Santiago Ventura

Moving Beyond Walls

Beginning of his calling

I grew up in Barcelona, Spain. At the age of twelve, I was introduced to squash through my childhood friends. I played hookie with some friends, we went to school together, and someone said “oh there is a very cool sport, squash, we want to play.” We skipped school and went to the club and played squash. My parents found out, and told me that they would buy me a membership if I won’t do that again. *Laughter* I went to college in Barcelona and have a degree in Engineering and Agricultural Engineering that I have not used. If I didn’t get into squash, I would have done agriculture because the environment, organic agriculture, and resources are important to me. So, that is what I would have liked to do at that time, you know solar energy, organic crops, irrigation, all that stuff. When I started playing squash professionally, my mom still wanted me to get a proper job. Which in that time you had to be a doctor, an architect, accountant, or a lawyer, but now they understand that squash is my proper job.

Coming to the United States

Back in the 90’s when I came to play in a professional tournament, I met someone who wanted to hire me. He said he would help me get a working permit and I decided to follow it as a career. I do some work in Princeton University in New Jersey, and for some clubs in New York, but I like Minnesota. I think it is a great place for my family to grow. I’ve been living in Minnesota for twenty-two years.

Professional Squash

I always wanted to play a sport professionally, and squash was my option at the time. I played for Spain when I was a junior. We would compete in the European championships at all different levels. We also competed against clubs all over Spain. At a certain age in sports you get very old at a young age, so teaching/coaching was the next step in my career. When I came to the United States, I worked in different places other than Minnesota. I have always taught that as you grow and you gain experience, what you want to do will change.

I have coached players at a professional level, adults at racket clubs, and kids at a beginner level, and in New Jersey I ran some of their youth programs. I’ve been working at the University of Princeton for seventeen years, they hire me every summer. I like it because the elite of the country goes to Princeton, and I think I get a chance to work with the best professionals in the world.

My biggest achievement as being a professional coach was when I was coaching the junior U.S. teams for the Pan American games. The women won the gold medal and the men won the silver medal that year when it was held in Mexico. I think that is one of my biggest achievements.

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Beyond Walls

Right now I am teaching professionally and directing the squash program, Beyond Walls. The program is a totally fund raised and non profit organization, so we raise money and the children pay nothing. This is my full time job. I would like to do this until my body says that I am unable to run anymore, maybe for another five or ten years. The group of kids I am targeting are at risk, and this is because of the neighborhoods that they live in and the people they meet. It gives me satisfaction to impact their lives in a positive way. I like to be a role model for the kids I coach by living a healthy life, and just being a good person overall. I prefer coaching kids because they have the ability to learn by imitation, whereas adults learn by repetition. It is very easy to learn as a kid and to teach them, and the kids normally have a future. When I coach I would always see the long term goals. Coaching a kid you can see they can be a great squash player, and you can see them getting into college. I can see a future in them. I prefer doing this job rather than working with the elite group. It is different teaching at both places, here I have faced more challenges, especially social and behavioral challenges. Not that is better or worse, that is just what it is. Those challenges also help me be a better teacher and a better coach. I think from this job, which this is my second year, I have been learning. I am learning to be a better parent as well, which is a plus. I always wanted to teach and coach, but not in the specific area that I am in right now. Playing and coaching athletes, it was always my dream.

Retrieved from: http://www.beyondwallsmn.org/

Home Sweet Home

A friend of mine who played squash introduced me to my wife. Our first date was playing squash, she had never played it before. She ran track and field for the University of Minnesota, and in that time she was also running marathons. She was an athlete and is from Minnesota. We have supported each other with our work and what we like to do. We have two children who are 8 and 12. This is their home, and my home now. The proudest moment in my life is seeing my kids everyday. They make me very proud the way they are, and that is not just in one moment, but an everyday thing. They act and are good kids, I am the dad, what can I say right? *Laughter* If I did not have a family I would probably be back in Barcelona by now, but with a family I think this is the right city for my kids to grow and to have a future in.

As the world goes on, the younger generations will have more challenges in life. I mean the challenges I had when I was in school compared to the ones you have now are not the same. Now there are more professionals speaking two languages and that is not enough, being the best in your class is not enough. In my time being skilled was good enough, but right now your skills are not good enough. In the future your skills have to be bigger. I always think of my kids, so I think this is the right place for them to be.

No Regrets

I think I have friends for life through squash. I think that everything that has developed my life, meeting my wife, and everything else has been through squash. I spend a lot of time playing squash and the relationships have last forever. I still communicate with the kids I missed school with because I went to play squash. I think experience comes with relationships, and traveling more than just reading and doing what the teacher tells you to do. You will forget those ones soon, so just do what you guys do and enjoy it. There are a lot of things to explore in life. I pursued the career that I wanted, traveled, came to another country to live, have two great kids, a wonderful wife, so no regrets. I like my job.

Note: The name Santiago Ventura was used as a pseudonym.