Location: Boston

SquashBusters 2019 MFS Derby

A Historic Squash Season for SQB Boston

While our teams exhibited strong play throughout the season, it was clear both the boys and girls teams saved their best performances for the biggest competitions in high school and urban squash.

High School Team Championships – In early February SquashBusters traveled to Hartford, CT to compete in the High School Squash Team Championships as the representatives of Boston Public Schools.  There were 8 separate boys’ divisions and 6 separate girls’ divisions comprised of more than 200 teams from across the country, making it the world’s largest squash tournament.  Our strong regular seasons (girls 7-2, boys 8-1) earned our girls team a place in Division 3, and our boys team a high seed in Division 4.

Our girls began the weekend with a convincing 6-1 victory over Blair Academy (NJ). Despite falling 4-3 to two seed Westminster School (CT) the next morning in a tightly contested battle, the team recovered quickly and managed to take a 5-2 decision over Episcopal HS (PA) that evening, putting them in the 5th place match against traditional powerhouse Shipley School (PA).  Our girls eked out an intense 4-3 victory over Shipley, placing them 5th in Division 3 and 37th in the country!

Our boys team started the weekend similarly to the girls – with an impressive 6-1 victory over New Haven Public Schools (CT) on Friday.  A second round matchup with Tower Hill School (DE) proved far more testing.  Tied 3-3, Josiah Bennett pulled out the deciding fourth victory to send the team into the semifinals against Westminster School (GA) on Saturday evening.  Our boys once again edged out a close match, taking a 5-2 decision and securing a spot in the finals against Loomis Chaffee School (CT).  The finals had a different feel, as our boys clinched the victory early, and cruised to a 6-1 victory and a Division 4 championship!

Urban Team Nationals –  Next up, the 16^th edition of Urban Team Nationals at Yale University and Choate Rosemary Hall, hosted by the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA). Sixteen SEA member programs and 2 international affiliates comprised 14 separate elementary school, middle school, and high school draws.  SquashBusters sent 18 teams composed of 90 Boston, Lawrence, and Providence students to New Haven for 3 intense and fun-filled days of squash.

Entering the tournament, a SquashBusters team had not won an A-division title at Urban Team Nationals since 2016.  However, both the top Boys and Girls high school teams had hopes of changing that, as the girls team received the top seed and the boys were seeded third in the A-draw.

The boys took a decisive 4-1 decision in the first round against SquashDrive (Oakland, CA) before falling in a 3-2 thriller in the semifinal to eventual champion StreetSquash.  The boys rebounded to take 3^rd place with a 3-2 victory over SquashSmarts (Philadelphia, PA) the next day.

The top girls team marched to the finals with a 5-0 first-round win and a 4-1 semifinal victory over CitySquash (NY).  This set them up to play StreetSquash in the finals, and the girls pulled through with a 3-2 victory to clinch SQB’s first A-division title since 2016!

SquashBusters’ other high school teams also experienced significant success.  The high school Girls II team won the A-division consolation, and the Girls III team took the B-division title.  The high school Boys II team won the B-division, and the Boys IV team took third in the C-division.

For the majority of students on SquashBusters’ middle school teams, this past weekend marked their first national tournament.  Still, they competed well against their often more-experienced counterparts.  The top boys and girls teams finished seventh in the Middle School A-division, while the Boys III and Girls III teams both finished third in the Middle School C-division.

Beyond success on the court, all the teams represented SquashBusters incredibly well.  Many other teams and spectators commented on our players’ strong sportsmanship and attitude.  And Joelangie Arias Soto and Marangela James took home the top prizes in the middle school and high school divisions of SEA’s annual academic contest. It has been a season to remember, and one of which our program is exceedingly proud.

SquashBusters Lawrence Gets a Permanent Home

A Schematic Rendering by Stack + Co. of the
New SquashBusters Lawrence at Merrimack College

Tuesday, October 30 marked SquashBusters’ third annual Breakfast with Champions – a day we broke down walls and brought together people from different circumstances, all in the name of improving the SQB program and strengthening our community. SquashBusters Board members and Advisory Council members, alumni and staff, parents and supporters from Boston, Lawrence and Providence came together for a morning of conversation and inspiration as we tackled some of the most pressing issues faced by our students and program graduates: addressing inequities in public K-12 education, identifying obstacles and ensuring success in college, and supporting students on alternative post-secondary paths.

With SquashBusters Board members Meg Campbell and Juma Crawford leading the way, guests shared personal experiences and reflected on how those experiences have driven their own life outcomes. Then they dug into what SQB is doing well and what we could do better to support our students as they reach for success.  Across topics, one common theme emerged: networks.  Groups shared thoughts on the role SQB plays in broadening our students’ networks and providing access to people, organizations and resources to which they may not otherwise have access.

The morning was capped off with remarks from Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell, a true champion for youth development and a fighter for justice, fairness and equality.  Born and raised in Boston with a personal story of strength and resilience through tragic circumstances, Councilor Campbell has dedicated her work – both before and since holding public office – to helping Boston’s families and communities that need it most.  She challenged everyone in the room to not only think about what SquashBusters can do better, but what each of us as individuals can do better. She urged everyone to carry that question with us every day.  Guests left the Breakfast with Champions inspired, motivated and driven to do more, to do better.  This is what makes all of you our Champions.

SquashBusters is grateful to have had so many great minds join us last week, and we are humbled by your grit and determination to continue this work with us.

Another year comes to an end at SquashBusters, and we’re thrilled to look back on a year of extraordinary accomplishments – from stepping up the squash culture to sending another full class of graduates to college.

SquashBusters Boston Makes the Journey To & Through

For the fourth year in a row, 100% of SquashBusters’ program graduates will be enrolling in college, and we are so proud of each and every one of them.

The impressive list of schools below is a direct result of the collective effort, commitment, and dedication that this class has put in over the course of their academic and SQB careers. From the very start of their time in the program as middle school students, SquashBusters students are exposed to college through visits and competitions and academic sessions at SQB. Throughout their high school years, students attend regular workshops to build and strengthen their college-readiness skills, including organization, time management and effective study habits, and junior year, they complete a 40-hour SAT prep course.

As seniors, they finally made their college dream a reality. With SquashBusters by their sides – including College and Alumni Success Manager Mikhail Darlington, Academic Program Manager Eileen Barrer, and their volunteer college mentors – the seniors worked hard on their college lists, applications, and essays, to ultimately find schools that fit academically and financially. On average, 84% of their financial aid was met through debt-free grants and scholarships, and no student took on more than $7,500 in annual student debt.

“The class of 2018 put in an incredible amount of work this year balancing their applications with their busy senior schedules,” says Mikhail. “We are so proud of them for what they’ve achieved, and we’re confident that each and every one of them is heading to a school where they’ll succeed.”

The SquashBusters class of 2018 will be heading to the following schools:

KIARA BATISTA – UMass Amherst
HEYSSIS CASTILLO – Trinity College
CHRISTINA DIXON – Northeastern University
YVONNE DUNKLEY – Babson College
ELIAS GONZALEZ – Foundation Year at Northeastern University
IMANE HOUSSA – UMass Boston
YANJING HUANG — Bucknell University
TINA JAGMOHAN – Hampshire College
KIMBERLYN JONES – Boston College
CYNTHIA LI – Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
AYRAMALYS MEJIA – Mass. Bay Community College
ALEJANDRO MELGUIZO – Foundation Year at Northeastern University
AUDREY MELO – UMass Amherst
BELKIS MONTAS – Foundation Year at Northeastern University
PABLO RODRIGUEZ – UMass Boston
KARYME VELIZ-GOMEZ – UMass Boston
MARK ANTHONY WILLIAMS – Foundation Year at Northeastern University
TONI WOODS – Smith College

Of course, their graduation from the program does not mean that they leave the SquashBusters family. Mikhail and the SquashBusters College and Alumni Success team stay in regular contact with each college-enrolled alum, to help them navigate the big transition to college life and work through any obstacles that might stand in the way of completing their degrees.

Luckily, they have quite a few role models to look up to in that department. Eleven SquashBusters alumni graduated from college this year:

HELAM AYANO – Northeastern University
NELSMARIE MATOS ARROYO– Boston College
LOSANGELA BATISTA – St. Lawrence University
AARON COSS – Bentley University
KEVEN DEPINA – Bates College
LISA IMAFIDON – UMass Amherst
ALÉJANDRA MADRID – Mass. Bay Community College
ANTENEH MEKONNEN – Roger Williams University
CRISTIAN LOPEZ – UMass Amherst
SADIKI SOLOMON – Rochester Institute of Technology
YAMILES URENA – Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Congratulations to all of the 2018 graduates – we are so excited to see what’s next for each and every one of you!

Stepping Up Their Squash Game

The 2017-2018 program year saw some serious strides for the SquashBusters Boston squash program. The first-ever Boston Public Schools varsity squash team – which received the official sanction from the district’s athletic department – finished its inaugural season at 9-5 on the Girls’ side, and 8-7 for the Boys. But this was only one chapter in the story.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our squash staff, nearly every one of our Boston students – from our youngest and most novice players to the very top of the ladder – competed in at least one match or tournament during the program year. Along with valuable competitive experience on the court, competitions provide our students with opportunities to travel to new places – including prep school and college campuses – and meet new people who are similarly passionate about the sport of squash.

Altogether, SQB Boston students participated in 59 competitive squash opportunities this year. Some highlights included the Howe Cup in Washington, D.C., the Squash and Education Alliance (SEA)’s Urban Team Nationals in New York City, the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships in Philadelphia, and the SquashBusters vs. StreetSquash match in at Yale University.

On top of competitions, more than 25 students participated in the Elite Training Squad (ETS), which is an additional opportunity for students to build squash skills by participating in optional practices on Saturday mornings. Huge thanks to our ETS volunteers, Ryan Thompson and Alex Spiliotes, for helping make this opportunity possible for our students. And twenty students were matched with volunteer squash mentors, with whom they practiced on a regular basis. Thank you to our squash mentors for your dedication to helping our students improve!

“From the amount of exposure that the students are getting, to the general strength of the overall ladder, the level of the squash programming at SquashBusters Boston has never been higher,” says SQB Founder and CEO Greg Zaff. “I’m incredibly proud to see a continual hunger for more opportunities and improvement driving this change – from both the students and the staff – and can’t wait to see where we go from here.”

Working Hard, Playing Hard: Summer at SquashBusters

Here at SquashBusters, summer is more than a vacation – it’s a time for our students to build on the work they do during the school year by continuing to expand their minds, sharpen their squash skills, and build their personal networks. This summer, more than 70 of our Boston students will be setting off for squash squads, academic programs, recreational camps and employment experiences all over the world.

SquashBusters teams up with incredible partners like the Squash and Education Association (SEA), Summer Search, and the Lewis Family Foundation to connect our students to life-changing experiences that challenge them in ways they never thought possible.

This summer, SquashBusters has connected our Boston students to the following activities:

• Stimulating their intellectual curiosity by participating in summer academic programs like Exeter Summer at Phillip Exeter Academy, Harvard University’s Crimson Summer Academy, and Boston University SummerLab
• Building their squash skills at squads like Peter Nicol Squash Academy at Amherst College, Dartmouth College Squash Camps, MIT Squash Camp with Thierry Lincou, Premier Performance Squash Camp at Wesleyan University, and Williams College Squash and Beyond Camp
• Heading off to summer camp in the great outdoors at Camp Dudley, Camp Woodstock and West End House Camps
• Road-tripping across state lines, along with SquashBusters Lawrence and Providence, to compete in urban squash Midwest Championship at Kenyon College – the journey to Gambier, Ohio, will incorporate stops in Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh along the way!
• Learning about careers in government and public service through SEA’s Citizenship Tour, an 8-day academic and athletic trip with stops in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC – past participants have met big names like U.S Senator Cory Booker, NBC Nightly News Anchor Lester Holt, and Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan
• Service learning in Kenya and Tanzania, along with a summer internship at Grand Circle Corporation, through the Lewis Family Foundation’s Next Generation Leaders program
• Off-the-grid adventuring in the wilderness of Colorado and sailing lessons in Boston Harbor through Summer Search

Along with these external programs, students will also be able to stay active and engaged with SQB at our youth center on the campus of Northeastern University. Through open court time and our On Or Off Court With Kids (OOOCWK) challenge – which pairs staff and volunteers with individual students for weekly squash and/or fitness sessions – students are able to keep moving during July and August.

For our middle school students, the SQB Boston Summer Slam will take place from July 16-August 2. Learn more about the Summer Slam here.

Want more SquashBusters news?

Read the 2018 year-end newsletter for SquashBusters Lawrence.

Read the 2018 year-end newsletter for SquashBusters Providence.

The Christian Science Monitor talks to SquashBusters staff, alumni and students about how the unique program is “transforming young lives” through squash, academics, community service and mentoring.

Check out the article here.