Claremont High is packed with student athletes. In every classroom you look, you will probably find somebody who has practice that same day. But not all the athletes of CHS are students; in fact, the teachers often join in on the fun. Maestra Aide Suarez, a Claremont spanish teacher, is just one of many teachers renowned for their athletic expertise.
Maestra Suarez’s legend is certainly a legitimate one. Just a few weeks ago, Suarez and her teammate took home the first place medal in a pickleball tournament: with a win to loss ratio of 3-0. Even though she has only been playing for about half of a year, Suarez has been able to best others in competition (by a wide margin, too). This is a testament to the skill she has been developing. Suarez has improved immensely over these past months, and is only continuing to get better through diligent practice.
As was apparent on a past Wolfcast – where Suarez and another teacher duked it out on the pickleball court – Suarez dedicates a good amount of time to improving behind the net. Relentlessly honing her skills, she has been playing the sport since August of 2024. When Dr. Arboleda, a history teacher at CHS, invited her out for a match, Suarez was able to have her first pickleball experience. After trying out pickleball for the first time, Suarez knew that she would enjoy it, and decided to stick to the sport. A lot of the rationale behind why she likes the sport is due to the niche that it fulfills.
“The sport is a lot like volleyball and tennis, which I both like,” Suarez said. “There also isn’t a lot of running, which is nice.”
Like Spanish and her classroom, pickleball and Suarez are a perfect match. They have been sticking together like glue, and the dedication that Suarez has been putting in has certainly paid off.
With that, you can likely find Suarez at the Claremont Club courts, possibly playing with other teachers. Ms. Hills and Ms. Gonzales are also active pickle-ballers, and help prove CHS teachers as a capable group on the court. This only adds to the list of the teacher’s accomplishments that Claremont High has gathered.
All in all, the pickleball scene has come to life with Suarez’s introduction. Her debut proves that with enough effort and dedication anyone can find athletic success. Suarez will continue to develop her pickleball skills and dominate more tournaments in the future. In the meantime, Suarez wants to publicly call out Mr. Boyd, challenging him to a pickleball match. The ball is in your (pickleball) court, Boyd.
Quotes translated from Spanish by Tavish Brodie.
