On Sunday, October 27^th we held our 9^th Annual Black & Orange Day at Fordham University, our home base in the Bronx. Over 150 team members, parents, and mentors came together to compete in this indoor field day featuring squash, basketball, capture the flag and a memory challenge. The Black & Orange teams went head-to-head in the final competitions of a relay race and dance contest, with the Orange team coming out on top! Below are some photos and team members’ quotes about why they love this annual event. Thanks to everyone who came and helped make it a memorable day for the CitySquash team!

“I liked the diversity of the teams. Black & Orange helps me get to know my teammates in other grades better.” Biby, 10^th Grade   

“The relay race was my favorite part because it got us pumped to get points to win the competition. I also loved being able to celebrate the Orange team’s win with family.” Chasity, 7^th Grade

“I enjoy Black & Orange because I get to see so many of my teammates with their family members and see everyone have a great time!” Kevin, 12^th Grade

During the last week of August, CitySquash traveled to Lake Placid for its annual Team Retreat at Camps Monserrat and Holy Child. A total of 122 team members from the Bronx and Brooklyn, alumni, volunteers and staff traveled together, making it our biggest team retreat yet!

Participants were divided into 5 teams and spent the week competing in different events as part of the Cabin Color Challenge. Along with the team competitions, all of our team members completed one big day hike in the Adirondack region, participated in team-building activities and had the opportunity to swim. The final campfire where, following tradition, the high school seniors addressed all of their younger teammates and shared their advice and wisdom capped off the retreat.

Thank you to all of our supporters for making this possible for our team members and a special thank you to the Reiss Family for enabling this retreat to happen for the past 6 years! 

If you would like to see more pictures from Lake Placid, please click here. 

Last week, CitySquash held it’s annual Boarder and College Student Send-Off. The event brought together outgoing boarding and college students, their families, alumni, staff, and supporters to celebrate our student’s school placements and share advice on the road ahead. We were thrilled to have author Alex Tilney as a special guest, who shared an excerpt from his new novel “The Expectations,” a coming of age tale set at a squash powerhouse New England boarding school. Alumna Criselys Polanco also shared reflections  and valuable lessons from her CitySquash journey. Thank you to Silvia Campo and David Hermer for hosting a wonderful evening. Congratulations to all our students as they take exciting next steps in their academic careers! 

It was another exhilarating weekend at the Urban Individual National Championships at Amherst and Williams colleges. CitySquash had 68 team members compete across 10 divisions — among 450+ players from 17 national and international  Squash + Education Alliance programs — and came away with three overall titles! Our team also secured two 2nd place, one 3rd place, and two 4th place finishes. CitySquash has now won a record 107 Urban National Titles in its 17-year history!

Congratulations to Ashley Amaro (GU11), Lizbeth Barroso (GU15), and Caleb Boateng (BU17) for bringing home division titles. A special thanks goes out to all of our students and dedicated staff for their hard work, along with the Squash + Education Alliance for putting together another great event!

From red rocks to coastal lighthouses, wilderness camping to college visits, our annual Spring Tours were a smashing success. For the eighth year in a row, our team members and hardworking staff explored regions beyond the boroughs on 6 unique enrichment trips, visiting a combined 10 different states. For many team members, it was the first time out of the state or on an airplane. Highlighted by museum and cultural site visits, new food and adventures, and yes, even a little squash, the 2019 edition created memories and camaraderie that will last a lifetime.

The months of January and February were busy for CitySquash coaches and players, capped off by trips to Middle School and High School Team Nationals. At Middle School Nationals, both the boys and girls A teams earned 7^th place in their divisions while representing M.S. 45. Highlights included Alexis storming back from an 0-2 deficit in his final match to win and Edward playing what coaches called the “best squash of his life.”

At High School Nationals one week later, the girls placed 7^th in their division including a nail-biting win over the Hill School. Perla and Jazlyn collected a few 5-game match wins to lead the way. The boys team had a tougher go on the court, but demonstrated grit and tenacity all weekend. Many thanks to our tireless coaches and generous hosts for helping make the trip possible. Up next on the squash calendar: the 2019 Urban Team National Championships at Yale and Choate. 

6 CitySquash seniors applied early decision to college and in December, all 6 found out they were admitted! Congratulations to our Class of 2023 Early Acceptances:

Chris Lucero – Hamilton College

Vanessa Lucero – Franklin & Marshall College

Victoria Haghighi – Bates College

Tanya Mendoza – Connecticut College

Juan Santos – Middlebury College

Xitlali Zuniga – St. Lawrence University