The Brown men’s team has been awarded the prestigious Sloane Award for team sportsmanship. This marks Brown’s second Sloan Award, and first since 1997.
“The team are thrilled to receive this award,” commented Brown Head Coach Stuart le Gassick, “It was a team goal for the season as a whole and everyone on the squad deserves a pat on the back for training and competing throughout the season in the best spirit of the game.”
Brown finished No. 12 in the final team rankings for 2017-2018, a seven-position jump from their placement last season. The Bears upset Drexel in the first round of the Hoehn Cup draw on February 23 which ensured their top-12 placement.
According to team captain Charlie Blasberg: “Playing clean and fair squash has been a goal for us in training and matches all season. Receiving this award is a testament to Stuart’s ability to assemble such great people to be on this team every year. The team identifies itself as a group of lighthearted guys who love to play squash, and that really came through this season.”
An award for team sportsmanship was first given in 1981. The team that won the award that year—Williams College—was coached by Sean Sloane. A nationally ranked hardball player, Sloane had been coaching both squash and tennis at Williams since the 1970s, and his teams were known for their spirit and sportsmanship. Sloane eventually left Williams to serve as the Director of the USTA’s Education and Recreation Program, but when he returned to coaching in 1997 at Haverford, his teams continued to be recognized for their sportsmanship. The award was renamed in Sloane’s honor in 2005.
