A conscious decision to expand the boys varsity squash roster has this year’s team infused with even more young talent and depth than usual.
“The idea was that we had enough depth in the program that we wanted to have more players training with the varsity on a day-to-day basis,” said head coach Jackson Marvel of this year’s squad, which features 10 players and includes four preps this year.
Marvel added that having more varsity players will make it easier to deal with injuries and absences without having to pull players up from the JV roster. Already in the team’s first few matches, all ten players have played in one of the top eight spots.
And the influx of the four preps – Beck Ayres ’22, Will Burke ’22, Chris Kenny ’22, and John Nicholson ’22 – has injected the program with an extra dose of vitality. “When you have younger players it brings enthusiasm and good energy to the team,” said Marvel.
Wrangling a roster where half the players are new (including new upper mid William Eun ’20) will place extra responsibility on captains Scott Shrager ’19 and Tyler Mackesy ’19, the team’s two seniors, to provide guidance and team culture. Thus far Marvel said he has been pleased with their leadership.
For Shrager, the main lesson to teach is how to handle the intensity of competition. “Successful squash demands optimal performance in high-stress conditions,” he said.
He added that he and Mackesy will be focused on instilling three core values in the new players – discipline, creativity, and humility. “Our goal, our job, is to realize these values every day,” he said.
Both captains are four-year varsity players, which is uncommon and particularly useful this year given the number of preps on the team, said Marvel. “It’s great to have them work with the younger guys, telling them how to prepare for those matches,” he said.
The Bearcats also feature three other returning players (Taylor Clayton ’21, Sam Charlton ’20, and Obi Okoli ’20) who have made significant progress in the off-season, said Shrager. He noted progress in both conditioning and skill from the returners.
Mackesy, Clayton, Charlton, and Shrager will likely compete for the top four spots in the ladder, with the other players moving up and down throughout the course of the season, said Marvel.
One of the advantages of the expanded roster, coaches hope, is that players may be able to take small breaks throughout the season, and be fresher heading into the team’s two major tournaments (US Nationals in February and New Englands in March). “It’s an opportunity for kids not to feel that they have to play every match,” said Marvel.
On the court this season, the team is stressing patience and discipline, said Marvel. “We’re at our best when we’re playing with a lot of confidence and patience,” he said. “It’s easy sometimes to force things, to go for shots too early. We want to wait for the best opportunity to end a point.”
