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January 2008 GW’s Squash Teams Competitive in Challenging Sport
By Julia Parmley The game of squash has its roots in tennis, first played on the narrow streets of 12th-century France with leather balls and gloved hands. In 19th-century England, two related, walled ball games called “rackets” and “fives” were combined into one fast-paced game. Today, squash is played all around the world, including GW, which established men and women’s varsity NCAA teams in 2002. But while squash has been played for more than a century, many Americans aren’t well versed in the game. GW men’s coach Wendy Lawrence explains that squash is similar to tennis and racquetball but is played on a smaller walled court with a smaller racket and ball. The game, which is played one-on-one, begins with a player serving. A serve must hit the front wall first, but then the ball can hit the side walls any number of times. Lawrence says strategy is key to squash with athletes having to make quick decisions about where they want to place the ball and how to ensure it stays in bounds. Matches are self-refereed and end when a competitor scores nine points. “The College Squash Association is really making a commitment to grow the sport nationwide,” says Lawrence. “Also, in major cities across the United States urban-enrichment squash programs, such as D.C. Squash Academy, have sprung up. I think as the squash community continues to reach out, the attention will increase.” Lawrence and women’s coach Maura Myers have a history of working and playing squash together. Both came to GW from the athletic department at the Potomac School in McLean, Va. Lawrence, who also serves as founder and part-owner of Results Gym in Washington, D.C., and founder of D.C. Squash Academy, an urban youth program, coached Myers at the Potomac School. Lawrence says the men’s team is climbing up the national rankings ladder, rising from 30th when the season began in October to 20th nationally, with victories against Columbia University, Georgetown University, and Stanford University. For its part, the women’s squash team scored a surprise win against Franklin and Marshall College in November and had a strong showing against top-ranked teams at the Wesleyan Round Robin Tournament in Middletown, Conn., in December. “My team is having a terrific season,” says Myers. “Already we’ve beaten three teams that were ranked higher than us last year. We are very excited for the rest of the season.” Both Myers and Lawrence say they enjoy the aerobic demands of squash. To keep her team in shape, Lawrence incorporates sprint work, stretches, and drills into every practice. She says the players have to be fast and agile enough to keep the ball in play, often a hard task given the game is played in a small room with four walls. “Squash is a great combination of quickness and intelligence,” says Lawrence. “It is a sport that can be enjoyed lifelong.”
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