For senior Izzy Berckemeyer, squash had always been a major part of her life. Though she did not begin playing until later on in her childhood, she was always surrounded by the game, and eventually fell in love with it. During her time playing for Kingswood Oxford squash, she has grown to be a skilled, confident, and strong player.
Berckemeyer began playing squash for Kingswood Oxford in seventh grade. She started playing because both of her sisters played squash for KO, and she had grown up watching them play in matches. Berckemeyer also grew up playing soccer and lacrosse; therefore, being part of a team meant a great amount to her. “I was always super into team sports like soccer and lacrosse, so I loved the idea of trying a new sport where you play a match by yourself and it goes towards the team effort to get a win,” Berckemeyer said.
In her freshman year of high school, Berckemeyer was selected as a member of the girls varsity team. In squash, there is a ladder on which the players are placed based on skill. The higher you are on the ladder, the more skilled players you will face. She began lower on the ladder her first year but has worked her way up and now plays in the number two spot during her senior year, meaning she faces more skilled opponents, some of whom are nationally ranked.
“As the number two on the squash team, I play a couple of nationally ranked and committed girls who I can compete with, but I most likely won’t win,” she said. “Instead of counting myself out of these matches, I’ve learned to adjust my mindset, my game, and believe in myself more.”
Having played squash for six years at Kingswood Oxford, Berckemeyer has had the ability to learn and grow from the sport and team itself. “It’s taught me so many lessons, and I would say the biggest one is that it has forced me to change my mindset,” she said. “I’ve been able to transfer this lesson to my life on the court and off the court.” Berckemeyer has learned to enter every single match with a positive mindset. knowing she has the ability to compete and prosper, even against challenging opponents.
During matches, she turns to her team for support. “In the past, KO squash has been one of the closest teams I’ve been a part of,” Berckemeyer said. “All of the girls get along really well and we go through a lot together.” The girls of the Kingswood Oxford squash team rely on each other in times of doubt and help lift each other up. “Each year we have two highly stressful tournaments, New Englands and Nationals,” Berckemeyer said. “I think these tournaments bring us together because we coach each other through matches, injuries, anxiety, and so much more.” Being such a small team, each member is able to connect with one another, improving both their individual game and the team dynamic as a whole.
The girls varsity squash team has one match on their calendar for the 2021 season at St. Lukes on Saturday, Feb. 27. It is a bittersweet ending to Berckemeyer’s squash career at KO, but she plans on giving it her all in her final match of the season. In the fall, she plans on attending Villanova University. While squash was not at the forefront of her decision, she plans on trying out for the club team at Villanova “Overall, KO squash has provided me with an escape from stressful school days, a lot of laughter, fun bus rides, and strong competition,” Berkemeyer said. “I will forever be thankful for the lessons that KO Squash has taught me and the friendships I’ve made along the way.”
