A 9th grade practice group is all smiles under their masks after coming in from an afternoon of squash and academics at NYSC White Plains.
A Year of New Beginnings
Programming looks a little different this year but team members are excited to be back to a (new) normal after-school routine of academics and squash. In the Bronx, this new routine includes academics at partner school P.S. 205 or Belmont Library, and squash at either Westchester Squash or New York Sports Club White Plains. In Brooklyn, team members attend academics at partner schools PAVE Academy and Brooklyn Leaders High School, and play squash at the Eastern Athletic Club and Heights Casino. On weekends, team members practice, compete in tournaments and matches, complete community service projects and go on other trips. After being confined to virtual programming for the whole 2020-2021 school year, this in-person routine is a relief, despite the increased travel for squash! Bronx 9th grader Ariana says, “I’m glad that I’m back with my team and practicing more to get stronger and better!”
Our fall programming would not be possible without the squash clubs, partner schools, and public libraries welcoming us to their spaces. A huge thanks to everyone involved in setting up these new partnerships and helping our team members get back on court. Onwards and upwards for the CitySquash team!
A Week of Trips to Kick-Off the School Year
In place of our annual overnight team retreat to Lake Placid this year, the week before school was marked with different day trips around the city. All team members got to choose from an array of trips that were mixed by age to encourage new relationships and team bonding at the outset of the school year. The Bronx and Brooklyn sites also teamed up for a trip to the Brooklyn Zoo to provide some of the same cross-site interactions that the team retreat usually provides. Bronx team member Haydee said “I got to know new people so much better” through the trips she went on. In total, there were 13 different trips during that week, including a Yankee game (see above photo of Coach Bryan Patterson and John Solano), Bronx Zoo Tree Top Adventure, Turtle Cove Golf Center, and Chinatown to explore the Chinese culture through food. Malika, another Bronx team member in the 9th grade, said of the Chinatown trip that “the boba was amazing, and so was the ice cream.” The only complaint of the week? The Yankees’ loss to the Blue Jays!
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Middle schoolers clean up a local park as part of a service day with Bronx River Alliance.
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A group of team members practice on Maspeth Welding’s outdoor squash court in Queens.
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A day of fun and fall activities abound at the Queen’s County Fair. |
Moving Up & Moving In!
With the start of the school year came new starts for 15 CitySquash team members beginning college and entering new independent schools. Eight matriculated to college, six students entered new boarding schools for high school and one middle schooler went away to a junior boarding school for the 7th grade. In addition to these team members, a high school team member who had started virtually at the Masters School last year finally got to move into campus and begin her boarding life. We wish these students and the entire CitySquash team the best of luck as they return to in-person learning. Here is to a great 2021-2022 school year!
Pablo Paxtor is greeted by Guillermo Moronta, Associate Director of Admissions & Director of Squash, on his first day at Tabor Academy.
