For the past two years, the Fieldston Girls Squash team was but a subset of a relatively unknown athletic group on campus. A small portion of the Boys Varsity Squash roster, the “girls team” occupied a StreetSquash single court and little space in the school’s collective consciousness. This all changed when Form V student Mika Rosenthal took it upon herself to begin a formal girls team. Following meetings with the athletics department, attempts to recruit other winter sport athletes and copious commitment, the Fieldston Varsity Girls Squash team officially began their season on December 4.
The journey to the team’s first match against Nightingale was more than a bus ride from Fieldston’s campus to Spence’s athletic complex. It was an arduous campaign for the necessity of a girls team by captain Mika Rosenthal. Of the founding process, Rosenthal explains, “Freshman year, I was playing squash competitively. Playing on a boys team would have affected my ranking in the squash league. So, I approached [Athletics Director Gus Ornstein], and he said there was no girls team because there hadn’t previously been a lot of interest.”
Thus, the planning began. During her sophomore year, Rosenthal began frequent meetings with Ornstein. By the end of the school year, with at least ten interested members, the two were on the same page. So long as Rosenthal could find enough motivated players to fill the seven person roster, Ornstein could help the team establish itself in the Ivy Preparatory School League. This season, it all came into fruition.
As winter sports teams tryouts commenced, prospective girls team players arrived in swarms. Rosenthal did more than spread the word about the team; she inspired peers to show up and take part. The girls team hopefuls even outnumbered those trying out for the boys team. Weeks later, this initial truth persists at games and practices.
More than just showing up, the players remain joyful but disciplined. They see each practice as an opportunity to display diligence and each game as a chance to have fun and leave everything on the court. Of the season, Rosenthal stated, “My favorite part of creating the squash team has been seeing everybody have fun and come together at practices and play games together. Everyone has come closer, and the community with squash is great this year.”
Rosenthal is not alone in enjoying the newly founded team. Form III student Georgina Morris, a first time squash player, regularly attends 7:30-9:00 PM practices and away games. Morris, “never played squash in [her] life but [plays] tennis” and decided to try the sport out. Since doing so, she identifies her favorite aspect of squash as, “getting to be a part of a team and just having fun.”
Zoe Gorman (Form V) describes squash as, “a way for me to get out of my comfort zone and familiarize myself with a new sport,” going on to mention her appreciation for “the team and the coaches. The environment we play in and the people that surround us definitely makes a difference!” Meanwhile, Bella Lele (Form VI) “was on the [squash] team starting sophomore year,” and “much prefer[s] being on the girls team because we get a lot more playing time and tend to play people who are much closer to our level. [She] thinks the environment is better overall.”
Personally, this is my third season playing squash and first season playing third on the roster. Following the examples of skilled players like captains Rosenthal and Lamees Shalaby (Form VI) has made the experience one of camaraderie and growth rather than fear or disappointment. The girls team made squash, typically viewed as a solitary sport, a positive community-driven experience.
The team has faced off against four girls teams so far. Yet to achieve an overall win, smaller and perhaps more impactful wins make the season worthwhile. Our team’s dedication, measured in each court sprint, ace and racket tap, is a testament to players’ genuine want to improve and be part of a supportive group. We share a pervasive sense of amity and growth, connecting through cheering each other on and building one another up.
So, as the season progresses, look out for the girls varsity squash team as we squash expectations… and secure some wins along the way!
