By Lindy Rumer
Sandra Ibarra is one of the American female cricketers who has earned herself a great name in the history of the game in the country as she, after representing the United States as a professional cricketer, is now an ICC Level I cricket coach.
TheSportsNext correspondent in the United States, Lindy J Rumer interviewed this gutsy and strong US woman cricketer recently which follows here.
TSN: Name
Sandra Ibarra:Sandra Ibarra
TSN: Occupation
Sandra Ibarra:Business Management – also studied fine art in high school and college, can draw the human body in 2 minutes and paint large scale murals
TSN: Age
Sandra Ibarra:35, but can run circles around most 20 year olds
TSN: HeightSandra Ibarra:5’4″
TSN: Weight
Sandra Ibarra:145-150, keep in mind it’s mostly due to muscle density
TSN: Batting Style
Sandra Ibarra:RHB
TSN: Bowling Style
Sandra Ibarra:Medium pace
TSN: Teams you representedSandra Ibarra:Team USA 2009 Cup of the Americas. I also play league with the men and T20 Tournaments.
TSN: Favorite Shot
Sandra Ibarra:The back foot leg glance and hook shot
TSN: Favorite Ground
Sandra Ibarra:Sharjah Stadium was a real honor to play at, but have to say it felt like a sin to walk on the field at Dubai Sports City, as someone who loves fielding I would dream to leave my sliding marks in a field like that
TSN: Favorite Cricketer
Sandra Ibarra: I don’t have a favorite yet, today it could be Tendulkar tomorrow Lara and next it will be Gayle, but I really enjoyed Malinga live at the WC quarter and semi finals. Not even Kobe Bryant has ever made me scream that much. In fact, I don’t even have time to watch other sports anymore. I do have an entire history of a sport to learn including current players and the hundreds of names of players I have been meeting in person to remember.
TSN: Favorite Team
Sandra Ibarra: I don’t have a favorite yet, I really like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India
TSN: Favorite Food
Sandra Ibarra:Sushi any day, steak, seafood, In-n-Out Burgers, slow cooked meats, Thai, Pho, Mexican, hot spicy food, curry, basically I will try anything and odds are that I will like it.
TSN: Favorite Holiday Destination
Sandra Ibarra: I also don’t have a favorite place, I prefer to see some place new as there is a lot to see and people to meet from all over the world, I can appreciate “different” without saying one is necessarily “better”. A nice resort is a treat but can also sleep on bamboo if I have to, which I have actually. I have a huge love and respect for nature and animals. The people I connect with along the way is what is the most rewarding.
TSN: Favorite Sports (Other than Cricket)
Sandra Ibarra: I love Soccer. Played it for 20 years
TSN: Why You Play Cricket?
Sandra Ibarra: I have taken up cricket as a personal challenge. I have won and lost many times in my life, but I am one who is driven. It seems as if everything I have ever done in my life has gone against the grain and I have challenged myself to do it anyway and find out the outcome rather than to take the safe road and never know.
TSN: Cricket or Baseball?
Sandra Ibarra:Cricket, hands down. Much more complex and challenging. When I played fast pitch softball, I always gained 10 pounds during that season. You sit in the dugout waiting to bat, sometimes you make it to base sometimes you don’t, and when you do sometimes the inning is over before you get to run. I now know why I wanted to be pitcher and center fielder. There were more chances of being involved in the game and running somewhere. Also, in cricket my mind can be set on batting and only batting. When fielding its set on nothing but fielding. In baseball, you’re always going back and forth having to reset your mindset over and over again. I still go to baseball games but its nowhere near as exciting as a cricket match. In cricket, I scream at almost every play.
TSN: Favorite Fielding Position
Sandra Ibarra: I love playing deep everything. Long off, 3rd man, square fine leg, deep cover, deep mid off. I like these spots because I am a sprinter and will do anything including diving and sliding to stop a boundary, and I love taking catches. It’s all in the timing of the sprint. If I don’t think I can make it behind the ball in time to scoop it up I will use my soccer sweep and slide, scoop the ball up, then land on my feet and throw it in. Another favorite move which is more of hail mary is to dive for it but very empowering each and every time contact is made, even more so for a catch. I am very comfortable on turf from soccer, and diving from volleyball. I also was never a long distance runner but love to sprint from track. In softball I was a center fielder and fast pitch pitcher.
TSN: Best Moment
Sandra Ibarra: I would say that my best moment was when I was playing league with the men and took my first catch. It was at the main ground at Woodley Park where I have been practicing at nets and learning the game. No one there has really seen me play since all my competitions were always somewhere else and this year was my first season playing with them. The ball popped up and I ran from square leg to fine leg and took the catch while I was still running. After that catch I still ran a few more steps holding the ball in air to show them, and then threw it up high in the sky. There was a long moment of silence before, during, and after as if there was a sense of disbelief. Then my team came and gave me big hugs. It felt like I won us the game but it just a catch. Only that it probably was the first time they saw a girl take a catch like that. I also didn’t know that all the men who regularly come watch the matches were watching and they applauded and congratulated me when I walked by. It meant so much to me I almost cried I was so happy.
TSN: Worst Moment
Sandra Ibarra: My worst moment was when I made a mistake during a game on the last ball and only one more wicket to go which lost us the match. I was hungry to play and was only 12th man almost every match during my early days playing cricket but I took it as an opportunity at having match practice while learning the game. We were defending our score and it came down to the last ball where the opponent was only a couple of runs from winning the game. I felt so much pressure for so many reasons and was a crucial and tense moment. Then the ball came to me at mid on they went for the run to that would tie the game. I was so nervous I not only misfielded but then as I was yelled at by the guys off the top of their lungs to throw ball in, I also threw at the non striking side and missed the stumps and there was no back up as they then took the winning run.
TSN: Best Thing About Cricket
Sandra Ibarra:The best thing about cricket is everything. You can go through just about every emotion, you’re constantly mentally engaged, thinking about the math, trying different strategies, sense of accomplishment for something you contributed, congratulating teammates for what they did, keeping up the moral when things are not looking up, scoring, defending, appealing, feeling the pressure, excitement, not knowing the outcome, displaying bravery against a tuff team, winning a match that no one thought could be won, recognizing a good play no matter what team it was, all while getting a good work out.
TSN: What Made You Fall For Cricket?
Sandra Ibarra:When I came to a cricket ground for the first time there was a match that just started. While I was being explained what was going on, one of the fielders dove for the ball caught it and in the same motion threw the ball in before landing on the ground and hit the stumps. I was sold at that very moment.
TSN: How Did You Start Playing Cricket?
Sandra Ibarra: I was approached by a british man named David Sentance who noticed my soccer jersey draped over my chair at work. He found out I played many sports and felt I was strong minded, apparently a good trait to have in cricket. He thought I was good candidate having played so many other sports and simply asked me if I was willing to try out for cricket. I then asked, “what’s cricket?” The next day I met him at the ground where he was going to try me out and there was a match playing. After we bowled and batted he said, “you know you are very good, can you go to Florida next week?” and he emailed me a flight across the country to the first US Women’s team tryouts having no prior experience. Although I did not know how to bat or bowl, I fielded well and was compared to having the athletic approach to Jonty Rhodes. I googled him and was so honored to be compared to him. To my surprise I made the team and two months later played in the Cup of the Americas against Brazil, Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, and Trinidad & Tobago. The ladies still call me Jonty Rhodes when we play.
TSN: Do You Play Any Other Sports?Sandra Ibarra: I played Volleyball winning the state championship two years in a row and was the team’s MVP both years. I played Basketball on a champion team, I shot 3 pointers and was also a good defensive player. I played fast pitch softball, was the starting pitcher and center fielder. I played soccer for 20 years, the first 10 years I was a striker, the next 10 I was sweeper. I was also a silver medal sprinter in track and threw the softball and shot put. I also love to snowboard, wakeboard, rollerblade, and mountain bike for fun. I played sports because I got a rush out of it. I loved working out while being mentally involved. I also enjoyed the teamwork aspect of it. It has helped me throughout my life. I make friends easily, I work well with others, I motivate others, and people want me on their team. I made it on the US Cricket team because I played other sports and the way I play comes from every instinct, every reflex, timing, thought and effort I put to into them. That’s why I now love Cricket, because I finally found a sport that has all those other sports all in one.
TSN: Where Do You See US Women’s Cricket Team In Next Two Years?
Sandra Ibarra: I hope the US Women’s Cricket Team obtains ODI status and get to compete more often and in turn giving the sport more exposure to more American athletes like me who can cross train into the sport. I see it then developing to a higher level by working harder on conditioning and perfecting the fundamentals to a wider pool of athletes.
TSN: What Are Your Goals As Cricketer?
Sandra Ibarra: My goals are to travel to other countries to meet and play against other female cricketers of the world. I also just completed my ICC Level 1 Coaching Certification taught by Mr. Wendell Coppin in charge of ICC Development in the Americas. It was very insightful and also helped me understand some physical movements that I had questions on. As the first American born female to play international cricket having no prior knowledge or experience, I know exactly how to explain to others what wasn’t explained to me. With this new knowledge of fundamentals I am coaching youth players and seeking other women to cross train. Now I am the first female in the west coast of the United States to get certfied. Ultimately, I plan on reaching level 3 to become a fielding specialist. I plan on making champions and hope they reach the level of their dreams.
TSN: Your Message For Aspiring Women Cricketers In The World?
Sandra Ibarra:For the last couple of years I have been the only female in my region training and playing with men. If you want something, you need to go out there and take it. You don’t let anything or anyone stop you and you don’t care what people think about it. The difference between you and others might only be that you may just want it more. In my experience, if you keep working hard at something you will eventually get good at it. It’s all up to you what you make of yourself. So don’t be afraid of failure and take every opportunity as an opportunity to make it better. Always give your best to everything you do. Otherwise you will never know how good would have or could have been. Mr. Coppin confirmed during the course what I always knew was true. He asked, “Are champions born?” Some were mumbling yes so and so’s son is also a player and so and so’s kid is surely destined to be a champ. I raised my hand and said, “No, we are all born the same. Champions aren’t born, they are made.” You are destined to be only what you decide you want to be and what you put into it.
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