With Some Soggy Paddle Play, Thrilling Squash Competition, and Good Fun

The 2023 MashUp once again brought paddle and squash pros, amateurs, students, and fans together for some exciting competition for a good cause. In its 11th year supporting SquashBusters Lawrence, the MashUp presented by the New Balance Foundation spread over two weekends in December to great success. Despite Mother Nature’s downpours, our intrepid paddle teams did their best to eke out some competition at the Dedham County and Polo Club and The Country Club in Brookline on December 3rd, while squash returned to Brooks School in North Andover, likely for the last time; next year we hope to host in our own center! More than 150 players, guests, sponsors and friends contributed to a remarkable fundraising total of over $415,000.

Our paddle teams did their best to kick-off the race for the 2023 Krapels Cup, battling near constant downpours all morning. Despite only one round of competition, all our teams enjoyed a warm welcome and meaningful reflections on the value of SquashBusters from our students Jomar Garcia and Brenda Hernandez.  Former-CEO Greg Zaff made an appearance sharing with the group, “I would not want to be anywhere else.  Seriously, this means everything to me and I am so glad to share the morning and the mission with all of you, while turning it over to Rosemary, Rodney, Becca and Alé, as it’s now their mission.” Special thanks to our paddle pro veterans and newbies – Scott Staniar, Pat McNally, Bill Power, Leo Power, Thomas Nolan, Mike Miller, Stefan Koruga, and Milo Johnson – who took time out of their schedules to support our cause once more.

The squash competition started bright and early the following Sunday with Lawrence Program Director, Vicky Flamenco, welcoming the teams, captains and pros. Rodney Galvao, Senior Development Officer and John Nimick, Tournament Emcee Extraordinaire, joined our students for some spirited circle-ups and qilos, and the competition was underway. When the last ball rolled into the nick, it was the Merrimack Volley, captained by Bruce Landay and Bill Paine, who emerged on top, a total reversal from their fourth place finish last year.

As the pros hit the the courts,  former World Champion Thierry Lincou, representing the Andover Academics, took on the Essex County Nicks’ Hameed Ahmed, while crowd favorite Arthur Gaskin of the Merrimack Volley battled Lawrence Legion’s Kush Kumar, who is fast becoming an SQB regular. Lincou and Kumar emerged victorious, setting up a rematch from the semi-final round last year. Lincou would not be denied this time around, and beat Kumar, sealing the fate for the Legion who might have tied the Volley with a win. Ultimately, Kumar’s loss did not affect the outcome, as Gaskin beat Ahmed sealing Merrimack’s victory. Gaskin also completed a grand slam, serving as the pro on the winning team in all three SQB events in 2023 – the Rumble, the Derby, and the MashUp. Debate of his GOAT status will surely ensue as, like Serena, not all his wins came in the same competition year.

While the paddle and squash matches were spirited and fun, the real heart and soul of the MashUp is the chance for players, pros, and supporters to get know our incredible students. This year, that opportunity included a moving speech from Brenda Hernandez about how SQB supported her through some difficult times growing up – even when she was “a lot”. Hearing her words, we were all reminded of the power of SquashBusters to be a force for good in our students’ lives and for change in the world. Supporters also had the chance to go toe to toe on court with some former students, as six program alums participated in the tournament. Sarah Emerson concluded the day with stories and a tribute to her husband Ed Krapels, who worked alongside Greg Zaff, Tom Hodgson and others to bring SQB to Lawrence. “He loved SquashBusters, its mission, its students”, she told the crowd, as she presented the cup named in his honor to the new champions, the Merrimack Volley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The MashUp would not be possible without the support of our incredible community and especially our sponsors: Acadian Software, Brown Brothers Harriman, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation,  Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co., Westfield Capital Management, Winstanley Enterprises, Floyd Advisory, Moore Concrete Cutting, and Bank of New England.

We have more wonderful picture of the day which you can see at the links below.

Paddle – PW: srwf67

Squash – PW: srwf67

The Build Is On!

Construction Update, November 2023

Construction began in the winter of 2022 and the core and shell are complete. The building should be completed and ready for occupancy by fall 2024. The SquashBusters Center will serve as a world class home for the SquashBusters Lawrence program and includes offices and meeting spaces for staff, three classrooms, eight squash courts, two locker rooms, a gym space, and a number of informal meeting areas. Owning and operating this space, in the city where SQB students live, will be transformational for the program

SQB’s planning for programmatic growth are well underway and include increased enrollment, increased dosage, additional school partners, additional summer programming and more and deeper community partnerships. The facility brings SQB much closer to a variety of existing and potential new partners in Lawrence and will increase opportunities for collaboration with these groups, especially those located on nearby Island Street and Everett Mills.

Andrés Burbank-Crump, the Head of Innovation and Partnerships, has been reaching out to mission-aligned organizations to ensure that when the building is not being used by SquashBusters, it can be employed to the benefit of the residents of Lawrence, both through programs run by SquashBusters and in partnership with organizations serving the community. As we consider different ways to utilize the Center, we are mindful of the most pressing needs in Lawrence, as expressed by residents of the city and compiled community needs assessments. Top among these are adult education, immigration services and job opportunities. We are eager to to help meet these needs and more and we anticipate having a positive impact on the community.

The Vision

After more than 8 years of searching for a permanent home in Lawrence, in 2020 SquashBusters reached an agreement with Lawrence Community Works (LCW) to build our own squash and education center. The New Balance Foundation SquashBusters Center is part of the LCW’s Island Parkside mixed-use community project, home to 80 units of low-income housing targeting families, a number of community and green spaces such as a revitalization of Ferrous Park, and a half-mile walking trail along the Merrimack River. 

Programmatic Impact 

SquashBusters came to Lawrence in 2012 and has been operating on borrowed and rented spaces throughout the Merrimack Valley ever since. The SquashBusters Center will serve as a world class home for the SquashBusters Lawrence program. The building will include offices and meeting spaces for staff, three classrooms, eight squash courts, two locker rooms, a gym space, and a number of informal meeting areas. Owning and operating this space, in the city where SQB students live, will be transformational for the program, which has been historically limited by the logistical and transportation and the uncertainty of running the our programs on borrowed spaces outside the city of Lawrence. Key programmatic improvements include: 

• Enrollment: SQB will have the capacity to increase enrollment of middle and high school students from 80 to 120, and post-secondary students from 46 to 75. 
• Dosage: Current limited access to courts and fitness space means students typically practice twice a week, with each practice lasting between 2-2.5 hours. With the opening of the SquashBusters Center, students will have programming at least 3 times per week and have the opportunity to drop in practically as often as they want, 5-6 days every week. The Center will be open to students for a minimum of 4 hours each day. 
• School Partners: SQB’s location in the city brings the program significantly closer to additional schools and in many cases relieves SQB of the need to drive students to programming every day. We anticipate the number of primary partner schools available to work with will increase from 5 to 10, allowing SQB to serve a wider scope of young people in the city. 
• Community Partnerships: The facility brings SQB much closer to a variety of existing and potential new partners in Lawrence and will increase opportunities for collaboration with these groups, especially those located on nearby Island Street and Everett Mills.
• Summer Programming: Consistent access to courts and classrooms will allow SquashBusters to offer more robust summer programming. The new Center will allow SQB to offer four weeks of summer programming, twice as much as is currently offered. In addition, we will be able to partner with world class squash programs and other organizations in the city to bring resources into our facility and enrich the experience of the students. 

The SquashBusters Center will be transformational for the Lawrence program. It will allow SQB to offer higher quality programming to more students than have ever been served before. In addition to the elevated quality and quantity of squash opportunities, academic enrichment, and post-secondary support, SQB will partner more meaningfully with other organizations in the city to ensure our students are exposed to the widest variety of experiences possible during their time in the program. 

Community Impact 

The SquashBusters Center will also allow SQB to engage with the local community in new and innovative ways. There will be significant windows of time when the building is not used by the SquashBusters program and can be employed to the benefit of the residents of Lawrence, both through programs run by SquashBusters and in partnership with organizations serving the community. We are eager to maximize the utilization of the SquashBusters Center when it is not being used for our youth development programs to help meet these needs and we anticipate having a positive impact on the community through: 

• Adult Education: Many adult education classes occur in spaces identical to those in our new facility and are scheduled primarily during the hours when our space will available. Classes offered by these organizations include English Language Learning, Citizenship Exam Preparation and more. 

• Job Training: Similarly, a number of organizations offer job training to give residents of Lawrence the resources and experience needed to find gainful employment. Such training will also occur in our classrooms outside of SQB programming, and include Nursing Assistant, Early Childhood Care, and Paraprofessional Training. 
• Community Workspace: During the pandemic we saw how difficult it was for our students and families to find quiet spaces with strong internet access to work or attend school remotely. We anticipate offering one classroom in the new facility to be utilized as a co-working space for our alumni, families and tenants of Island Parkside. There is also the potential for partnership with alternative education programs to provide quiet, functional study spaces for remote students. 
• Community Squash: SquashBusters plans to leverage our squash courts, gym space, and locker rooms to launch a community squash program. Intended to serve squash players in the Merrimack Valley, we will create a multicultural and multigenerational community in our facility, with a particular focus on familiarizing Lawrence residents with the sport and facilitating access to membership regardless of socioeconomic standing. We will also create space for regular open houses where we invite different groups from throughout the city into our facility to try the sport and learn more about the Center. 
• School Enrichment: The Center can also be used for school-day enrichment or gym classes for public schools which do not have access to their own recreational spaces, thereby increasing the number of young people benefitting from our facility and accessing meaningful health and wellness programming. 
• Community Events: The facility has the potential to be a great venue for events for SquashBusters and other organizations from throughout Lawrence. Our own special events will be drastically more accessible to the community and in some cases, as with our annual MashUp, expose folks to world class squash. We will also be able to regularly host our own potlucks, family dinners, and other celebrations. Our hope is that the building will also serve as a site for partner organizations to host their own celebrations and events. 

• Tenant Access: It is our intent that SquashBusters is a protagonist within the Island Parkside community, proactively ensuring that residents of the affordable housing on the site are utilizing the resources available in the building. These include access to the gym, community squash memberships, usage of potential co-working space, and access to SquashBusters programming for middle and high school aged students. 
• Employment: SquashBusters will employ members of the Lawrence community in the SquashBusters Center. We will utilize our network within the city to ensure we are providing gainful employment to residents of the city at a living wage and that the folks working at the Center are dedicated to the community we are serving. 

Taken together, all these initiatives will allow SquashBusters to dramatically increase the depth and breadth of our impact in the city of Lawrence, well beyond youth development. Through strategic partnerships and usage of the spaces in the facility, residents of the city will have the ability to be part of a meaningful community and access valuable resources on mornings, nights, and weekends at the New Balance Foundation SquashBusters Center. We believe the SquashBusters Center will be a game-changer for the city of Lawrence, providing programming and opportunities to support citizens at every stage of life. 

 

 

 

SQB Class of 2026 Is Almost Here

The recruitment process started in early September, when SquashBusters staff introduced themselves and the game of squash to over 200 students at the Arlington and Wetherbee Middle Schools during gym class. Since then, the group has been narrowed to 21 committed and enthusiastic students. They have all been attending practices at Brooks School twice a week with the goal of becoming full time members of the SQB team. We’re looking forward to final decisions being announced just before winter break at our 6th grade potluck event to welcome our newest members to the team!

In addition to the typical middle school recruitment process, twelve high school students from Notre Dame Cristo Rey have been working hard on court and in the classroom in a bid to join the program. These additional students have helped to further reinforce growing ties between SquashBusters and Notre Dame, one of our strongest partner schools. We’re thrilled to be able to welcome more students on the high school team and eager to integrate their strengths into our already thriving program!

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SQB in the Community

SquashBusters Lawrence has been all around the city this fall, participating in five different community service projects during the first few months of programming. Middle-schoolers took advantage of the nice weather at the beginning of the year to help pick vegetables at Costello Park, an urban farm that provides fresh produce to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Students remarked that they enjoyed “getting their hands dirty” and were thrilled to be able to take some of the vegetables home with them.

Another project of note was the Spicket River Clean Up – a full program effort in which 60 students volunteered to help keep the local waterway clean. Not only was this an opportunity to help make an impact in our own community, but also a chance to get nearly the full team together to kick off another great year at SQB. The day was a resounding success and many left excited to find more opportunities to keep the city looking beautiful!

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Squash Season Begins

Two regional Squash and Education Alliance (SEA) tournaments served as highlights for our fall squash calendar. The SEA Northeast Regionals, hosted at Yale University, was a tremendous opportunity for players to compete against some of the very best players in New England. The high school boys and girls teams both competed in the A draw. Though neither team walked away from the weekend with a victory, they were thrilled to be part of the tournament. Several players did secure a individual victories. The middle school teams enjoyed a little more success, with the middle school boys being denied first place in their division only by their teammates from Providence.

The second tournament, hosted by Capitol Squash at Trinity College, was an opportunity for many of our youngest players to take part in their first big tournament. An intrepid crew of 10 seventh graders traveled to Connecticut to compete in the Middle School Northeast Team Regional tournament. The students again competed hard and were thrilled to be able to enjoy a day with teammates from the other two SquashBusters sites and to be able make new friends from other Urban Squash programs from across the region. These two tournaments undoubtedly gave our students the experience and confidence to find success in the upcoming months to come!

Our Dream Comes True – A Home for SquashBusters Lawrence

Sometime next spring, SquashBusters Lawrence will break ground on its new home – our own facility being built on the campus of Merrimack College. This partnership with Merrimack mirrors the relationships we have in Boston with Northeastern and in Providence with Moses Brown School. SquashBusters will raise the construction capital in return for a rent-free, maintenance-free home for the next 100 years. To say this is a total game-changer for our program and for the City of Lawrence is an understatement. The facility will stand as a beacon of hope and opportunity for generations of Lawrence students. It will unite the broader community, inspire civic engagement, and profoundly contribute to Merrimack College and the entire Merrimack Valley.

Merrimack College President Chris Hopey and Executive Vice President Jeff Doggett quickly embraced the chance to partner with SquashBusters. Having both formerly worked in senior positions at Northeastern, they have seen first-hand the impact our partnership has had in Boston. Our first ‘get-to-know’ you meeting between Merrimack and SquashBusters was memorable. Not five minutes into the conversation, President Hopey jumped in, “No need for the big sales pitch. I’ve seen SquashBusters do amazing things in Boston. We’re in! What’s the next step?”

The next step was to design the facility – an important job bestowed upon the very talented STACK + Co. Schematic design is nearly finished. SquashBusters Lawrence’s 17,000 square-foot home will have eight squash courts, 3 classrooms, a college and career center, a family resource room, a fitness center, private space for one-on-one counseling, changing rooms, and offices. SquashBusters will also engage a world-class squash professional to operate a full-scale squash club, complete with memberships, lessons and summer camps. In return for this opportunity, the pro will contribute a percentage of his earnings to SquashBusters and will team up with our squash staff to help our students become great players.

Crazy, ambitious projects like this often happen because of one phenomenally generous contributor. Here, that honor goes to the New Balance Foundation, which has pledged to make the leadership gift. Such a gift is the strongest testament to the Foundation’s belief in the good work of SquashBusters and its deep commitment to improving the lives of Lawrence young people. SquashBusters is beyond grateful to the New Balance Foundation for this transformative investment and we look forward to celebrating the grand opening of the New Balance Foundation SquashBusters Center at Merrimack College in the spring of 2021.

A Year of Highlights on Court…

The 2018-2019 season was the most active in the history of the Lawrence program, with students participating in 39 competitions spanning New England and beyond. From overnight urban squash tournaments to friendly matches against our teammates in Boston and Providence, the year was packed with highlights on court.

Urban Squash Team Nationals, this year hosted by Yale University and Choate Rosemary Hall, yielded a slew of exciting results for the SquashBusters teams. There were not one, but two National Championship winning teams on the girls side: Sarai, Tatiana, and June were all members of the SQB team that finished first in the Girls High School B Division, while Winipher became the first ever SquashBusters Lawrence A-draw national champion. Not to be outdone, Anthony G. helped steer his team to a High School Boys B-draw first place finish from the number 1 position on his team’s ladder.

This was also the first year SquashBusters Lawrence hosted our very own alumni match. A combination of current middle and high school students, volunteers, teachers, and parents gathered at Brooks School to watch the most recent class of SquashBusters graduates compete in one final match. Sporting shirts from the colleges they will be attending this coming fall, the graduated seniors competed against a combination of staff and alumni in a series of friendly matches to wrap up their squash careers. After an afternoon of great squash on court, the group gathered outside for a buffet dinner and connected over some of their favorite SQB memories.

One of the most exciting moments of the year arrived at Urban Individual Nationals – the final competition of the year. Eighth-grader Grismerly not only finished the weekend as the GU17 B-draw consolation runner up, defeating several high school-aged opponents along the way, but she also won the Squash and Education Alliance Future Star Award. Grismerly is the first student from Lawrence to ever win the award, which recognizes one middle school student from among all SEA organizations for strong character and commitment to their program.

SquashBusters will be sending many students to various overnight squash opportunities throughout the summer, hopefully setting us up for another year of success on court!

…and in the Classroom for SQB Lawrence

 

For the second year in a row, all SQB Lawrence seniors have post-secondary plans.  Thanks to a great deal of hard work, perseverance and support from Mike Shannon, Director of Post-Secondary Services and individual college mentors, here is what our seniors will be doing next year –

PHOENIX ALMONTE Northern Essex Community College	JULISSA BEJAR Merrimack College
DAISY DELEON Military (Spring Enrollment at Northern Essex Community College)	LYNETTE GUERRERO UMass – Lowell
TATIANA HERNANDEZ UMass – Lowell	CHRISTIAN LAWRENCE Northeastern University
CHANTAL PEREZ-PENA Year Up	CHARLENNY PEREZ-PENA UMass – Lowell
SAMANTHA RICH Merrimack College	MELBIN ROJAS Northern Essex Community College
WINIPHER ROMERO UMass – Lowell	SOLANGIE TAVAREZ UMass – Lowell

Lawrence Gets Out and Gives Back!

Once again, SquashBusters participated in dozens of community service trips throughout the year, seeking to learn more about local organizations and support their efforts within Greater Lawrence. Highlights included:

Though Lawrence suffered from devastating gas explosions at the beginning of the school year, the community responded admirably by coming together in the city’s time of need. Students and staff from SquashBusters gathered at Arlington Middle School to offer support to the families without homes or power and lend a helping hand during the crisis. Though many of our own families spent months without power and out of their homes, the community proved more resilient than ever.

We spent a day collecting and organizing donations at Debbie’s Treasure Chest, an organization dedicated to providing clothing, books, toiletries, school supplies and other necessities to at-risk families in the area.

The high school team spent several hours volunteering at Lazarus House, a shelter in Lawrence offering nourishment, comfort, and stability to those in need. Students helped organize donations and clean the building.

Both middle and high school students spent several days working at Costello Urban Farm, part of the Costello Community Garden organized by Groundwork Lawrence. The space is dedicated to leading local environmental and healthy community initiatives, and students helped plant all manner of fruits and vegetables throughout the spring.

Students made several trips throughout the year to Nevin’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. We spent the afternoons playing games, setting up meals, telling stories and bonding with senior members of the Merrimack Valley.

Several of our students have continued their work into the summer, working with Groundwork Lawrence throughout July and August. As we head into next year, we continue to search for ways in which to make a meaningful impact through various local organizations in the Merrimack Valley.

Want more SQB News?

Read the 2019 Boston year-end newsletter.

Read the 2019 Providence year-end newsletter.