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Bates Squash Teams Soaking up the Sun in California

The Bates squash teams just completed a West Coast training trip. Below is an article by Emily Russell detailing part of the trip. To learn more about the adventures of the Bobcats, visit the Bates College Squash Training and Service Trip blog.

Palo Alto, CA — What a fantastic whirlwind it’s been so far! We left San Fransisco this morning around 9 am, which was late enough for a couple of the men and our two coaches to go on a sunrise bike ride from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. I did this ride with a few other women teammates and a Bates squash alumnus Jenny Imrich yesterday and it was such an incredible experience. The weather was beautiful and the ride was a blast.

Once we arrived here in Palo Alto late this morning, the women went straight to the Stanford squash facility and were thrilled to get in some much-needed court time doing drills and playing points. I know we’re all very appreciative of Mark Talbott, the Stanford coach, for allowing us to use his facility while visiting here. The men followed us on court and after we were off court all the women grabbed some lunch across from the Stanford campus and enjoyed the down time in the California sun. We were all in our squash skirts and t-shirts taking advantage of the mildly warm weather, while the Palo Altoans were in their coats and scarves. After this down time we went back to our hotel and hopped right in the outdoor pool to stretch out and do some pool workouts. We had relay races and treading contests and then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sun beside the pool, attempting to soak in as much sun as possible.

As the sun began to set, we made our way to downtown Palo Alto for some shopping and a relaxing team dinner. Although it gets chilly at night the cold does not compare to the winter weather in Maine. It’s been so great to enjoy the sunny skies of Palo Alto and prepare for our matches in the upcoming days. Tomorrow we play George Washington University and on Thursday we play Stanford. After a few days of training and playing club teams I think both the men and women are excited to get back into the season with these two matches. Hopefully we’ll be able to report back some good news in the next two days!

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