Jazlene Montes Paddleball Youth Profile No2
Something beautiful is happening in the sport of paddleball. The youth seeds are starting to take root on the indoor and outdoor courts. Jazlene Montes, most know her as Jazzy, is one of those paddleball seeds starting to sprout into a beautiful flower that lights up the courts with her easy smile. Yes, kids like Jazzy are turning the paddleball courts into beautiful gardens!
Jazzy is one of the promising members of the PFA Paddleball Youth Clinic program. She is ten years old, a bit shy and has an infectious smile that makes you want to cheer for her. The youngest of four sisters and two brothers, Jazzy started playing paddleball about a year ago on the courts of Castle Hill Park, also known as “The Pit”. This princess has all the tools of a future paddleball queen: She is long, quick on her feet and has good hand-eye coordination. Paddleball is in her DNA. Her mother, Suly Ruiz, is an outstanding handball player, who in just over a year of playing paddleball, has put the sport on notice by winning and placing in a number of open tournaments.
Jazzy originally started playing handball on and off at the age of five. But by watching her mother play paddleball during the past year, she switched to the paddle and has embraced the game and developed a love for it. So much so, that paddleball has become her favorite sport. I asked her, “What do you like best about the game of paddleball?” Her eyes lit up with her beautiful smile, “Playing with friends and having lots of fun, which is one of the reasons I love the PFA paddleball clinic.” She enjoys playing in front of big crowds and having people cheer for her, especially when she rolls the ball out which, of course, is her favorite shot.
Her favorite subject in school is Art. She draws very well and proudly showed me some of her drawings of horses on her phone. She is also an avid animal lover and has a female dog named Lulu, a cat and a bunny, and she rides horses. Because of her love for animals, she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. For Jazz, a perfect day is riding horses at Orchard Beach and writing about the day.
She likes to watch the video game “Road Blocks Kids” on YouTube. Her favorite movie is Disney’s “Moana”, the legendary demigod whose goal is to save her people. Jazz loves to watch the “Sponge Bob” TV show with her 18 year old sister. I asked her what super power she would like to possess. “I would love to be able to talk to animals in their own language.” With that infectious smile, she should not have any problem communicating with animals, or human beings!
Jazzy #GotNext!
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