Meeting Women Players at the 4th Ulama Tournament
As part of her book tour in Mexico, author and illustrator Laura Elena Rodríguez Garcidueñas attended the 4th Ulama Tournament at Tlaxcoaque, Mexico City, where she had the opportunity to watch women players compete and meet some of the women who are actively practicing this ancestral ballgame today.
The encounter offered Laura another opportunity to connect the research behind Juego de Pelota: Descubre sus secretos con La Catrina Bohemia with the people who continue to practice and preserve these traditions.
During the tournament, Laura spoke with some of the women players about their experiences in Ulama. They shared some of the challenges they have faced and the barriers they have had to overcome to earn their place on the court and participate in a tradition in which women’s presence has not always been equally visible.
Their stories revealed determination, passion, and a deep commitment to the game. Their participation is part of a broader community of women who are playing Ulama today, helping make their presence more visible and creating opportunities for new generations to discover and practice the tradition.
For Laura, meeting these players was particularly meaningful because it offered a perspective that cannot be found in historical sources alone. Researching an ancestral tradition means more than learning about its origins; it also means listening to the people who practice it today and understanding what the game means to them.
The 4th Ulama Tournament gave Laura the opportunity to see this living tradition in action and to meet some of the players who are contributing to its continuity. These encounters are an important part of the journey behind Juego de Pelota, a book created to introduce younger readers to the history and diversity of Mesoamerican ballgames while also bringing attention to the people who continue to practice them today.
At Editorial Parangueo, we believe that cultural heritage remains alive when it is practiced, shared, and passed on. Meeting these women was a reminder that ancestral traditions can continue to grow while remaining connected to their roots—and that new generations, including women and girls, can find their own place within them.
