Northampton, MA — January was a busy month for the College Squash Association. Let’s take a look back at the articles from the month.
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Northampton, MA — The Wetzel Award is given annually to the best senior women’s college squash player who learned to play in college. Winners of the award must show outstanding growth technically as a player (as evidenced by records and results), a sound understanding of the rules of squash, and positive on-court poise and demeanor.
There have been three players nominated for this year’s Wetzel Award (listed alphabetically):
Coaches or club team captains nominate players for the award and must submit certification that the player has had no squash experience prior to entering college. “Prior squash experience” would include recreational play as well as any sort of formal training. For example, if a player hit for a few times in high school or took a squash lesson as a child, she would be ineligible for the Wetzel Award.
The women’s awards criteria stipulate that each “player’s nomination will be published on the CSA website prior to the National Team Championships to confirm their eligibility.” If anyone knows that one of the nominees played squash before college, they should contact the Executive Administrator.
Traditionally, the Wetzel Award winner has been announced at the Women’s National Team Championships.
Northampton, MA — On Saturday, the e-mail below was sent to coaches and team contacts.
Coaches, Team Contacts, and SIDs:
Here are a few reminders…
Awards: The nomination period for the MCSA’s Skillman Award and the WCSA’s Richey and Wetzel Awards ends February 1st. Please submit nominations using the forms listed below.
Minor Rule Modification: The MCSA and WCSA Executive Committees decided to extend the voting for the men’s Barnaby Award and the women’s Most Improved Team Award until the Friday after the respective Team Championships. This will allow teams to be fully evaluated based on their regular season and tournament performances.
MCSA Award Nominations:Nominations for the Skillman Award are due by February 1st,while nominations for the Barnaby and Sloane Awards are due by February 10th.
WCSA Award Nominations:Nominations for the Richey and Wetzel Awards are due by February 1st, while nominations for the Most Improved Team and Chaffee Awards are due by February 10th.
Club Teams NOT participating in Team Championships: The following club teams have not declared for team championships. Please contact Dent Wilkens ([email protected]) if this is a mistake and to inquire if there is still room for your squad at the event.
WCSA Club Teams NOT Participating: North Carolina, University of; Notre Dame, University of; Rochester, University of; Vanderbilt University; and Washington University in St. Louis
MCSA Club Teams NOT Participating: Chicago, University of; Denison University; Duke University; Ithaca College; Johns Hopkins University; Lafayette College; Lehigh University; North Carolina, University of; Sewanee: University of the South; Vanderbilt University; and Washington University (St. Louis)
Team Rankings:NESCAC schools, please get your scores in by Sunday evening (6 PM) so seeding for the NESCAC tournament may be set. Rankings will be reviewed on Monday evening (6 PM ET). If your results are not posted to the US Squash Scoring System, they will not be considered for ranking purposes. Without results in the US Squash Scoring System, your team will not be credited appropriately. At most, you have 48 hours after a match is played to submit results. In addition, the sooner results are submitted to the US Squash Scoring System, the greater the chance that your team will be mentioned in the Sunday evening “Around the Courts” article.
Harrow Sports Player of the Week: Please nominate deserving players for Player of the Week honors by 6 PM ET on Monday.
Criteria: A Player of the Week should have a significant impact on his or her team’s performance during the prior week and demonstrate sportsmanship.
Nominations: Coaches, Sports Information Directors, and Team Contacts may nominate players by using the following link
Match Results with “Not on Roster” players: As a reminder, make sure your results include all players who participated in the match. Like last season, we are prepared to remove teams from the rankings if “Not on Roster” players are not entered. Please contact Dent Wilkens ([email protected]) if you need assistance fixing match results with “Not on Roster” players.
WCSA teams that need to fix “Not of Roster” players (as of 1/31 at 4:30 PM) – first warning: Bucknell(Johns Hopkins match); Dickinson (Johns Hopkins match);Georgetown (Johns Hopkins match);
MCSA teams that need to fix “Not of Roster” players (as of 1/24 at 11:30 PM) – first warning:Brandeis (Tufts match)
MCSA teams that need to fix “Not of Roster” players (as of 1/24 at 11:30 PM) – second warning – will not be ranked this week if not fixed immediately: Charleston (Fordham, Notre Dame, Davidson, Miami, and Vanderbilt matches); North Carolina (Miami, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt matches); Sewannee (Vanderbilt match); and Vanderbilt (Charleston, Davidson, Sewannee, Miami, North Carolina matches)
Minimum # of Players:For a regular season match to officially count for ranking purposes, each team must have at least seven players. Except for Emerging Teams, matches with less than seven players per team will not count towards the required number of matches for entry into the National Team Championships. If a match was not played, enter it as a “double default.”
Instructions for US Squash Scoring System: Here are links to the instructions on how to add/remove players from your rosters and enter match results. If you need to be added as the contact in the US SquashScoring System, please contact Dent Wilkens ([email protected]).
Varsity teams are required to play ten (10) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships. At minimum, each team should have at least 6 different opponents. Varsity teams should play the majority of their matches against other varsity schools.
Club teams are required to play eight (8) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships in a 9 player division. In addition, club teams must play at least four (4) matches between January 1st and February 10th. At minimum, each team should have at least five (5) different opponents.
Unless a petition for an exemption is made to the Tournament Director, teams must submit and bring at least 9 players to Team Championships.
Northampton, MA — Despite frigid temperatures and snow throughout most of the college squash world, it was a busy week of play.
Monday saw one last match at the Wesleyan Round Robin. Denison defeated Bryant, 8-1. Tuesday also saw a single match. The Haverford men defeated Lehigh.
As New England squads, especially in the Boston area, dealt with the aftermath of winter storm Juno, several squash matches took place on Wednesday. Amherst lost to both Brown teams. Williams had a successful trip to Middlebury, capturing the men’s match 6-3 and the women’s match 5-4. The Conn College women won a close match against Mount Holyoke, 6-3.
Further south in New Jersey, Princeton hosted Penn. The men’s match was played first. A day after the passing of Bob Callahan, the former men’s coach at Princeton, the teams had a moment of silence to honor the college squash legend. With the Callahan family in attendance, the Tiger men defeated the Quakers, 5-4. In the women’s match, Penn won, 6-3.
On Friday, Bates hosted and defeated both Bowdoin squads. Williams and Brown traded matches. The Williams women defeated the Bears, 7-2, and the Ephs men defeated Brown, 6-3. Also at Brown on Saturday, the Princeton women shut out Stanford. Middlebury defeated the Drexel women, 6-3, while the Middlebury men edged the Dragons, 5-4. In Boston, Colby defeated Wellesley. At Smith College, William Smith defeated both Smith and Conn College.
Middlebury visited Amherst on Saturday. Both Panthers squads defeated Amherst, 7-2. The Bates and Bowdoin men each shut out MIT. Wellesley lost to the Bobcats and the Polar Bears. Brown hosted and lost to both Princeton squads. In addition, the Brown women lost to Stanford, 4-5. The 9th-ranked Columbia women defeated 7th-ranked Dartmouth, 6-3, while the Columbia men defeated the Big Green, 7-2, to remain undefeated in Ivy League play. Hamilton and St. Lawrence traded matches. The Hamilton women defeated the Saints, 7-2, while the St. Lawrence men shut out the Continentals. Drexel and Williams also traded matches. The Drexel men defeated the Ephs, 6-3, while the Williams women defeated the Dragons, 6-3. The Penn women defeated Yale, 6-3, while the Yale men earned a victory over Penn, 7-2. On their trip through upstate New York, Mount Holyoke lost to Hamilton and St. Lawrence.
The 9th-ranked Franklin & Marshall men upset 3rd-ranked Rochester, 5-4. The Harvard men defeated Cornell, 7-2, while the Crimson women swept the Big Red. Harvard also defeated Colby. Haverford hosted and lost to Navy and Bucknell. Navy also defeated Bucknell. The Georgetown women escaped their trip to Haverford with a 5-4 win. The Conn College women defeated both NYU and Dickinson.
Vassar hosted the Hudson Valley Team Invitational on Saturday. Bard and Vassar each defeated the Brandeis men. Bard edged the higher-ranked Vassar team, 5-4, to win the event. The Vassar women defeated Rochester and Fordham to capture the women’s event.
In the Midwest, the Wash U women defeated Minnesota and Northwestern.
In New Haven, the 5th-ranked Princeton women upset 4th-ranked Yale, 5-4. In the men’s match, Yale defeated Princeton, 6-3. In New Hampshire, the Cornell women defeated Dartmouth, 8-1, while the 11th-ranked Dartmouth men upset 7th-ranked Cornell, 5-4. Drexel earned a 7-2 victory over Navy. St. Lawrence visited Franklin & Marshall. The Saints men won 8-1, while the F&M women captured their match. Brown lost to both Penn squads.
The 6th-ranked Harvard men hosted 4th-ranked Columbia. The Crimson emerged with a 6-3 victory over Columbia. In the women’s match, Harvard also defeated Columbia.
On Sunday, Wesleyan University hosted the annual Little Three Championships. In the three-school rivalry event, Williams captured both the men’s and women’s titles. Amherst finished in second place.
At the round robin in Baltimore, Fordham edged Lehigh, 5-4; Ithaca, 9-0; and Siena. Swarthmore defeated Ithaca and Lafayette, but lost to Lehigh, 4-5. The Georgetown men surpassed Johns Hopkins, 6-3. Chicago got by Swarthmore, 7-2.
Stanford hosted the West Coast Round Robin this weekend. Washington defeated Oregon, USC, and Notre Dame. Minnesota defeated Notre Dame, Cal, Oregon, and USC. Match scores from the West Coast round robin are still being reported.
Coaches and Team Contacts, please remember to enter your team’s results in the US Squash Scoring System on the day of each match. Each player must be named in the results (“Not on Roster” entries will not be tolerated) or penalties may be applied.
Schools are reminded that to qualify for the National Team Championships, a minimum number of matches must be played at specific periods of the season:
Varsity teams are required to play ten (10) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships. At minimum, each team should have at least 6 different opponents. Varsity teams should play the majority of their matches against other varsity schools.
Club teams are required to play eight (8) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships. In addition, club teams must play at least four (4) matches between January 1st and February 10th. At minimum, each team should have at least five (5) different opponents.
For a regular season match to officially count for ranking purposes, each team must have at least seven players. Except for Emerging Teams, matches with less than seven players per team will not count towards the required number of matches for entry into the National Team Championships.
[rankingimage] Northampton, MA — Today, the eighth [mtr] of the season were released.
After Rochester’s 5-4 victory over Trinity, the top five ranking positions changed. Three separate ranking triangles formed:
Triangle 1: Trinity (defeated St. Lawrence 7-2, lost to Rochester 4-5 — 11 total wins), St. Lawrence (defeated Rochester 6-3, lost to Trinity 2-7 — 8 total wins, winner of head-to-head tie breaker with Rochester), and Rochester (defeated Trinity 5-4, lost to St. Lawrence 3-6 — 8 total wins)
Triangle 2: Trinity (defeated Columbia 7-2, lost to Rochester 4-5 — 11 total wins), Rochester (defeated Trinity 5-4, lost to Columbia 4-5 — 9 total wins), and Columbia (defeated Rochester 5-4, lost to Trinity 2-7 — 7 total wins)
Triangle 3: Trinity (defeated Yale 8-1, lost to Rochester 4-5 — 12 total wins), Rochester (defeated Trinity 5-4, lost to Yale 3-6 — 9 total wins), and Yale (defeated Rochester 6-3, lost to Trinity 1-8 — 7 total wins)
According to the CSA ranking rules, in this situation, the individual matches won are used to break the tie. Trinity won each of the triangles, so they remain at the #1 position. St. Lawrence defeated Rochester in their head-to-head meeting, so the Saints remain at #2. Since Rochester finished second in both the Trinity/Rochester/Columbia and Trinity/Rochester/Yale triangles, the Yellowjackets move to #3. With their victory over Yale, Columbia takes #4.
Middlebury moved to 17th in the rankings with their victory over Bates.
Northeastern jumps to 36th after defeating Colgate.
Fordham and Richmond assume the 47th and 48th positions after defeating Charleston.
Davidson debuts at 60th, and Vanderbilt and Notre Dame switch positions this week.
Teams are reminded that to qualify for the National Team Championships, they must meet minimum match requirements:
Varsity teams are required to play ten (10) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships. At minimum, each team should have at least 6 different opponents. Varsity teams should play the majority of their matches against other varsity schools.
Club teams are required to play eight (8) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships in a 9 player division. In addition, club teams must play at least four (4) matches between January 1st and February 10th. At minimum, each team should have at least five (5) different opponents.
For a regular season match to officially count for ranking purposes, each team must have at least seven players. Except for Emerging Teams, matches with less than seven players per team will not count towards the required number of matches for entry into the National Team Championships.
Below are the [mtr] as of January 25, 2014. Listed after each school’s name is their previous ranking.
[rankingimage] Northampton, MA — Today, the eighth [wtr] of the season were released.
Last weekend, Middlebury defeated both Bates and Franklin & Marshall. This moved the Panthers up from 16th to 13th in the rankings.
Colby’s 5-4 victory over Wesleyan moved the Mules into the 21st position.
Haverford hosted and defeated Vasasr last week. The victory moved Haverford in front of the Brewers and into the 32nd position.
Teams are reminded that to qualify for the National Team Championships, they must meet minimum match requirements:
Varsity teams are required to play ten (10) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships. At minimum, each team should have at least 6 different opponents. Varsity teams should play the majority of their matches against other varsity schools.
Club teams are required to play eight (8) matches against other CSA teams to enter team championships in a 9 player division. In addition, club teams must play at least four (4) matches between January 1st and February 10th. At minimum, each team should have at least five (5) different opponents.
For a regular season match to officially count for ranking purposes, each team must have at least seven players. Except for Emerging Teams, matches with less than seven players per team will not count towards the required number of matches for entry into the National Team Championships.
Below are the [wtr] as of January 25, 2015. Listed after each school’s name is their previous ranking.
Northampton, MA — For the week ending 1/25/2015, Bowdoin’s Sara Wlodarczyk and Rochester’s Mario Yanez have been named the women’s and men’s [hpow].
A [hpow] should have a significant impact on his or her team’s performance during the prior week and demonstrate sportsmanship. Coaches and Sports Information Directors may nominate players.
Sara Wlodarczyk (Bowdoin College):In Bowdoin’s 5-4 win over Pine Tree State rival Colby, Bowdoin senior Sara Wlodarczyk faced Colby senior Tara Tischio in the #4 match. The two played a critical match for their respective squads. After being tied at a game a piece, Wlodarczyk pulled away and won the final two games to capture the match (11-7, 7-11, 12-10, and 11-7) and give the Polar Bears the critical point in the team victory.
Mario Yanez (University of Rochester): Few teams can boast that they have defeated two different top-ranked teams in the same season, but Rochester has that distinction. They defeated top-ranked Harvard in December and top-ranked Trinity on Saturday. Crucial to both of those 5-4 team victories was Mario Yanez. With the Trinity match tied at 4-4, Yanez faced Trinity’s Vrishab Kotian to decide the team match. He battled back from a 1-2 game deficit to capture the individual match in 5 games (9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-3, and 11-4) and give the Yellowjackets the victory.
Callahan’s playing and coaching careers were extraordinary. As an undergraduate at Princeton, he played on three national championship squash teams (1974, 1975, and 1977). The Tigers also won the 1976 six-man tournament and three Ivy League titles (1974, 1975, and 1977). Individually, Callahan was a two-time All American and All-Ivy League team member (1976 and 1977). During his senior season, Callahan captained the team. The Tigers went 35-2 over Callahan’s playing career.
2014 Hall of Fame Induction: Bob and Kristen Callahan
After college, Callahan worked for IBM, but the TIgers’ coaching vacancy brought him back to Princeton for the 1981 – 1982 season. He intended to stay only one season, but after leading the team to an undefeated season and the national championship, Callahan decided to stay for another 31 years.
From 1981 to 2013, Callahan’s many coaching accomplishments include leading the Tigers team and players to over 300 victories, three national championships (Potter Cups), ten individual titles (Pool Trophies), seven Skillman Awards (senior players and sportsman), two Sloane Awards (team sportsmanship), five intercollegiate doubles titles, eleven Ivy League titles, fourteen Ivy League Players of the Year, and twelve Ivy League Rookies of the Year.
2013 College Squash Individual Championships: Neil Pomphrey and Bob Callahan (Princeton)
Throughout Callahan’s coaching career, he was an active member of the Men’s College Squash Association Executive Committee. For years, he took on the arduous task of team and individual rankings, including arranging the draws for the men’s individual championships. He served as the MCSA president several times, including from 2009 – 2012, a time of substantial growth and professionalism of the league. In the 1990s, he was instrumental in transitioning the intercollegiate game from hardball to softball squash.
Aside from collegiate squash, Callahan had a tremendous impact on squash throughout the United States. In the early 1980s, he launched the Princeton Squash Camps, which became the prototype for the numerous squash camps that are in operation today. Through his camps, Callahan coached hundreds of junior players and influenced countless coaches throughout the world. In 1998, Callahan arranged for the World Junior Men’s Championships to be held at Princeton University. This was the first time this tournament was held in the United States. In 2012, Callahan was inducted into the US Squash Hall of Fame for his contributions to squash in the United States.
In March of 2014, Callahan’s coaching career was capped with induction into the MCSA Hall of Fame. At the Hall of Fame ceremony, he was also presented with the MCSA Lifetime Achievement Award. The ceremony occurred in front many of his former players, fellow coaches, and squash fans. Although his voice was weakened, he shared his passion for the game and reflected on all that it had given him.
Callahan’s commitment to his players was well known. He attracted top players to Princeton and he was always able to motivate them. Often he had “five minute” team and individual conversations that lasted over an hour.
One of Callahan’s most memorable coaching victories came at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Princeton was hosting the national championships and faced Trinity College in the finals. Trinity had captured thirteen consecutive national titles and was up 4-2, appearing poised to a claim number fourteen. Callahan guided his team to three victories in the final round of play, capturing the national title.
After the jubilation of claiming the national title, Callahan felt ill. In the coming days he learned that he had a brain tumor. Callahan remained positive throughout his three years of treatment. He spent time with family. Last fall, he and his wife Kristen celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. Together they have five children (Greg, Matt, Peter, Scott, and Tim) and two grandchildren.
Skillman Award Winners (Senior Player and Sportsman):
1987: Jeff Stanley
1988: Keen Butcher
2000: Peter Yik
2003: David Yik
2006: Yasser El Halaby
2011: David Letourneau
2013: Todd Harrity
Sloane Award (Team Sportsmanship):
1999 – 2000
2011 – 2012
Intercollegiate Doubles Championships:
1988: Keen Butcher and Roy Rubin
1995: Rick Hartigan and David Kaye
1996: Ben Fishman and Jack Wyant
2003: Will Osnato and Dent Wilkens
2013: Todd Harrity and Taylor Tutrone
Ivy League Championships:
1981 – 1982
1988 – 1989
1999 – 2000
2001 – 2002
2002 – 2003
2005 – 2006
2006 – 2007
2007 – 2008
2008 – 2009
2011 – 2012
2012 – 2013
Ivy League Players of the Year:
1987: Jeff Stanley
1988: Jeff Stanley
1999: Peter Yik
2000: Peter Yik
2001: Davik Yik
2002: Will Evans
2003: Yasser El Halaby
2004: Yasser El Halaby
2005: Yasser El Halaby
2007: Mauricio Sanchez
2008: Mauricio Sanchez
2009: Mauricio Sanchez
2011: Todd Harrity
2013: Todd Harrity
Ivy League Rookie of the Year:
1986: Jeff Stanley
1992: Rick Hartigan
1993: Jack Wyant
1997: Peter Yik
1999: Peter Kelly
2000: David Yik
2003: Yasser El Halaby
2005: Robert Hong
2006: Mauricio Sanchez
2008: David Letourneau
2009: Chris Callis
2010: Todd Harrity
2013: Vivek Dinodia
—
A note from Kristen Callahan, the wife of the late Bob Callahan.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We have been touched by the many notes and messages we have received, and we look forward to reading them all in the coming days.
The memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb 7, 2015 at 1:30 PM in the University Chapel [at Princeton University], with an on-campus reception to follow. Tiger attire encouraged!
The family requests no more flowers; rather, if you are inclined to make a donation, please consider the two organizations that have been dearest to Coach these last three years:
The Robert W. Callahan ’77 Head Coach of Men’s Squash
c/o Diana Dreyfus Leighton
Princeton University – Leadership Gifts
330 Alexander Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
Recently posted links that honor Bob’s accomplishments in both sport and life:
If you would like to add your own reflections, please e-mail the CSA.
“This is a sad day for Bob’s family, friends and the squash world. All Bob’s players talked about him with deep affection and an almost reverential respect. Bob’s presence in the game was and is huge, not just in his success as a coach, but in his service back to the game. He was an inspiring model for his players and fellow coaches alike. Bob will be hugely missed, though his legacy in the game will continue.” — Martin Heath, men’s squash coach at the University of Rochester and the MCSA President.
“We were all blessed to have shared time on this earth with such a great man. He will be missed, but never forgotten.” — Paul Assaiante, men’s squash coach at Trinity College.
“For 21 seasons I was privileged to witness Bob’s charismatic leadership of the Princeton Men’s squash team and the wonderful impact he had on countless lives. Bob was a joy to be around … always caring …always positive … always honest … the ultimate role model for his extended family of players.” — Neil Pomphrey, men’s assistant squash coach at Princeton University.
“A profoundly sad day for all of us. His impact transcended his role in college squash to the benefit of all of us who love this sport. His teams always competed with such respect for their opponents and the game. He taught them well. Our heartfelt condolences to his family. He was loved by all who knew him and will be truly missed.” — Mike Way, squash coach at Harvard University.
“Bob Callahan coached many champion players and teams throughout his illustrious career at Princeton. The last 3 years Bob demonstrated the true meaning of a champion, he has shown us all in the toughest of times grace, dignity, humor and respect. All throughout his battle he still thought and cared of others with his emails and calls, ‘just checking in’ he would say!!. College squash is as successful as it is, because of his unfailing contributions to the association, the teams and its players. We are indebted for your contributions and are honored to have worked with you.” — Craig Thorpe-Clark, men’s squash coach at Bard College.
“First, I would like to pass along my prayers and admiration to the Callahan family. I had the honor of sharing in the celebration of one of the Callahan family moments during their time in Napa … Bob ‘IS’ and will forever be the most loved father and husband I have ever witnessed. On a personal note, I met Bob the first time when my son Josh Miller was playing his first Junior National Squash Championship. As a newcomer, we had no idea as to who all the ‘players’ were but soon learned Coach Callahan was among the finest. Josh was injured during one of his championship matches, and Coach literally jumped over the wall onto the court to help my son. It a moment I will cherish forever, a stranger reaching out to a young man who was then in emotional and physical pain. Josh went on to play for Trinity but his admiration for Bob never ended. Under the amazing guidance and friendship of Coach Assaiante, learned to always respect and honor your opponent .. and Bob’s team was often that. But on and off the court the deepest admiration remained.With our hearts as a family to the Callahan family, we were privileged to share in the life and times of Coach Bob Callahan.” — Debi Clark & Josh & Alex Miller.
“I have known Bob for 15 years. Less than half the time he was at Princeton! Such a great man, leading by example and fighting to the end. A true gentleman, always generous in victory and gracious in defeat. His achievements from 31 years at Princeton are remarkable but he was so much more than that. With a passion for Squash second to none and always ALWAYS a pleasure to spend time with, I have many fond memories of Bob, and will never forget the times I would see him in his office at the Princeton courts plotting the next victory or planning the next training session for his tigers. My condolences to all his family and friends. He will be dearly missed. RIP Bob. See you on the other side.” — Chris Walker, coach for Squash Solutions and former US men’s national coach.
“Bob was an extra ordinary person . A true champion , always positive and willing to help . I was fortunate to meet him and his lovely family . Exceptional dedication to his passion of squash and a wonderful family man. I met him more than 10 years ago ! May his soul rest in everlasting peace.” — Shakiru Matti
“Navy Squash salutes Bob Callahan, a great man. He will be missed.” — Craig Dawson, squash coach at the United States Naval Academy.
“Bob’s death created a significant void in intercollegiate squash in the United States and Canada. He leaves the echo of warm memories of thoughtful acts for those who knew him personally. He also bequeaths an enduring living legacy by his professional living contributions to the game of squash.” — Jack Fairs, squash coach emeritus at Western Ontario and MCSA Hall of Fame member.
From Dave Talbott, men’s and women’s squash coach at Yale University:
Like so many us in the Squash World, the news of the passing of Bob Callahan was a blow that hit me hard despite the impending expectation. Having shared the horrible news we all received in February 2012, like so many who knew him, I was incredibly amazed at his spirit and dogged determination these past 3 years. My initial admiration for his battle began the second weekend in March of 2012 when I was sitting in my office at the Brady Squash Center while hosting the 2012 US Closed National Championship. Knowing that Bob had undergone brain surgery for the tumor two weeks before, I was completely overwhelmed when I looked up, and he was standing with Kristen outside my office door. I could not fathom that I was seeing Bob, knowing how recently he had undergone major brain surgery. As I looked up with this incredulous look on my face, Bob just gave me the wry smile I had seen for the last 28 years that we had battled each other as the Head Squash Coaches of our respective programs. Standing next to Kristen, who I rarely saw during our matches, I could only stare and marvel.
My first words which I remember clearly were, “what are you doing here?” His response which I also vividly recall was, “what am I going to do, sit at home and miss looking for some players who can help my team.” That summed up Bob’s spirit and all that he showed so many of us these last three years. To me, his fight and spirit, as so many have talked about, and his living his life to the fullest from that point on was a snapshot of Bob. That moment summed up Bob and his life as I knew it from 1983 when I first came to Yale and got locked in to college squash and Bob Callahan. Others, who were closer to him personally, have spoken so much about his DNA and all that made him special for so many. Bob’s family, his players, and all those he shared his life’s journey with, have helped all of us appreciate Bob so much more.
My relationship with Bob was one of professional adversaries always trying to win the next match. I estimate that we squared off with our teams over 50 times from 1984 through 2013, including pre-season, regular season, team tournaments, and CSA Championships. You learn a lot about a man under those circumstances. I started missing that the day Bob stepped down after the 2013 season. The last match we squared off was a 6-3 loss to Princeton for the third/fourth play-off in the CSA Team Championships at Yale in February, 2013. When the last ball was hit, I knew we would not face off as coaches again, and I remember the hollow feeling. Losing was not important. Our matches were always dogfights, but Bob was fair and taught his players to do the right thing. Yale lost more than they won against his Princeton teams, but it was never personal with Bob. He hated losing as much as I did, but Bob never crossed the line.
Bob was the single most important leader and force in The College Squash Association. He was a progressive thinker, served as CSA President twice, and created many of the initiatives that have helped the college game grow and prosper. There are so many of those pieces that I could talk about, and I know many of these will be part of his professional legacy along with so much more. Jim Zug’s piece on Bob was a wonderful tribute to his impact on the sport and all he accomplished after captaining the 1977 Princeton Team to an Intercollegiate Championship.
My personal admiration for Bob was based on his deep commitment as a husband and a father. He had 5 sons who not only wanted to stay home and attend Princeton, when they certainly had other choices, but in fact, all of them participated on his team. That was unfathomable to me. I learned a lot about his personal side many years ago, when the only son who came to look at Yale, Scott, spent the day in New Haven with his mom. That was also the first time I had ever even spoken to Kristen. I distinctly remember thinking what a wonderful woman she was with a really nice kid. I remember feeling awkward at first, but after Kristen and Scott started telling funny stories about Bob, I got an insight into the man as only a wife and son can offer. It actually softened in many ways, my fierce competitive rivalry with Bob. Clearly his 35 years of a wonderful marriage which bore 5 successful and highly respected sons are the most important part of his legacy. Kristen and the boys can be assured that even those of us that competed hard against Bob for close to three decades have the utmost respect for everything that he represents on and off the squash court.
May you rest in peace Bob, and I only hope that we can all keep our own priorities in order as you did throughout your life.
“It was a true honour to have known Bob from the time we met and worked together at the Princeton Summer Camps in 2003. Over the years thousands of budding squash stars will have passed through Jadwyn Gym and will remember Bob C for his infamous Name game, among many other things. We kept in touch from time to time over these past years and in one of his more recent notes Bob said he was doing well, felt great and was trying to make life difficult for his tumour. What else would you have expected from Bob? He was a genuinely wonderful person who had a positive outlook on people and life. An exemplary coach and professional in every sense. It’s comforting to hear that his suffering has ended and he is now at peace. He will be sadly missed. With pleasant memories and my sincerest condolences to his family, close friends and colleagues.” — Karen Cheung
Sending my love to the Callahan family. Bob Callahan passed this evening. So many people will miss him….
Northampton, MA — On the weekend of January 16th – 18th, the 2015 Pioneer Valley Invitational was hosted by Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College.
On the first day of the three-day event, Hamilton met Conn College. The match was played at Amherst College. The teams played the match using the five-court system. With eight matches complete, the Continentals and Camels were tied at 4-4. The final match on court was between the number 9s, Hamilton’s Jonathan Ruth, a freshman, and Conn College’s Santiago Moran, a junior. The two players, who have similar styles of play, battled back and forth. In the end, Ruth captured the match in four games (11-8, 11-5, 12-14, and 12-10).
Northampton, MA — Despite frigid temperatures and snow throughout most of the college squash world, it was a busy week of play.
