The College Squash Association has announced the host locations for the 2020 CSA championship events. The CSA Championships will take place on three consecutive weekends in late February and early March.

The first of the three tournaments is the CSA Women’s Team National Championships on February 21-23, 2020, which will be held in New Haven, Connecticut. This championship event, often referred to by its original name, the Howe Cup, returns to New Haven for the first time since 2016. Yale University, the original hosts of the Howe Cup, will be the primary host venue, with Choate Rosemary Hall or Hopkins School being possible secondary locations.

The CSA Men’s Team National Championships, scheduled for February 28 through March 1, 2020, will be staged in Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard University, the primary venue for the 2020 championships, last hosted the men’s teams in 2017. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Belmont Hill School are the likely secondary locations for this event.

In an effort to highlight the newest squash facility among CSA member schools, the CSA Individual National Championships will head to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the University of Pennsylvania. The 12 new Martin and Julie Franklin Squash Courts at the Penn Squash Center will play host for the final event of the season on March 6-8, 2020. The last time a CSA championship event visited Philadelphia was in 2014 when Drexel University hosted the Individual Championships.

More information about the CSA Championships will be posted throughout the season on this page, where fans can also view results and video from the 2019 championships. Future championship dates will also be posted on that page when they become available.

The 2019 U.S. Intercollegiate Squash Doubles Championships will be held alongside the FS Investments U.S. Open for the ninth year in Philadelphia, October 4-6.  The Arlen Spector Pennsylvania JCT will also be hosted the same weekend.

There is no entry fee, and all participants receive free General Admission tickets to the U.S. Open on October 5-6. Players must compete with a partner from the same school. Intercollegiate doubles champions receive automatic free entry into the 2020 National Doubles in Twin Cities, Minnesota, March 5-8, 2020.

This will be the fortieth edition of the tournament, the world’s only annual collegiate doubles event, which was first played in 1942. The tournament will be presented again by the U.S. Jesters Club.

Last year, with only a men’s division in action, the U.S. Naval Academy maintained their doubles dominance with Senen Ubina and Michael Kacergis claiming a fifth title in six years for Navy after overcoming fellow Midshipman Jonathan Lentz and James Kjorlien in the final. The championship was Ubina’s third of his career and his second with a partner named Kacergis. Younger brother Michael earned his first intercollegiate doubles title, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Billy.  Unfortunately, the women’s and mixed divisions did not receive enough entries to stage those competitions last season.

Entry is now available for men’s, women’s and mixed divisions on the 2019 Intercollegiate Doubles tournament page.

The Hobart and William Smith Colleges athletics departments announced on Tuesday that Pat Cosquer, the Head Squash Coach at Bates College for the last 11 years, has been hired to the same position for the two squash programs.

Cosquer will move into a newly-created role at the coordinated colleges, which was sparked by the retirement of William Smith squash and tennis coach, Chip Fishback. He will lead the separate Heron and Statesmen squads, while the former Hobart head squash and tennis coach, Tim Riskie, will coach the tennis teams for both schools.

During his successful stint at his alma mater, Bates, Cosquer amassed an overall team record of 309-200 and four divisional championships between his two programs. His student-athletes compiled an impressive list of accolades, headlined by two-time CSA Individual National Champion Ahmed Abdel Khalek.

After graduating from Bates, Cosquer gained coaching experience at various levels of the game. With college club squash (Northwestern), high school (Portsmouth Abbey), private club (Newport Squash Club), and urban squash (StreetSquash) experience, Cosquer will bring a diverse skillset to upstate New York.

Cosquer will look to return William Smith to Walker Cup (C Division) competition after several years of success in the Epps (D) Division. Hobart seeks their first division crown since 2012.

For more information about Cosquer’s appointment, please view the formal press release here.

Colby College rising sophomore Tyler Burt has overcome uniquely challenging odds to play college squash. Here is his story:

This past winter, I played my first collegiate season as a member of the Colby College men’s squash team. And although I loved playing for the team like many other players, my journey to collegiate athletics has not been ordinary.

It is possible that I have just become the first stroke survivor to compete in college squash competition.

In utero, prior to my birth on November 24, 1998, I suffered an acute ischemic stroke. An “acute” ischemic stroke is when a part of the brain dies due to lack of oxygen, often resulting in severe disability for survivors. It is suspected that a singular blood vessel in my brain collapsed — causing paralysis on the right side of my body. I have grown up my entire life with this disability.

Physical and occupational therapy have had a permanent place in my life since I was six months old. It has been challenging. The grit and perseverance I have developed through my therapy now carries over to the squash court.

I discovered squash in the fourth grade, because it was one of the only sports I could play without using my right hand. I started by taking lessons at Berwyn Squash and Fitness, but transferred over to the Scozzie Squash Academy at Fairmount Athletic Club. While attending the Haverford School, I was a four-year varsity squash player. I have been playing in US Squash-sanctioned tournaments since 2011, and have been playing squash since 2008.

I cannot thank Paul Frank and his team from Scozzie enough for helping me achieve my dream of playing a collegiate sport. They continuously pushed me to be the best player that I could be, and they have treated me and the rest of their players as if we were family.

My disability is something that I have been grappling with my entire life. To this day, my right side has been affected enormously. The muscles on my right side are weaker, most of the nerves are dead, and I cannot individually move my fingers on my right hand. I walk with a slight gait differential, and need to constantly work on my cardio, strength, and stretching.

But I have tried to never let that stop me.  I want to use my story to show others that obstacles can be overcome and that limitations do not exist if you have an unrelenting mindset.

After graduating from the Haverford School, I was lucky enough to get recruited by Colby College and have spent this past year as a member of their varsity men’s team. For me, the transition to collegiate athletics was a difficult one, especially with my disability. It was also one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Playing collegiate squash has been an incredible experience for me. Getting to know and bonding with my teammates, as well as my coach, Chris Abplanalp, has been unbelievable. They immediately accepted me as one of their own and do not view me any differently than they see themselves, despite the fact that I have a disability.

Throughout our matches this year, I have found that the level of competition rose significantly from juniors to college. There are more international players, more matches in a season, and every single player hates to lose. I am grateful for the support of my teammates through our difficult matches and the many long weekends we spent on the road.

As I prepare for my sophomore year, I cannot wait for the start of a new school year as well as a new squash season. With the addition of our new state-of-the-art facility opening in 2020, Colby will be raising the standard of competitive play not only for our team, but also for every other team in Maine. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Tyler Burt is entering his second year at Colby College where he will compete again on the men’s varsity squash team. Tyler’s autobiography will be published later this month.

The 2019 Pan American Games kicked off in Lima, Peru last week with the squash events starting on Thursday, July 25. 60 athletes representing 13 countries began the competition in seven different events.

A closer look at the entrants list, however, reveals that a formidable group of former and current College Squash Association (CSA) competitors will be making their mark during the quadrennial games. Almost a quarter of the squash athletes – 14 total – plied their trade in CSA competitions, including five of the six members of Team USA.

Pan American Games competitors Amanda (left) and Sabrina Sobhy (right) during their Harvard playing days (photos: Michael T. Bello)

Leading the way already is the highest ranked female in competition: American and Harvard alumna Amanda Sobhy. She captured individual gold over Team USA teammate Olivia Blatchford Clyne, before teaming with sister and more recent Harvard graduate, Sabrina.

Matching Amanda’s position on the top of the medal stand were two men’s CSA alums who teamed up for gold in the men’s doubles competition. Former Ivy League competitors and 2013 Skillman Award co-winners Todd Harrity (Princeton) and Chris Hanson (Dartmouth) recovered from a Game 1 loss in the final to win the doubles gold medal.

Team USA’s Todd Harrity (left, Princeton) and Chris Hanson (center, Dartmouth) faced off numerous times in college, while Andrew Douglas (right, Penn) has two more seasons of CSA competition (photos: Michael T. Bello)

The final member of Team USA’s squash contingent is University of Pennsylvania’s talented rising junior Andrew Douglas. The 2019 CSA Individual Championships semifinalist teamed up with Blatchford Clyne in the new mixed doubles competition, adding a bronze medal to the growing American medal haul.

With both the men’s and the women’s team competitions now underway, the three-person American teams will aim for some additional hardware. Team qualifying occurred on Sunday and Monday with the final draws playing out today and Wednesday.

Standing in their way, however, could be some former competitors from their college days. Nine additional competitors from six other countries formerly played college squash. Listed alphabetically with their home countries and colleges shown, they are: Chris Binnie (Jamaica; Trinity College), Noah Browne (Bermuda; Amherst College), Bruce Burrowes (Jamaica; University of Western Ontario), Mary Fung-A-Fat (Guyana; Drexel University), Danielle Letourneau (Canada; Cornell University), Catalina Pelaez (Colombia; Trinity College), Rodrigo Porras (El Salvador; University of Rochester), Nick Sachvie (Canada; Cornell University), Juan Camilo Vargas (Colombia; Trinity College).

The College Squash Association wishes all of the athletes good luck as the competition comes to a close this week!

Anderson Good, formerly the men’s and women’s assistant squash coach at George Washington University, was named Head Coach of the GW squash program late last week.

After four seasons in the assistant role, Good will move into the head position recently vacated by the retirement of legendary coach Wendy Lawrence. Coming off a successful season with several firsts for both the men’s and women’s programs, Good has a solid foundation on which to build his own tenure.

With Good assisting in leadership, the GW men’s program has earned back-to-back Hoehn Cup (B Division) Championships, with two members of the team earning CSA All-America selections last season. The women’s program reached their highest program ranking of 14 in 2017-2018, and two-time CSA All-American Zoe Foo Yuk Han reached the highest end-of-season individual ranking in program history at No. 12 this past year.

Known for building relationships with his players and fellow coaches, Good has been the primary originator of the newly established Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC). MASC staged its first championship event in 2018-2019 and have a total of 12 member teams competing during the 2019-2020 inaugural season.

For more information about Good’s hire at GW, please view the formal press release here.

Dartmouth rising senior Annie Blasberg offers her perspective on what the newest student-athletes can expect when they arrive on campus in the fall.

With the class of 2019 graduated and the summer now started, incoming freshmen are surely anticipating the start of their college careers. An unfamiliar campus, new people, challenging classes, and living away from home may feel overwhelming when first arriving at school. Being on court with your teammates will quickly establish a routine and a feeling of comfort as you adjust to your new environment.

College squash is a refreshing change after years of junior tournaments. You will be exposed to a higher level of competition and more experienced players both in matches and on your own team. Showing up for everything prepared and ready to work hard is important in gaining the respect of your teammates.  

You will undoubtedly be practicing hard all summer in order to make a big impression in the fall, but don’t forget to give your body time to rest – it is a long season. Keep in mind: practices won’t just be on court. There’s off-court conditioning, and it might be your first time strength-training with a team.    Looking after your body, stretching, eating well, and getting enough sleep are essentials – the best teammate is one who stays healthy. With more regimented practices, lifting, and conditioning, you will find yourself improving and getting stronger.

You will quickly realize the necessity of time management. Learning how to juggle classes, school work, practices, traveling, and matches, while also squeezing in some time to socialize and, hopefully, get sleep is an art that college athletes across campuses somehow learn to master. It’s an impressive balancing act and a skill that will be very useful throughout life. Many programs provide academic tutoring for student-athletes. Take advantage of this opportunity right away to get off to a great start.  

One of the biggest differences from juniors is the team dynamic of college squash. Though you might have played on your high school squash team, for most junior squash players, the focus was on achieving good results in individual tournaments with an eye towards college recruiting.  Fortunately, the stress and pressure of the recruitment process is behind you.

You are now surrounded by a group of people who share a love for the sport and a common goal. College matches take on a different tone. You no longer think about how winning or losing will affect your individual ranking; rather, there is only an emphasis on performing well to benefit your team. It is still just you and your opponent on court, but now you feel the support of your team in matches, during practice, and around campus. 

You might be curious about where you will fit in on the ladder. Rest assured, no matter where you are, your team is excited to have you. Every position carries the same weight. Your teammates will become some of your closest friends, not only throughout your time at college, but in life as well. 

Over your college squash career, you’ll spend a lot of time with your teammates at practice, on the bus, and in hotels.  You’ll share exciting wins with your team, but also tough losses. Those are moments that often bring you closer together. Playing squash and being a member of a team in college is an unforgettable experience.

The beginning of college comes with a lot of changes, which may seem intimidating. These changes, however, can lead to many new and thrilling opportunities. As the fall approaches, being nervous will be natural. Knowing that you have four of the best years of your life ahead of you should help replace those nerves with excitement and enthusiasm.

At the College Squash Association Board of Directors meeting in May, the Board voted to officially sanction the Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference (MASC), the first organization of its kind for college squash, on a provisional basis for the 2019-2020 season.

MASC now joins the Ivy League, Liberty League, and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) as a conference that sponsors squash and stages a championship under the CSA umbrella. This distinction will enable CSA member schools who lack formal squash conference affiliation to officially join the league. MASC will be subject to CSA Board review after the 2019-20 season.

The Mid-Atlantic Squash Conference is the first squash-specific collegiate athletic conference in the United States. After holding its first season-ending championship event in the 2018-2019 season, MASC is poised for expanded operations this season.

After a successful inaugural championship that was held at the MacArthur Squash Center at the University of Virginia, the 2020 championship will be held in Washington, D.C. at Squash on Fire and George Washington University from February 7-9, 2020.

The members of MASC for the 2019-2020 season are as follows:

One of the conference’s goals is to continue to help grow squash in the United States. MASC provides an additional level of infrastructure to the collegiate game, laying the foundation for rivalries to develop and offering a potential landing spot for future varsity squash programs.

The concept for MASC was developed and implemented by George Washington University Assistant Coach Anderson Good. Questions concerning the conference and its operations should be directed to Anderson at agood24@gwu.edu.

For the first time ever, junior squash players who are interested in being recruited to play varsity squash in college will have a standard start date for recruitment by college coaches – September 1 of their junior year in high school.

In an effort to clarify and simplify the recruiting timeline for prospective squash student-athletes, the College Squash Association (CSA) Board of Directors adopted a proposal that standardizes the first opportunity for recruiting activities for all varsity teams, regardless of their schools’ NCAA Division affiliation.

“This is an exciting development for all college squash constituents,” CSA Executive Director & League Commissioner David Poolman said in response to the adopted proposal. “The community of junior players – potential future CSA student-athletes and their families – now have a clear start date for their formal college search and recruitment. Our coaches, whose schools belong to different NCAA divisions and conferences, can focus on their personal recruiting strategies from the same starting point as their peers.”

The impetus for the proposal came from several factors. The movement to curb early recruiting in intercollegiate athletics has enacted concrete changes in recent years, with college squash looking to match those efforts. As important as the college search and recruitment process is, it is also very complex, causing frustration and confusion for many prospective squash student-athletes and their families. Simplifying the process was a primary goal.

“Finding a start date that was not too early, yet still offers the recruited student-athlete ample time to research all options, create relationships with coaches, and visit campuses, was paramount,” Poolman said.

While the timeline is in effect for all CSA member teams, the CSA Board continues to review the differences between NCAA Division I and Division III rules. Relevant discrepancies will be addressed with an eye towards clarity and consistency for all CSA constituents.

The recruiting timeline (below) went into effect on June 7. For a more detailed outline of the timeline and current rules, please visit this resource on the CSA website. Additional guidance on CSA recruiting and eligibility regulations and messaging will be shared in the coming months.

First Opportunity for Recruiting Activity