carlos to tell me about his experience first, because I know that Carlos

32:45played once, you played once. I've been to SPEN, I went twice in 2020 and 2023. I went to see because I was working on another project and I was kind of following up on the sport. to the professional P. I have a picture with Sam Querry; it was the time Sam Querry debuted as a PB player. So Querry is a tennis player who was a top 10 player, but who completely failed in the world of Pickel.

33:21And I went to see, that was my first experience, it was cool, very hot. I drove around on a Tuesday, I left around noon, arrived around 8, returned around 5, got home around 8, so I was out for about 2 hours and drove for about 4 hours round trip, and the next day was the same, and in 2024 because last year I didn't play, I was going to play, but this

33:47event came up and I only played for the Split Age Open, I became... here is this information that I haven't verified. I became the first Venezuelan to win a medal in the 5.0 category. [laughs] Here there might be a list of 10 Venezuelan women, but I don't proclaim it. I am the Simón Bolívar of the US Open. 5-0 5-0 N 19 Plus and Jonathan Medina. But I won a bronze medal. No, but he did

34:21n't win a medal. No, he didn't win a pro medal. I'm saying 5.0. Nothing. So that day I played, we played the first game. So that I saw that game, right? With my friend Justin. You are there. Clear. What do you mean, if I was there? If I was the one who was there, come on, relax, calm down because if there isn't someone behind you, you go crazy, you start to...

34:43Carl? Forget it. Relá. The other point, the other point, imagine, imagine the ear that was, imagine how crazy he was, that he wasn't even listening to me, he was watching me, that I was out. I used to be crazier. I used to hate him, didn't I? That's the game with my friend Justin Rudolf. The first game we played, the first game we won 11-0 and then we lost 11-9, 11-9. And I was like, "This can't be

35:08happening," so I drove here, had a beer [laughs], and started playing, and we won the first game, we won the second game in the losers' bracket, and in the losers' bracket you can get to play the bronze game, which we did get to play, and we won. Honestly, it was one of the coolest experiences there is because you lose the first game and suddenly you start winning, winning, winning, winning, winning. I think I won six, six

35:46or seven games in the Consolation Bracket, in the losers' bracket, and there we won a three-game match and it was a , I mean, I was so excited that I almost burst into tears. He kissed me . What's wrong with this guy? I don't know him. No, not the mouth. Not the mouth. But he hugged me here. Thanks for your support, brother. I wouldn't have won without you. Okay.

36:09From that day on, from that day on I said, damn it, you know what? I'd like to be a coach, wouldn't I ? I think I have the potential to be a great supporter, more than anything else. Weren't you a coach there yet? No, it was my first tournament too, my first edition. No, you were already a coach there, bro. No, no, I wasn't a coach. that he wasn't a coach, that you weren't a coach,

36:25that he wasn't. Look, I'm not going to tell you why. I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. That year I came back, did n't I? Listen to me. That year I became a coach. You already have Alzheimer's. I think you were a car. No, no, it wasn't, it wasn't. Listen, because that year after I played, that was the year I took the course, and I took the course in July. Damn, I have to

36:47remove the certificate. 2023 2024 the one you won. Yes, I remember because you and I started teaching, you and I started coaching at the same time, and I was already teaching, and you were in a store with Erin and Ariel, and that was when you and Erin were teaching. Yes. Exactly. Yes. It could be, it could be Elimer, the baby, Alzheimer's, the thing. I won, I became the Simón Bolívar of the US Open, founder of

37:18the winners. And here, well, David has a tremendous anecdote from last year, a different one. So, I tried to join the men's 5-0 team and the mixed team too, and neither of them accepted me, right? As I mentioned, I was told I was on the waiting list, I kept checking in and nothing happened, but then I got the opportunity to go with a friend who is a professional Pickelball player named

37:48Travis Redmeer, who has a good relationship with Andrea Agasy. So it turns out he was going to travel with him for two or three days because it was like Andrea Agaí's debut, so he invited us to see if we wanted to watch the game with him, right? And we said yes, of course. So, with my other partner Angel Aramayo, we went, we drove that day, and it was incredible because we were in

38:10the box, the only box there is at the US Open, and I, I mean, right now I have you, at that moment I had Stefy Graf next to me and all the, well, Agasi's children, the children's boyfriends, whatever, people here from Rubio over there in Venezuela who don't know who Andrea Agasi and Stefy Graf are, who Andreas and Stefy Graf are. Well, in terms of results, Stefy Graf was a much better player; she is

38:39the most successful player in tennis history. Exact. Grand Slams. But Agasi also won, but Agasi was a very controversial player who attracted a lot of attention in terms of marketing . Stefy Graf is the only player in history, I think. And win the golden slam. Do you know what the golden slam is? No, win the four majors. Uh, Austin Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Open and the Olympics in the same year. Wow. Yes.

39:10No, I didn't know, I didn't know. And then it was an incredible experience and it also made me want to play even more this year because it was last year when we went, because seeing the atmosphere, like you said, right? All the people, so many full courts, seeing that there are wheelchair divisions, you know? I mean, it's impressive, really. And in general I feel it's a very well- organized tournament, because I remember the

39:38first year you played you told me, "Get in, get in, I don't want to get in, I'm not going to pay that much for it, blah, blah." And then, going back the following year, I said, "Wow, yes, I want to play, I really do, is n't it a great experience?" I mean, I personally recommend to everyone listening to this that they try it, really try it, because that's where they'll find the real, so to speak,

40:05Pickball community. That's where they'll really get everything, everything, everything. And that's it, my last recommendation is again to be prepared if you're going to play it, okay? Get ready. This, uh, to wrap things up, well, to say that I hope you select them, I hope you select both of you too, guys. I want to see them playing. We're going, we're going. Yes, we're going anyway, we're going to do something crazy. We are going to promote

40:36a camp exclusively for Hispanics at the Ret Club before the US. Okay, that seems right to me . Okay, let's do it. Let's do it. We'll take you at your word. We're going to do it, we're going to organize it, we'll send the information here for the residents, so that people get excited and so that they know that it's about making the money that we're going to use to pay our costs at BNB, I think.

41:00Unless we get a sponsor. Well, if not, we're not going to invest in BCAM. [laughs] This one would be great. Okay, so to wrap up this episode, we're going to start a new section where in each episode we'll talk about something good or something that happened to us during the week, so that the residents can get to know us better , learn about what we do, and also talk nonsense, right? So, what's something good

41:28that happened to you this week, Angelito? Uh, well, at the pickable level, okay, um, I had the opportunity to make a group of eight people uh with the name Guacamole, okay? From my friend David's program, who is giving me the opportunity to be part of his project as a coaching staff member, so to speak. And I really enjoyed it because it had been a long time since I'd done a solo group. I like it when I

41:56get a group of 8 or 16 people. I prefer working with my friends to working alone. It's when I'm alone that I feel like, uh, I'm not paying much attention to others, right? But this clinic was quite lively. Most of them already knew me. And that's another thing I liked, that over time, perhaps thanks to these podcasts and this new project we started, people are starting to see us more, or they're

42:28starting to see me more, and they're asking me for more classes. I don't know, or they know my daughter was born and, well, look, Angelo needs more money, let's go. But he has to do an extraordinary event, because you're a tremendous coach. Exact. Okay, thanks. No, I hope that these opportunities that are coming your way right now will serve as motivation for you to continue believing in yourself, to continue believing

42:50that you can do this and more, right? Like what that brand Angelo Petricone needs to know because you're already there, you just have to create it and work to achieve it. It's true, it's true. Before, at the beginning, you're right about that, because at first I felt that since I don't come from tennis, since I don't have that background, I felt that what people were showing me made them see me as, "This

43:16guy, what is he?" But now people see me and they really respect what I say, they listen to me, and I can see it on their faces, and that's what makes me gain more confidence now, much more confidence, that now I'm really believing that I'm a professional coach. Now I really feel like a professional coach. Now I can collect the same money that Carlos collects. Carlos charges 200 per hour. [laughs]

43:45Carlitas, what happened to you this week? Good. Well, the RPM thing is something I think is super cool, that he liked the proposal I made to him and that David made to him. I 'm also doing a challenge to publish a post every day, and there have already been two or three that have gone somewhat viral. There's one there that's really controversial, very controversial, that I bet people didn't even watch two seconds of the video and

44:18they already started giving their opinions. Yes, it was a video, I mean, the video, no, I'm not, it's not that I'm innocent, it's like I did n't do this thinking, I mean, I thought that if I was going to do it there would be opinions that no, that Costa Rica is going to be better than Venezuela in terms of pickball destinations, well, people took it to some ugly places, right? What I

44:42noticed about that post is that you at least wanted to offer some perspectives through the pick, and a super positive one at that, right? No, no, and a prediction, but at the level of pickable, but people, obviously because of the situation that is happening right now in Venezuela, people diverted it, it became a whole political issue too, I mean, already political and what about the thugs, what are they going to do about the thugs? But who

45:03's talking about the thugs? We were talking, what you were talking about is a 5-year prediction, we 're not saying it's something that's going to happen tomorrow. So, I also found it very funny, just like David, seeing the comments, seeing how people were tearing each other apart. So, let's make things clear as well. I want to take this opportunity to say that what we're trying to talk about is Piqué,

45:26okay? And as a Venezuelan, I speak in this case for Carlos and for myself as a Venezuelan, of course we want the best for our country and the best thing is what is happening at this moment, because it is the only solution to get these people out . [laughs] Don't talk about politics. Sorry, but well, I'm not going to talk about politics anymore. [laughs] And you, David, what happened to you?

45:51It turns me on, it turns me on. It happened to me that for a couple of weeks now, two former students have been writing to me saying they wanted to train with me, and honestly I haven't had the time to do it, but I made time yesterday. I congratulate them. She signed them at the PPA 10 days ago. Good. So, they are now officially professional players. Carlitos and I had the opportunity to teach

46:20them when they started. Do you remember that your mom also sent you a message? Yes. But Carlitos didn't want to drive because it was really complicated. You are No, he wrote to us, he wrote to us at the same time. Uh-huh . And you answered him before. And you, ah, you didn't answer him. I responded as if I hadn't spoken to Ah, okay. But yes, I mean, the mother, but I still don't think I could have

46:41. Yes, the mom didn't write herself. What interested me most was that it was a long-term project at that time, because what they were asking of me was that they wanted me to be their coach and help them from beginners, because I didn't know anything about the sport, to get them into playing professionally, right? Then I really liked that part. more than the financial aspect. The financial aspect was also very good. It's a

47:05family that has a lot of money, but I don't have a lot , a lot of money, but I went, I made a commitment to them, so for about two or two months I had to drive three or four times a week, sometimes an hour and a half, two hours, to go to their house, to train them and the girls in a period of two weeks went from not knowing the rules to

47:30being solid 4-0 players, after two months there were already 45. Then I traveled to Spain for almost a month, I recommended them to a couple of coaches who were helping me at that time and then I didn't hear anything about them because they started working with the director of the PPR at that time. So I lost touch with them as a student gamer, but I 've seen them many times, right? They're already

47:58playing at level 50, 55, you could say women's level. So, they had written to me a couple of times to play with them and this time I was able to yesterday and it's, I mean, it was nice that they already told me that they signed with the PPA, they are playing well, but for me, being selfish, it was even nicer because we did a rotation where we played seven games with different fixes all

48:23the time, I won all the games and it was another guy who is also playing professionally, who played with us. So, it gave me a lot of confidence. Because I feel like I've been applying it and everything, but this time, what we talked about a couple of videos ago is that my goal is to try to disconnect from being a coach anymore, especially from playing, and I felt like I was playing really well,

48:49actually. I mean, I saw some videos of you one day and I think I set a good precedent, because there's a reason I coached them in the beginning, you know? Excellent. I still don't know. How many flicks did you make? Like four, but solid. Let's see. But yes, no, I really felt great and it motivated me to train. I registered for the US Open Singles 5-0. So, if they accept my total transformation. I

49:17like it, I like it. I sincerely congratulate you, I sincerely congratulate both of you. Update: I've already left 3 pounds. I said you were going to pounds. Excellent. Excellent. And it gives you a tr and I think this podcast is personally going to help each of us because it's not just talking for the sake of talking, it's what we're putting here, we're saying it for the world to hear and it's also a way for

49:42us to stay honest and really focus on achieving the goals we're setting for ourselves. Well, I'm going to... I'm going to do a... The world is very big. This one, large or small? Great, great. No, I'm going to take advantage of this moment. I'm going to commit to training with you for at least a week, single. Well, it seems to me, it seems to me. You know, I've been thinking for a week now about

50:09this. In a month, we're all going to practice a little bit of singles and we're going to make a YouTube video, a singles tournament between the three of us. Ah, I like it, I like it. Like. Okay, g. Let's see who scores the fewest points. Well, uh, thanks everyone. You know, please subscribe if you like this content, recommend it to us, and like the messages below. We've included a little extra information here. Thanks to You Dripping

50:37too. This is a... this is what this is what it really is: a tremendous grip. When you grab it, it 's dripping, you grab it and you feel like, wow, softly, the sweat comes to your hand . That's it , it's turning me on. [laughs] The sweat doesn't slide and it smells like roses. Dripping use house 20 for the best grip with a 20% discount and we ask for it. This guy already said it's the

51:05best popsicle on the market. House 15 so they can buy the best, the second best palette according to Kitchen, the best for us. And well, see you at Open and finally another invitation to brand if you're liking the content we 're doing, send us a message. We are looking to work with different brands. Obviously, these will be brands that align with our vision , but the offer is there. Yes. And now another point of interest is

51:35whether there's a brand willing to cover our production costs so we can pay someone in exchange for advertising. Maybe there's a little bit of an exchange, an exchange, because this is what we're doing organically. This is completely organic. We do this ourselves, the cameras are ours, the computers are ours, the palettes are ours. The most important thing is that we are doing it with love, with care. We're doing it, we're on the

52:03right track. Looking forward to it . Of course. So, that's it, see you at the US Open, guys. Lack.