“Is that a let?” “Ref, can you call a let on that?”
Freshmen Owen Cassidy and Theodore Tucker Silva have taken the first steps in creating a men’s club squash team. This expansion and advancement of racket sports at Fordham is a fantastic way for players of all levels to get on the court and play. Due to the popularity of the sport, this informal team has already gained much attention here at Rose Hill. They are not an official club sports team, but they are working towards becoming one in the future. This entirely student-run initiative is reflective of the love many students have for the game.
Cassidy and Silva are talented and experienced squash players. They started their squash careers in high school, and it morphed into a passion for them both. After learning that there was no men’s club team at Fordham, they “decided to take matters into [their] own hands and change that.” “The idea came from a shared interest in the sport,” Cassidy said, “as well as an understanding of the role squash can have in the business world.”
The first step in getting started was communicating with the Fordham Club Sports Department and Fordham men’s head coach Sahel Anwar. Following that, they established a group of male players interested in joining and created a practice schedule. They play on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays on the University Courts in the Lombardi Center. Several of these practices are partnered with the women’s squash team, captained by senior Julia Khankan. Cassidy shared: “We found that it is easiest to see more competition when practicing with the women’s team… and practicing late at night made it more accessible for people to attend.” Khankan shared, “Starting a men’s club team would really expand our club sports program and would get more people who love squash on the courts!”
Practices are quite competitive, with a mixture of drills, cardio and matchplay. Silva said, “One of the main things that we like to harp on is just getting reps in. We play a lot of games and challenge matches, as we found it’s easiest to gain skill at any level from just playing… There are also some drills we like that incorporate ball placement, such as only playing backcourt or one specific side in order to make our players think more before they hit.” When playing with the women’s team, matchplay and practice points across the four courts are the main aspects. The players are currently working on formulating a roster, as it is necessary for an official team.
Although they have many aspirations, Cassidy said that he and Silva’s main goal “is to create a place where people around campus who enjoy playing squash can compete against in a light-hearted, yet competitive environment.” He also shared, “We would love to eventually have a really strong squad that we can bring to play against other schools but currently we are just focusing on having a fun environment and community. There are a lot of schools with men’s club programs so we are looking forward to playing against them.”
As a player on the women’s club squash team myself, I am eager to see the growth of racket sports here at Fordham in the years to come. I grew up watching my grandfather Robert Hawthorn, class of ’53, coach tennis and squash here at Rose Hill. He coached for 53 years, the longest tenure of any coach in Fordham history. In addition to making the program the best it could be with a #6 national ranking, he had a passion for keeping the sport alive. Today, the squash program is flourishing thanks to his efforts and I am thrilled that more Fordham students will be able to play competitively in the near future.
Although this team is unofficial, they are off to a great start. No matter how long the process takes to become a club team, these athletes will continue to play the game they love. Their hard work and dedication to expanding club sports are quite admirable, and I look forward to seeing their progress by the end of the year.
