As the boys varsity squash team moves towards the middle of their season with an impressive 3-2 record, the team has made a niche for themselves that they hope to improve upon in the future.
Head Coach Robbie Lingashi is very dedicated and loves coaching the team. “It’s unbelievable the energy they bring after school after a long day,” he said. “They still come in and give it 100%, so it’s very rewarding as a coach.”
The players also love playing the sport and have learned to find their rhythm as the season goes on. “When you get in the rhythm, you’re hitting all the right shots,” senior Co-captain Bassil Chughtai said. “And it really does come in waves. You do get into rhythm, you get out of the rhythm.”
So far, the team has found great success. “We played the WALKS tournament,” junior Co-captain Jack Krieble pointed out, “which is Westminster School, Loomis Chaffee School, Suffield Academy, and Avon Old Farms School.” The team performed at a high level, with their only loss to Loomis Chaffee. The Wyverns dominated in their matches against Williston Northampton and Suffield Academy, beating both teams 7-1.
Furthermore, the team has many solid elements that make it great both on and off the court. “We are great at being a team,” Chughtai said. “I feel like on other teams, they will always have a very close team environment, but obviously, there will be the occasional ‘people aren’t getting along.’ I don’t think that’s ever been a problem on the squash team.”
Even though the team is doing very well, there are still things they could improve upon. “I think we have a strong top few players,” Krieble said. “The top three usually win their matches. I think our bottom is pretty strong, but I think the middle is where we’re struggling.”
The team also has experience beyond school matches, contributing to their recent victories. “The team trains hard,” Coach Lingashi said. “A couple of them, I will say from number one to number four, they do individual tournaments out of school, which is great. So just by doing that, they carry a lot of weight for the school.”
Since the squash team is also young, the team can improve over the upcoming years. “Next year, we’re just gonna get stronger and stronger,” Coach Lingashi said. “We only have one senior, so I will say we know we’re not gonna lose much, but we are just going to get more. It’s sad to see them go, but it’s part of life. We can’t stop, that’s what we’re here for, to support them as much as we can as coaches.”
As the squash season continues, we wish the team the best of luck in their upcoming matches against Pomfret and Greens Farms Academy.
