Michael and Lucas headed to Ho Chi Minh to compete in the Asia Open Pickleball Championships. They played singles and doubles. There was no kids division, so Lucas played in the 19+ intermediate division in singles and the open and advanced doubles divisions. The tournament hosted over 600 players, prize money, and 16 countries represented.
When Michael and Lucas arrived in Ho Chi Minh, they had a few days to explore and acclimate to the heat. It was hard to adjust coming from Seoul, South Korea where the weather was cooler. The temperature in Ho Chi Minh was around 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). They found pickleball on their first day in the city. They met Jean Pierre Huynh Phu Qui (JP), the owner of the facility where the tournament took place. They also met many professional pickleball players during the week and got to hit with them before the tournament started.
They hit and had conversations with Marcel Chan and Phuc Huynh, two professional pickleball players from the States. Coincidentally, both players stayed at Michael’s sister’s house in Arizona when they traveled there for a pro tournament last year.
On day one of the tournament, Michael and Lucas played a round-robin singles draw. Lucas played three singles matches, all against players in their early 20s. Lucas lost the first match 9-15, won his second match 15-2, and lost his third and final singles match 5-15. His opponent from the last match won three gold medals in the last three tournaments he played in. The competition was fierce, and Lucas is 13.
Michael played in the advanced 35+ division, and open division (professional division) on the first day. He played six matches that day. He lost his first match 13-15. He won his second match 15-9 and his third match 15-0. He lost his open division matches and realized how in shape many of the players are, and how much they train. Their level of training depends on where we are located and what is available.
Lucas and Michael were exhausted after day one. They ate well in Vietnam. During the tournament, they ordered food on the Grab app. Their food receipts went to our shared email address, so I saw their amazing meals: Caesar salads, Indian food, pasta, sushi, smoothies, and more.
Day two of the tournament was doubles matches. Lucas played in higher divisions because he played with Michael. They played against 5.0+ players. In the open division, they lost their first match 3-15, the second match 7-15, and the third match 9-15. Michael and Lucas played against Leander Lazaro, a rising pro to watch out for.
On the last day they played in the tournament, they played three matches in the advanced division. They didn’t win any of them but had some opportunities. They talked a lot about strategies and learned what they needed to do to get to the next level. Once they finished playing in the tournament, they watched several matches. Lucas loved meeting the players, playing against them, and watching the high-caliber matches.
Michael is also an advisor with Joola now so he was able to meet with Mike Lee who is a global manager. Michael and Lucas also attended a Joola dinner. 
Another exciting opportunity for Michael and Lucas was an International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association (IPTPA) certification clinic to become pickle coaches. The all-day clinic involved lectures and practical skill teaching. Lucas became a level one IPTPA-certified pickleball coach, and Michael became a level two IPTPA-certified pickleball coach.
Overall it was an amazing worldschooling experience for Lucas and Michael. They met up with old pickleball friends and made new friends. Michael got many new contacts of players/people who live in countries we will be visiting in the coming months. We are excited to see what doors their pickleball journey will open.
