You won’t find them in the Kobe Gym or out on Arnold Field, but 3.6 miles away, the LMSD girls’ squash team is putting in the work at the Cynwyd Club. Led by long time Coach Gina Stoker and recent newcomer Coach Joe Millman, the team provides a place for experienced players and beginners to participate in what seems to be LM’s rarest sport. While its presence might be small, its impact on the players is huge.
The sport consists of both LM and Harriton students divided into three different teams. Varsity includes the experienced players who mostly have prior squash experience. JV teams A and B give those new to the sport the chance to develop their skills and learn how to play while still competing and training on the team. Each team is composed of about ten players. Varsity trains five days a week and JV trains a minimum of twice a week, and all practices are held at the notorious Cynwyd Club. In addition to this, Varsity has a regular match once a week and can earn a spot to play at nationals held at Penn’s Campus in February.
After trying out and paying a minimum fee of $630, the girls are ready to hit the courts! Surprisingly, the team is not composed of mostly tennis players. It is important to recognize that while tennis and squash are both racquet sports, that is where the similarity stops. Players must hit the ball against a certain region of a wall while the opposing player fights to return the hit and the cycle repeats. The rules, swings, and strategies are drastically different. While the teams do include some tennis players, many were never active participants of the sport.
To share more about the team with the school, varsity player Penny Cohen ’25 and JV player Eliza Castello ’24 were kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions. Castello plays tennis and her friends suggested she try out for the squash team their sophomore year. Cohen began playing when she was ten and has played for both the middle school and high school teams throughout her athletic career.
Unlike other LM sports teams, the squash team is combined with Harriton, so players from both high schools train and compete in the same colors. Penny states, “It doesn’t feel like there’s a school divide, it kind of just feels like you’re on the one team.” Castello expanded, conveying that, “The only divide is the buses to matches and to practice.” Members of the squash team get the opportunity to make lasting relationships with students from another school that they may have never met without squash.
While the squash team has grown in numbers since its founding years, there are still improvements that can be made to increase its size and outreach. Cohen shares, “Since we’re divided amongst schools, there aren’t a lot of spirit days that people want to have or since its an individual sport, there’s not a lot of community. So, I think building more of a community on the team by having more spirit dinners and having more presence at LM and Harriton would make a big difference.” She continues, “No one knows who we are, but to get more recognition, we need to come together as a team which we are working towards.”
Whether you’re an experienced squash player or someone looking to try out a new sport, the squash team provides a fun and fulfilling atmosphere. Cohen agrees and thinks more people should give the sport a chance, expressing that, “It’s a really fun sport! It’s a perfect mix; squash is like chess in a way. You need the skills and the basic knowledge of it, but strategy plays such a big role. It’s fun learning the athleticism, but also the game play!” Castello advertises that, “The team is welcoming to beginners, they don’t do cuts, and we have a lot of coaches that are able to work with the beginners and teach them how to play.” If you’re looking for a new afterschool activity, make sure to give squash a try!
