On July 27, the United States Ultimate U-20 Mixed team emerged victorious against Canada in a 15-11 hard fought final. Among them were two familiar faces: Ashima Gandhi ’26 and Martin Aguilera.
“It was really exciting and I jumped around the house for a bit,” Gandhi says, recalling the moment she found out she’d made the team. Gandhi began playing in seventh grade, and quickly worked her way up to be a spirit captain on Paideia’s Varsity team, Groove. Her time at Paideia provided her with experience in multiple positions, which Gandhi says improved her field awareness and formed a mentality that “making space is just as important as taking space.”
Aguilera, head coach of the team, has extensive experience, playing since 1995 and coaching since 2002, though he says this world’s team was his favorite cycle. “I walked in and it looked like they had been friends for days,” Aguilera says aboutthe team’s energy. While their practices ran in a “laid back” style according to Gandhi, the team did not sacrifice success. For the first time in history, the national team had an undefeated run in the tournament and won gold. Considering this is the first year the U.S. fielded a Mixed U-20 team, Aguilera emphasized that they were “laying a good foundation for the culture and vibe going forward.”
That foundation was recognized by Gandhi throughout the whole process. “All of the players were really good, and our environment was so fun because we trusted our coaches,” Gandhi says. “The training camp was harder than the tournament because we were playing ourselves.” Gandhi believes this experience will set her up for success in the upcoming Paideia season, and hopefully continue Groove’s two-year long undefeated record.
For Aguilera, this victory continues his undefeated record coaching at Worlds, while for Gandhi, it means her ultimate journey is just getting started.
