Sports

Original article published in the Jerusalem Post

It is a well-kept secret that most tennis players – Israeli or otherwise – will never be able to support themselves playing professional tennis.

In many ways, Israeli tennis player Daniel Cukierman is one of the lucky ones – he has a Plan B. If things don’t work out playing professional tennis, he can rely on his real estate degree from an American university to make a living. Chances are, he will need it. 

It is a well-kept secret that most tennis players – Israeli or otherwise – will never be able to support themselves playing professional tennis. For tennis fans who will soon be swept up in the excitement of the French Open (starting May 22), followed by Wimbledon (July) and the US Open (late August), this is a sad reality that most professional players and fans have not considered. And for good reason. The glamour and prize money earned by the Rafas (Nadal) and Serenas (Williams) often take center court and overshadow the plight of lower-ranked professional players.

Consider this: The French Tennis Federation will hand out $46 million in the upcoming French Open, with the male and female champion each earning $2.3m. Serena Williams, 40, earned $45.9m. in 2021, and Roger Federer, through prize money and endorsements, was the No. 8 highest-paid athlete in 2019, making $93.4m., while Novak Djokovic came in No. 17, with a total of $50.6m. Over the course of their careers, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have taken in more than $125m. each in prize money.

A handful of Israelis have been able to earn a living playing professional tennis. Shahar Pe’er, now 35, retired in 2017 after 13 years playing professional tennis. At one time, she was No. 11 in the world in the singles ranking – the highest of any Israeli tennis player in history. Peer earned $5,148,411 over the course of her career.

Dudi Sela, 37, reached a singles ranking of 29. In his 18-year pro career, he earned $3,935,113. 

DANIEL CUKIERMAN playing for Israel’s Davis Cup Team. (credit: Israel Tennis Federation)

The famous doubles team of Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich dissolved in 2014 when Ram, now 42, retired. He earned $2,647,616 over the course of his 18-year professional career. Erlich, 45, is still at it. He and Ram reached a world No. 5 doubles ranking. Erlich is entering his 26th professional season and to date has earned $2,810,794.

Recently retired Julia Glushko, who reached No. 79 in the world over the course of her 15-year pro career, earned $998,044.

While these earnings may sound impressive, players incur extraordinary ongoing costs. Unlike in team sports where travel, lodging and food costs are absorbed by the team, tennis players are essentially “independent contractors” and can incur costs anywhere from $40,000-$100,000 a year if they “go it alone,” traveling without coaches or trainers, or up $150,000 to $200,000 if they field a full support team.

Some of the less lucky Israelis who played on the pro tour include Amir Weintraub. Weintraub, who reached a career high of No. 161 over his 15-year career, has been outspoken on just how difficult it is to earn a living for a player not in the top 100. In a 2013 post on weintraubamir.com titled, “Waiting For an Offer from the Bundesliga,” he wrote, referring to the top-flight German soccer league: “If you’re not a top-100 tennis player, you’re doomed. Financially speaking, it will take you a few years to see that you are broke, you’ve spent all of your parents’ money and you’ll ask yourself why you haven’t pursued a football career instead.” 

In a 2016 Facebook post he added, “The bottom line is we the players outside the first 100 are pawns for the top-ranked players and we are disposable, as simple as that… To be a tennis player is a financial loss, period. If you are not in the top 100 you lose no matter how you roll it.” 

Even with such dire predictions, young Israelis – and players around the world – are working to realize their dreams by giving it a go on the professional tour. Yishai Oliel, 22, is one example. He is currently ranked 336 and has earned only $76,416 thus far in his five years as a professional player.

Others are rediscovering an option that can pay dividends down the road. They are following University of Southern California tennis standout Cukierman’s “Plan B,” choosing to play tennis at an American university. In the process, they hone their tennis game and often receive a free college education, while still leaving open the option to play professionally. 

According to Israeli tennis legend Ram, Israelis playing tennis at American colleges is not a new phenomenon. “We’ve had hundreds of Israelis who have graduated from US colleges so far,” says Ram, who currently serves as director of high performance for Israel Tennis & Education Centers (ITEC). He stresses the importance of a good education for tennis players and notes that he always heard this message growing up and continues to deliver this message to aspiring tennis players. “All of my life, my parents said, ‘You are a student, then you are a tennis player. Education is before tennis!” 

NOAM YITZHAKI, global relations manager for ITEC, started playing tennis at age eight in Kiryat Shmona to “stay away from rockets” being launched on his northern childhood town. He reached the rank of 1,008 in the world in 2008 and feels tennis “changed my life, taught skills and values and opened doors.” Yitzhaki, who recently received his master’s degree in exercise physiology from the University of South Florida, is a big fan of Israelis considering the option of playing college tennis – and talks it up with young players. “One of the most significant opportunities Israeli kids receive is the opportunity to play NCAA college tennis,” he says, referring to the major governing body for American intercollegiate sports. 

NOAM YITZHAKI, former pro player, works for Israel Tennis & Education Centers. (credit: Yoni Yair/ITEC)

Ram did not play college tennis, but he almost had to pursue his college studies back in Israel earlier than expected. “My career was almost finished at 22. I recovered from two surgeries and was lucky – I came back.” As soon as Ram retired from professional tennis, he pursued his bachelor’s degree and will soon complete his MBA; he currently owns a chain of ice cream stores throughout the country. 

Ram understands the desire to follow one’s dreams of playing professional tennis. “We give players the opportunity to be world champs. Do it. It is priceless!” At the same time, he acknowledges that it is expensive and that most will not become world champions. Ram offers an important insight that seems to sum up the experience for most currently playing tennis and studying hard at US universities. “Tennis is a great vehicle for life. Most won’t make a living with tennis, but through tennis.” Their tennis skills will open all kinds of doors and opportunities. 

Many attending US colleges are already seeing results – despite challenges they have endured in the process.

DANIEL DUDOCKIN will always love tennis – even after he completes his bachelor’s degree in economics and finance and his master’s degree in finance at the University of Nevada, Reno this June – and hopefully lands a lucrative financial services job. “I love tennis. It gave me a lot. But I’m not going to try to go pro.” He hopes to begin his career in finance in the United States and maybe one day return to Israel. 

Dudockin initially learned that attending college in the US might be a viable alternative while serving in the IDF as a mitstayen sport (sports standout). “I evaluated myself objectively. I know that if I was [ranked] 200-300 in the world, it would be very hard to make a living. I heard from Julia [Glushko] and Amir [Weintraub] how they lived. It was not a good way to live financially.”

Once Dudockin decided that tennis at an American university might be an option, he needed assistance with the process. “A consultant helped me find the best fit of weather and culture, taught me how to speak to American coaches, and he explained how to draft a letter and make a nice video.” Dudockin also had to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and the SAT (college admission test). He sent emails to 250 coaches and waited for offers. 

Once enrolled at the University of Nevada, Dudockin faced additional academic challenges. He had writing tutors to help with essays. “The more I went, the more I understood my grammar mistakes,” Dudockin adds. “My English was good compared to Israelis but it was not good enough. I had to work twice as hard as many other students.”

Socially, Dudockin mainly connected with other international athletes. In his senior year, he recruited another Israeli tennis player, Gilad Tamar, to join the team. That same year, a Chabad House opened on campus. “It was really fun. I went for Shabbat dinner every weekend I was here, and I went for Passover. There were students who spoke Hebrew and [Chabad] Rabbi Dani [Libersohn] too!”

ADI BEN ARI, a junior honor roll biomedical engineering student at Binghamton University in New York, has also found Chabad and the Jewish community on campus to be supportive. He is appreciative that a tennis coach in Israel suggested he consider playing tennis at an American university. While he had help with the process and needed to take the SATs and submit videos of his playing, the fact that he was a US citizen made the process a bit easier. “Binghamton was a good fit academically and for tennis. I finished my army service in July 2019 and started college in the fall of 2019.” 

Ben-Ari faced challenges such as being older than most students and having “a different mindset.” He was also far from home, taking classes in English and navigating college during the pandemic. “We had to leave the dorms [during COVID] and I had to go to an aunt’s home in Massachusetts. They drove down, moved me out and took me in.” He spent two months there, taking online classes. 

Ben-Ari has enjoyed playing college tennis but is especially focused on his academic career. He hopes to intern for a biomedical device company in Israel this summer and will return to Israel after graduating.

LERA PATIUK always thought she’d make it as a professional tennis player and looked down on those who considered playing college tennis. “When I was a junior, I saw college as a sign that you are not good enough to go pro,” Patiuk says. “College was a Plan B.” Then, at age 16, after losing several matches in a row, she began to have doubts. Patiuk spoke with her coach, Asaf Yamin. “He said, give it a chance for two or three years. You can go to college and not go pro – or you can quit tennis.” 

Nonetheless, Patiuk continued to dream of a pro career. “College was never an option for me.” She nonetheless continued to receive offers for full college scholarships. “I was never interested. I never even replied.” Then, Yamin moved to the US to pursue a job as director of international operations at Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland. “I was 19. I was asking, ‘What am I going to do with my life? I am barely winning matches. I feel trapped.’ I was trying to figure it out. I decided I wanted to go to college – without knowing what it means.” 

She started looking back at old emails from college coaches – some were four or five years old. “Some coaches didn’t reply, others did. I didn’t care about academics at the time. I just wanted to get better and get back on tour.” Then, Patiuk got her lucky break. “The coach at the University of Michigan was happy to hear from me.” Two other schools also pursued her. “I visited Michigan in September 2016, told them I would come, and played in the 2017 season.” 

Patiuk says she was “injured a lot that first season” and was “not in the right shape.” Her second year was even more difficult. “Everything went downhill. I got pressure from coaches and the team who only wanted to see W’s [wins].” 

While Patiuk experienced cultural differences with the American students and felt she “couldn’t blend in,” she made friends with her teammates and with other Israelis on campus – including Israeli athletes. She also received a great education, albeit with some struggles studying in English. “My first year, I had to translate every word using Google Translate.” Yet she acknowledges, “There were lots of benefits, like a free degree.”

Former coach Yamin remembers the advice he offered Patiuk when she was reluctant to consider college. “I told her, ‘going to college is not a failure. You can get something in return for tennis.” Yamin says that “One percent of 18-year-olds globally are ready to go pro.” He encouraged Patiuk to consider college while leaving the door open on a pro career if that was what she desired. “If you go to a good school, and play in a good conference and the level is good, and you want to go pro, then you can.” 

The idea of playing professional tennis – or staying in the US – is far from Patiuk’s mind. She studied molecular biology, and couldn’t wait to return to Israel upon graduation. She worked at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, and is now considering graduate school in Israel. She now works as a clinical data manager.

LIKE PATIUK, Bar Botzer never took emails from US college coaches very seriously – at first. He was too busy experiencing tennis success, which included being in the top 30 in the world for juniors and playing for Israel’s Davis Cup team. As he was completing his IDF service, Botzer felt he had the potential to be successful playing tennis. “But I couldn’t afford it,” he says. He calculated the costs of coaching, fitness and other expenses. “The way I was doing things, I wouldn’t be successful. And I had no money in the bank.”

During lunch with a friend one day, Botzer began thinking about the college option. “You need to try it,” my friend said. “I took the SATs and I spoke to Daniel Cukierman. I saw he was being recruited. I spoke with a few schools and had some initial problems with eligibility. I was all set to attend IDC [now called Reichman University]. The coach at Wake Forest [University, in North Carolina,] persisted in getting me eligible. He called and said, ‘We will bring you.” 

Botzer went on to have a very successful tennis and academic career at Wake Forest, and benefited from an additional year of eligibility afforded athletes due to the pandemic. “We won the ACC [Atlantic Coast Conference] and NCAA my first year. It was the best tennis moment of my life.” At Wake Forest, Botzer was named to the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Championship and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Team Indoor Championship, he won the clinching match at the ACC Championship, and he became only the ninth player in program history to garner All-America honors in singles, as he advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Singles Championship before withdrawing due to injury.

Botzer loved the facilities at Wake Forest and says the coaches were unbelievable. He enjoyed attending Hillel on campus, but notes “everyone was 18 [years old] – American 18 and not Israeli 18!” He found that most students on campus had “different priorities and different things on their minds.” Botzer opted to stay focused on his grades. 

Botzer used his tennis connections to land a summer job in New Jersey, finished school early and started his MBA at the prestigious Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He continued to play tennis as a graduate student, even competing against his old school, Wake Forest. “We will have some awkward moments,” Botzer said playfully before the start of the season. 

Botzer has received an excellent education and feels his tennis game has improved as a result of his college playing years. He says that in Israel, “people think that if you go to college, you are giving up on tennis. That is not true. You see so many people like Brandon Nakashima [attended University of Virginia, now No. 80 in the world] and Jenson Tyler ‘J. T.’ Brooksby [Baylor University, current No. 43] who went to college and play pro.” 

While Botzer will not pursue a professional career, he continues to love tennis and says, “I will play tennis until I am 70.” Botzer has managed to earn $28,548 in his pro career to date – pocket change compared to the expected starting salary for a graduate of a US business school.

Meanwhile, Cukierman continues to enjoy the best of both worlds. Cukierman just finished his fourth year at USC, where he had a stellar career. During his junior year, he was ranked No. 1 in the US in singles among men’s college tennis players in the ITA Division I Men’s Individual National Rankings. While Cukierman, like most Israeli tennis players, found the culture and social scene at college to be different than what he was used to in Israel, he enjoyed the support of his teammates. “The team was like a family to me,” says Cukierman, who has always enjoyed being part of a team. “I prefer to play as part of a team, like with the Davis Cup in Israel.” 

Cukierman studied real estate development and feels it will serve him well now and in the future. “It is something I can do while playing tennis. It is a good option.” Cukierman, who has a career-high ATP doubles ranking of 424 and career earnings (singles and doubles) of $47,903, is on the road competing this summer. “It is not easy to succeed,” reports Cukierman,” but I will give 100%.” Thus far in May, he has already played three tournaments – two in Buenos Aires, Argentina and one in Montenegro. Win or lose, he has his USC degree and networks to help assure future success.

While tennis continues to be a useful tool for an increasing number of Israelis – regardless of whether they pursue professional careers – Andy Ram sees an additional benefit to Israelis playing college tennis in the United States. “If they play well and are good students, they represent Israel well at their colleges. Our kids are our ambassadors.” Good hasbara (public diplomacy) for Israel goes a long way these days.■

Read more

Original Article Published On The Jewish News Syndicate

The Jewish state becomes the first nation in the world to qualify for the Olympics in baseball, joining host nation Japan.

With Team Israel’s 11-1 win over South Africa in the Olympic qualifiers in Parma, Italy, on Sunday, the startup nation became the baseball nation.

The Israel Baseball team will be the first team sport to represent Israel at the Olympic Games since 1976, when the Israel National Soccer team competed in the Montreal Summer Olympics. Israel will be one of six teams to play in the baseball competition at the Olympics.

“This is the ultimate dream come true,” said Peter Kurz, Israel Association of Baseball President and general manager of Team Israel. “It was almost too impossible to imagine, but with the astounding performances of a dedicated team that always believed in itself. Even when we were beaten on Saturday night by Czech Republic, it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits because we knew we were capable of achieving this goal.”

Within minutes of their historic victory, the Israel Association of Baseball posted “Heading to the Olympics” in all caps on their Facebook page, and almost instantly received 236 likes and comments. The “Follow Team Israel” Facebook group, started in 2012 by a group of olim (new immigrants) to provide information on Israelis and Jewish athletes in the 2012 London Olympics, and which continues to raise awareness and enthusiasm for Israeli and Jewish athletes, similarly received 532 likes in response to its post: “Do you believe in miracles? They did it!”

Israel’s success last week, where it came in fourth place in the European Championships held in Germany (the top five teams advanced to the qualifiers) and in the Europe/Africa qualifiers, held this past Wednesday through Sunday in Parma and Bologna, Italy, earned them a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Israel becomes the first nation in the world to qualify for the Olympics in baseball. Israel joins host nation Japan. Four more countries will ultimately qualify for the Olympics as baseball makes its return after being voted off the Olympic program after the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Two additional teams will qualify at the global Premier12 in November. One team from the Americas and one more from another qualifying tournament taking place later in the year will make it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Israel began showing the world in 2017 that it needs to be taken seriously as a baseball nation. Israel won all three of its World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Brooklyn, N.Y., advanced to Pool A in South Korea in March 2017 and advanced again later that month to the second round in Tokyo. The team is currently qualified for the 2021 World Baseball Classic.

The Blue and White team, including some former Major League Baseball players who recently became Israeli citizens in order to play for Team Israel, faced three of the teams in the qualifiers it had lost to in Germany just last week, including Spain, Italy and the Netherlands (the European champions). Israel got off to an impressive 3-0 start in the qualifiers, which included an exciting 8-2 blowout Friday night against Italy. Their only loss came against the Czech Republic on Saturday night, where they lost 7-4.

In Sunday’s decisive game against South Africa, which allowed Israel to punch its card to the Olympics, Joey Wagman, who hadn’t given up a run or walk in his previous 15 innings pitched throughout the European Championships or Qualifiers, held the South Africans to six scoreless innings, allowing one run in the seventh.

Israel got on the board in the bizarre top of the second inning, which featured a sacrifice fly, three walks and two batters hit by pitches. Catcher Nick Rickles scored on a sacrifice fly by OF (outfielder) Simon Rosenbaum. With shortstop Ty Kelly on third, DH (designated hitter) Benjamin Wanger on second and third baseman Zach Penprase on first after being hit by a pitch, second baseman Mitch Glasser walked for another RBI. A single from OF (outfielder) Blake Gailen allowed Wanger and Penprase to score.

Israel was up 4-0.

In the top of the third, a double from Wanger brought Rickles home, and a sacrifice fly from Rosenbaum added another run by Kelly for a 6-0 lead.

South Africa scored one run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Israel answered back with four more runs in the top of the eighth—three coming from a home run by Team Israel’s best-known player, Danny Valencia, whose career includes stints with nine Major League teams. When Valencia’s homer brought the lead to 10 runs, the 10-run mercy rule was invoked, and Israel was permitted to break out the champagne one inning early once South Africa was unable to score in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Tel Aviv native, and current New York resident and music director at City Winery in New York City Shlomo Lipetz, now 40, came in to close the game. Lipetz, who has been affiliated with Israel baseball for more than 30 years, allowed no runs, and was on the mount when Israel won the right to move on to Tokyo.

Read more

Original Article Published On The Jewish News Syndicate

With the loss against Spain in the last game of the European Championships only days ago still fresh, Israel came out determined to start strong against the team that left Israel in third place in Europe.

Joey Wagman pitched a complete game shut-out to help take down Spain in Team Israel’s first game of the World Baseball and Softball Confederation Olympics Qualifiers 3-0 in Bologna, Italy. Danny Valencia dominated the offense, batting in all three runs, including a first-inning two RBI home run.

With the loss against Spain in the last game of the European Championships only days ago still fresh, Israel came out determined to start strong against the team that left Israel in third place in Europe. And they did. In the top of the first inning, after outfielder Blake Gailen was walked, DH Valencia stepped up and crushed a homer deep into left field, immediately putting Israel ahead by two runs.

Wagman followed up on Israel’s strong offensive start by retiring Spain in order in the bottom of the first. He maintained the pressure on the Spaniards throughout the game, not giving them a foothold and allowing only three hits in the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, Zach Penprase singled to deep center field and advanced to second on a single from Mitch Glasser. Gailen singled to center field, loading the bases. A sacrifice fly to right field from Valencia added another RBI as Penprase scored Israel’s third run.

“I just pitched my game,” said Wagman in a post-game interview. “(Nick) Rickles called a great game behind home plate. We were on the same page all night. It’s a lot easier for me when I can trust him and trust the defense.”

Wagman also won the award for the pitcher with the best earned run average in the European Championships last week, after pitching 10.2 innings with an impressive zero ERA.

“Everything was great tonight,” said Valencia. “It was important to start well, and we did.” I helped the team with the RBIs, but the credit goes to Wagman, who was amazing on the mound.”

“This was a fantastic start,” says Peter Kurz, Team Israel general manager and president of the Israel Association of Baseball. “We have every intention of competing for every run over every inning of the rest of the games against Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy and South Africa. Our goal is no less than winning this tournament and representing the State of Israel in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.”

Read more

Original Article Published On the Jewish News Syndicate

The five top teams in the European Baseball Championships, plus South Africa, have advanced to the Olympic Qualifiers taking place in Parma and Bologna, Italy, through Sept. 22.

When the Miracle Mets won the World Series in 1969, baseball was virtually unknown in Israel. Israel had come out victorious in the Six-Day War only two years earlier, the first field was built at Kibbutz Gezer in 1979, and the Israel Association of Baseball (IAB) would be established less than a decade afterwards, in 1986.

Fifty years later, the New York Mets may need to share their “miracle” nickname with Israel’s National Baseball Team. Team Israel shocked the world in last week’s European Championships and now has its sights on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Israel got off to an unexpected 4-0 start with victories over the Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany and Great Britain. Israel then lost on Sept. 11 to current European champions, the Netherlands.

Israel finished second in its pool with a record of 4-1 and advanced to the quarter finals, held last Friday through Sunday in Bonn, Germany.

On Sept. 13, Israel faced France, which Pool B with three wins and two losses. Team Israel handily beat France 8-2 in the quarter finals, securing a coveted place in the Olympic Games qualifiers for this week in Italy.

But over last weekend, Israel dropped two games to Italy and Spain, finishing fourth overall in the European Championships. This was the first time that Israel has even gotten that far.

A Team Israel pitcher in its victory against France in the European Championships. Photo by Margo Sugarman.
A Team Israel pitcher in its victory against France in the European Championships. Photo by Margo Sugarman.

“We faced some extremely strong teams this week,” says general manager and IAB president Peter Kurz. “The fact that we were able to beat these tough competitors is a great credit to all the players and the staff. We are ready for the next phase, and look forward to representing Israel in general and Israeli baseball in particular with pride.”

The five top teams in the European Championships, plus the already qualified South Africa, advanced to the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifiers, which take in place in Parma and Bologna, Italy, through Sept. 22. Israel beat Spain on Wednesday in a 3-0 complete game by Joey Wagman. Israel now faces the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy and South Africa.

One Olympic spot will be awarded to the winner of the Europe-Africa qualifier tournament in Italy, which will feature the five European teams and South Africa, the winner of the 2019 African Baseball Championship. The second-place team in Italy will get another qualification opportunity for the Olympics in the final world qualifying event.

Continuing its storied run

The Miracle Israel Team continues its storied run, which started with the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in September 2016. Israel won all three of their games in Brooklyn, N.Y., beating Great Britain twice and Brazil once. It then advanced to Pool A, playing in South Korea in March 2017 against South Korea, Taiwan/Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands.

Israel then advanced to the second round (Pool E), playing Tokyo in March 2017. In that first game, Israel beat Cuba, then lost to the Netherlands and Japan. Israel’s storied World Baseball Classic run to the quarterfinals is chronicled in the recent documentary, “Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel.”

The team is currently qualified for the 2021 World Baseball Classic.

While the World Baseball Classic only requires that players be eligible for citizenship of the country they represent, for Olympic qualifying tournaments (and for the actual Olympics players themselves), they must be actual citizens of the country they represent. Several American Jewish players, including Valencia, Blake Gailen, Ty Kelly, Corey Baker, Jeremy Bleich and Jeremy Wolf, recently got Israeli citizenship. Most will continue to reside in America.

Despite Team Israel’s incredible success thus far, competing in the Olympics is still a distant dream. The winner of the qualifier tournament will get a bid to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The runner-up will have another opportunity to qualify for Tokyo at a future qualifying event.

In an interview from Germany with JNS following the team’s Sept. 13 victory, Kurz deconstructed the meaning of the team’s recent success for Israel, as well as the experience of playing in Europe.

Q: What does the team’s recent success mean for Israel, for the players and for baseball?

A: When any Israeli sports team excels in international tournaments, it excites the country. While baseball may not yet be a mainstream sport, when Team Israel starts grabbing headlines for exceeding so many expectations, people take notice.

This is a team that has worked hard to achieve their goals. We have players who have left their wives, their young children and their full-time jobs to come and represent Israel at the tournament. They are all committed to winning.

When our teams excel abroad, the first and most palpable result is that it raises the professional level of our players in Israel. We saw this phenomenon after the excellent sixth-place result of Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic in 2017. In the two years since, our youth players have become more dedicated and have understood the need to focus on increasing their skills. In July, our Under 18 national team competed in the European Championships Qualifiers for the first time and won the tournament. The success of our Senior National Team will give our players a lot to strive for. Our teenage players now have a goal: to be a member of the SNT in the coming years.

This can only be positive for Israeli baseball. The great results of this team are also being noticed outside of the immediate community. This type of exposure increases awareness of baseball in Israel and can attract new players who may not have thought about the sport. We are building two new fields in Beit Shemesh and in Ra’anana; this will only add to the excitement we are generating here in Europe now.”

Q: Can you describe the experience of playing games these past two weeks in Europe?

A: Most of Israel Baseball’s international competition takes place in Europe. Israel is a member of the Confederation of European Baseball, or CEB. It is a tight-knit baseball community, and a good atmosphere exists between the players once the games are over. In most of Europe, baseball is also still a niche sport, so the players share a common love of it and work to support one another.

Read more