The Jaguar – Little America

IIURI

3. Did you get inspiration from this story and this film?

I didn’t get inspiration from this story, because in my point of view it’s a bad way to make sure an athlete continues participating in the tournament despite being disappointed. The psychological assistance has to be conducted by a coach for an athlete, but it’s usually a different kind of support, how to relax to become more confident. Everyone wants to win and it affects the result because an athlete is under an emotional pressure during a tournament.

It’s a huge disrespect from the athletes side when she leaves the game under emotions, because she had the joint preparation with her coach. It doesn’t have to work this way, and it’s stupid to attempt leaving the final game after such a hard job for a long time.

What inspires you in your life? How hard is it to be inspired?

If anything is interesting for me, I don’t need any inspiration. The other way is really complicated to inspire myself doing something, probably it’s better to start and in the process, it will be easy step by step. I just do it.

How do you inspire your children? Your friends? Other people in your life?

I’m not sure there is a way to inspire someone, but I wouldn’t pressure them, just small advice and opinion that you’ll succeed

6. If you are familiar with SQUASH, write about your experiences learning it – where did you learn how to play it? How old were you when you learned? Did you play regularly? Did your friends play squash, too? Are you still playing as an adult? What makes you continue to play squash? If you stopped, what was your reason?

I saw how people play Squash for the first time after I moved to NYC. Maybe I saw this game before, but haven’t paid attention to it. I understand approximate rules and have never played this one. I don’t know anyone who plays squash as well.

I prefer tennis, but perfectly understand that Squash is a more affordable game, almost like PinPong. It doesn’t require high costs compared to tennis (rent a court, etc). I’d like to try playing squash. It doesn’t look as interesting as tennis, but it’s a good option for the people who want to play tennis in the future because there are some similarities.

ELSAYED [I really enjoyed The Jaguar story, and I decided to answer all the questions because I felt connected to Marisol and Reyna’s story.]

What I learned about Squash

I learned that squash is a sport full of energy and focus. You have to move fast and think quickly because the ball never stops coming back. It’s not just about power, it’s about control and smart moves. I think I could learn it because I love active sports that make you think. I would like to watch it too because it’s exciting and intense — it shows real passion.

“Squash had a rhythm that matched my life.”

When Reyna said that, I think she meant that squash felt like her life — always moving, fighting, and never stopping. Sometimes life hits hard, but like the ball, it comes back, and you have to respond again. That’s how life works. I feel the same sometimes — when things go wrong, I try to find my rhythm again and keep moving forward.

What inspires me in life

Reyna’s story really inspired me because she never gave up, even when things were hard. I get inspired when I see people who come from nothing but still reach their goals. For me, fashion and art also inspire me — they make me feel alive and creative. It’s not always easy to stay inspired, but I remind myself why I started. I try to inspire my friends by telling them to believe in themselves and never lose their spark.

Explaining the coach’s lines

“I am looking for instinct.” — He means he wants players who follow their heart and act naturally.

“Inside of you there is a jaguar!” — Everyone has power inside; you just have to find it.

“You cannot teach the beast.” — Real strength and passion can’t be taught; they come from inside you.

“The ball always comes back, and when it does, just make a different decision.” — Life gives second chances; you can always try again.

“This is life. You don’t always get another shot.” — Sometimes you have only one chance, so give it your best.

When Marisol felt uncomfortable at the party

Marisol felt uncomfortable because she didn’t fit in that fancy world. The people, the way they talked, and the place made her feel small. She tried to stay calm and quiet, but you could feel her nervousness. I had a similar feeling once when I went to a fashion event in Manhattan — everyone looked perfect, rich, and confident. I didn’t know anyone, but I stayed and told myself, “You deserve to be here.” That helped me relax and connect with people by just being myself.

My experience with squash

I never played squash before, but after watching the videos, I really got curious. It looks tough but fun. It’s a sport that needs focus, speed, and a lot of practice. If I had the chance, I’d love to try it one day because it feels like something that can teach you discipline and patience.

What I learned from Reyna’s speech

From Reyna’s speech, I learned that success doesn’t come easy — it comes with pain, tears, and a lot of effort. She cried at night but still woke up and kept fighting. That really touched me. I also learned that support and mentorship matter a lot — her coach and the Access Youth Academy helped her believe in herself. It showed me that when someone believes in you, it can change your life.

DMITRII

Did you get inspiration from this story and this film? What inspires you in your life? How hard is it to be inspired? How do you inspire your children? Your friends? Other people in your life?

The story about REYNA is good. I can’t say that i have inspiration in this story. I liked this story, but I didn’t remember it. Finding inspiration is not an easy path. It’s work, but once you find inspiration, your life will change completely.

To find inspiration you need to –

1. Stop complaining about life.

2. Do something – even if you make mistakes.

3. Surround yourself with smart and cheerful people and observe them and learn from them.

4 Read a lot (BOOKS!!!!) and travel. When you travel, you take energy from other places, it’s like you’re rebooting.

5. Play sports you like. I love the gym and running.

Everyone knows I’m inspired by my parents. My mom is like a battery with endless energy.

I am also inspired by the words of famous people.

“Don’t ask God to make you easy. Ask Him to make you stronger,” said John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

When Marisol went to the fundraising party at a mansion, she was very uncomfortable there. What were some of the things that made her uncomfortable? How did she handle them? Have you ever been in an uncomfortable situation? Describe the situation. How did you handle it?

When you come from a poor family and find yourself among rich people, you always feel uncomfortable. You feel like an outsider. You can’t dress fashionably and expensively like them; you don’t have what rich people have. What’s incomprehensible to the average person and seems very expensive is perfectly normal for a rich person.

Marisol handled the discomfort perfectly. When a woman whose house Marisol’s mother cleans approached her, she told the couple, “My mother cleans her house.” Only a strong person can do that. I often felt uncomfortable when I started climbing the career ladder.

My mother gave me advice: don’t be afraid of anything. Yes, these are rich and smart people, but they are only people… they have the same red blood, they get sick and die in the same way.

ERIK M.

Did you get inspiration from this story and this film?

Frankly, this episode was one of my favorites so far. Why?

Because this story is very real. Even though, I see a lot of people from Mexico and Guatemala. I see how they struggle to earn some money. Men can stay on the streets waiting for someone who will pick them up to have a part time job. Women mostly work as cleaners. I don’t think that other people (immigrants) have any problems in their lives, but I’m just talking about what I really see.

Reyna’s story has a happy end! And I wish all immigrants the same happy ending!

6. I am not really into squash. But can I tell you something?

Sports are a very good way to train yourself, not only as a sportsman, but it improves and makes your soul, character and will stronger!!

I really like the kind of sports where you have to compete with yourself only, without competing with an opponent.

Like Running –my favorite one. You can do anything with your opponent. If you run, the only thing you can do is talk to yourself. You have to negotiate with yourself, say something to find energy to go forward and not give up!

SID

Marisol at the fundraiser?

Marisol felt very uncomfortable at the fundraising gala because it was a completely different world from her usual life. She was tense and uneasy among the wealthy guests. However, she stayed calm and tried to adapt quietly without drawing attention to herself. She used her self-confidence to handle the situation and keep her composure.

I once faced a similar situation at a formal event. I observed everything carefully before speaking, which helped me feel more at ease.

Marisol’s challenges?

Rina faced many challenges, but she never gave up. Sometimes she felt frustrated, but she kept working hard to achieve her goal. Her story shows that determination and perseverance are essential for success.

I also learned that support from others and the community can help people overcome difficulties. Her experience teaches us to trust ourselves and take every opportunity seriously

ANATOLII

Did you get inspiration from this story and this film?

Introduction.
Successful success!!! Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t really believe in success stories. I used to watch a lot. But the success of big businessmen is not always as they seem. For example:

– French tycoon Bernard Arnault got his father’s construction company.

– Bill Gates’ mother was personally acquainted with the president of IBM and helped her son conclude a deal with him.

– Warren Buffett’s father was engaged in investments and sat in the lower house of the US Congress.

You may have seen a funny video where the wife of David Beckham, a famous football player, Victoria Beckham (Adams. Spice Girls), talks about being from a poor family. But David asks her to name the brand of the car in which her father drove her to school.She said Rolls Royce.

(https://youtu.be/3E4s0RqCBzU?si=uUcLO9KXHWm6YkQD)

Important point of view.

But today’s story made a big impression on me. Why? Because Thomas Edison, a famous scientist, said: “Talent is a drop of ability and a sea of work”.

I often say: “Genius is 1% talent and 99% hard work.”

I love this phrase. Jaguar is a real example that almost 100% describes my thoughts.

Three things inspire me the most in life, one of which is very strange:

my family,

2. the opportunity to travel

3. robotics (robotics is my second self).

How hard is it to be inspired? It depends on whether you can realize your desires. If you can – easy. If you can’t – hard.

I think that you can inspire children only by your own example and adequately reward them for their successes.

I don’t know how to inspire other people. But, I know examples when people like what and how I do (robotics) and it inspires them and they work with me.

And here the discipline begins!!! If you work (99%!!!) inspired, enthusiastically and your eyes burn with your work – it will definitely inspire someone.

I think the phrase “Squash had a rhythm that suited my life” has two meanings

It is an activity that you love, that you do with pleasure, that brings you pleasure, that interests you, that you never stop doing, that you constantly improve, that you share with others, that brings you finances or bonuses. It is like the idea of life. It is like an important piece of the puzzle that makes your life complete. Maybe it is like a healthy spine that holds the whole body together.

Squash is a very dynamic game. The ball moves very fast and bounces off the wall in an unpredictable direction. It is something that you do not know what awaits you in life, but you are always ready to make sudden decisions and solve problem situations that life has prepared for you.

WU XUE

Squash had a rhythm that matched my life”

It means when you hit the ball, the ball will return back from the wall. But you will never know where it drops at just like her life because she is undocumented and she and her family don’t have a good economic situation. They need to be ready for moving all the time. I had the same situation before, but it was a little different. For me, that was my heart always not feeling belong to wherever or settle down until I got married. I was as a fish out of water all the time wherever I stayed. I didn’t know where I could put it in to make me feel comfortable. It’s just like dandelions were flying in the air by following the wind and falling down somewhere.

“What inspires you in your life?”

I think she has an excellent coach. He knows how to inspire her all the time and brings her back in the right way. I also get inspiration from her. There are two sides I want to talk about. On the one hand, opportunity always goes to those who are ready or prepared for it. On the other hand, keep working hard in the right way, focus on what you want, and do the best you can. The rest we can’t control—let God make the decision. Don’t overthink too much and let nature take its course.

ERIC C.

When Marisol went to the party in the mansion, she felt uncomfortable because at the party everything was particularly elegantly dressed except for her feeling like she didn’t belong there. The other guests were wealthy people talking to each other and she knew how to get into conversations with them. Marisol tried to maintain control by being calm and being polite since her reason for the visit is to support the squash doing everything possible to integrate there.

I have also been in many uncomfortable situations such as at school, work, etc. A previous situation was 4 years ago at my job when I did not have much knowledge of English. A client was asking me for something. He did not understand anything of what he was asking me. So I told him to give me a second and I went to a waiter and told him that such a table required his service.

Reyna had many struggles in becoming a squash champion. In this speech below, she talks about what helped her achieve in her new culture and her new country. She also talks about how she cried herself to sleep at night and the many times she thought about giving up! What did you learn from listening to Reyna speak? What did you learn from listening to the Executive Director of the Access Youth Academy talking about Reyna?

Listening to Reyna talk I learned that being successful is not something easy and that it requires a lot of hard work, discipline and sacrifices. She showed that even if life puts obstacles you should not give up. She had to adapt to conditions of another culture as well as a new country, based on that situation she sometimes cried because of how difficult it was at night. But she remained focused on her goal and believed in herself.

Listening to the Executive Director I learned the importance of support and opportunities. He talked about the great effort that Reyna made and how the program helped her grow not only as an athlete but as a person. I learned that when someone believes in you and gives you a chance, you can change your life and give the best of yourself.

MARCELA

What did YOU learn about Squash? Is it a sport you think you could learn? Why or why not? Is it a sport you would like to watch? Why or why not?

Squash is a sport interesting to me because it’s a total-body workout for your muscles and your brain. Squash makes you sweat and think.

I think, I could learn squash because this sport would help me with my coordination and reflexes and in addition, it activates my social life.

Therefore, Squash is a sport which I would like to watch because by watching others I would learn more techniques or it would inspire me to do better.

Did you get inspiration from this story and this film? What inspires you in your life? How hard is it to be inspired?

I got inspiration from the Jaguar because the movie shows you that motivation and passion would help you to reach all your goals in life. Moreover, I like to inspire my friends or acquaintances by using positive encouragement. Cheering genuinely helps people to motivate. Be honest with the positive encouragement. Don’t say something only to be liked by others.

JUAN

Reyna Pacheco wrote squash had a rhythm that matched my life. Explain what it means.

I think she said that because she was experiencing some life challenges, one after another, similar to Squash where you have to solve to hit the ball each time, one ball after another. Once she understood how to play the game and how to deal with each problem at a time, she started to setting the things up in her life.

If you are familiar with SQUASH, write about your experiences learning it.

I just played Squash once. I had the opportunity when I was younger. It was in a recreational day program organized by one of the companies I worked for when I was in Colombia. One of my coworkers offered to teach me the basics of Squash.

It was really fun. I remember I got tired very quickly and it surprised me because I thought the opposite. After that I identified Squash as a very demanding sport, in terms of energy and stamina; I hope to practice it again someday though!

TANYA

What did YOU learn about Squash? Is it a sport you think you could learn? Why or why not? Is it a sport you would like to watch? Why or why not?

I learned that the main idea of squash is to exchange hits with the racket so that your opponent makes a mistake or fails to return the ball, while also trying to avoid running into each other. The ball must hit the front wall without going too low or too high into the out zone, and players use various tactics and have to react quickly.

In my opinion, if I put in some effort, I could learn how to play squash, not at a professional level, but well enough, since it sounds quite interesting and I already have some skill with a racket thanks to my experience playing badminton. However, it’s not really the kind of game that’s fun to watch for me.

Reyna Pacheco wrote in her story that we read together — Squash had a rhythm that matched my life. Explain what it means to you

Reyna’s life has always been quite dynamic, always ready for the unexpected. Due to problems with her documents, she could never feel at ease, always ready to pack up her things and leave the country with her family, which left no time for long thoughts. In this sense, squash had a rhythm that matched her life. There is no time for hesitation either. You have to react quickly, predict the next move, have a plan of action thought out in advance. It is thanks to this way of life that Reyna developed a natural intuition and talent for this dynamic game.

ALENA

Learning about Squash

Squash is a very dynamic and unpredictable indoor game played with a ball and racket. The goal is to direct the ball so that the opponent can’t return it. During the game, the ball moves with high speed, changing direction after each hit against the wall. The ball’s trajectory is impossible to predict.

I think I could learn to play squash because it’s a challenging game. I would like to see what techniques are used in this sport.

Squash had a rhythm that matched my life.

Indeed, we all live in a time when everything in life is changing very quickly, as if time has sped up—for example, political decisions, laws, the global situation, and so on. So, playing squash requires making decisions very quickly, being flexible, and moving forward.

For me, squash reflects my new rhythm of life as an immigrant—fast-paced, intense. Just like in the game, you need to find your own pace, adapt, and never give up.

Inspiration from this story?

This story inspired me! if she could do it, then I can also pass my tests. As a child, I was inspired by reading books, my mother and my coach.

ZHENG

I think the coach said, “You can’t teach a “beast”. It means a person’s inner trait. It’s not something you learn from others. Either this trait is already in your heart, or it will never be there. It’s part of who you are, and no outside teaching can change. Marisol has a “beast” inside her. She bravely fights racism and keeps practicing squash. Her courage and perseverance show this strong, unyielding part of her heart.

DENIS

I really love films about athletes. This story inspired me. I know how hard it is to push yourself every day, getting up at 5 a.m. and preparing for training.

Stories like this inspire me, even if they are fictional, such as Rocky Balboa. But after reading them, I always feel the same way—it’s time to get up early and start doing wonderful things!!

I help my friends get inspired through my music. When I play it, people get very inspired. I even created the anthem for the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, which was called Inspiration Song.

Here is the link to the anthem at the Paralympic Games in 2014!

Sochi 2014 Paralympic R.mp4

You can read more about DENIS here –

https://www.thislifeart.com/denis-zabiyaka

5) What made Marisol uncomfortable?

When Marisol arrived at the mansion, there were very rich and privileged people there. Of course, this embarrassed her, especially when, during a conversation about her possible future, a woman approached her and she had to say that her mother cleaned her house.

Marisol felt uncomfortable and began to nervously drink her Coca-Cola to cope with the discomfort.

I have been in awkward situations many times, but I would rather not talk about them. In all these situations, a smile and a joke saved me.