Chronicle Spring 2022

56 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Squash By Simon Palferman, Head of Squash It was wonderful to revive squash last term, after frustratingly restricted recent seasons. The hiatus did, however, mean that we were rather starting from scratch again and building a team from boys and girls, many of whom took up the sport for the first time in September. We need not have worried. The enthusiasm and willingness of a host of Sixth Formers meant that we were able to complete a full fixture list, and the pupils saw their new skills improve markedly over the three months of the Autumn Term. Highlights amongst the fixtures included wins for the boys against Rugby School, Bloxham, Cheltenham, Oratory and Stowe. Many of those fixtures were an opportunity for both schools to develop their inexperienced players, and a number of return matches are already in the calendar for this term. Those representing the boys’ team were Xan Lytle, Noah Roussel,

Matthew Whittaker, Harry Trowbridge, William Newson, Faris Haider, Rasmus Nesselhut and Charlie Spencer. Collectively they constituted an eclectic group of erstwhile tennis players, hockey players and cricketers. Their natural sporting aptitudes and shared positive attitude made them instinctively competitive, especially when their techniques had received some intensive honing by veteran coach, Ross Gore. Girls’ squash also enjoyed something of a renaissance and it was great to see no fewer than nine girls making their debuts across four fixtures last term. They included Bianca Rizzini-Bisinelli, Chimdi Okonkwo, Ali Albrand, Amour Jung, Gathoni Nesbitt, Anna Kolobova and Karen Teng. We also saw cameos from non-regulars, Tana Simkin and Adriane Yeung. Their best moment came in a victorious fixture against Cheltenham College.

In short, squash is in great health at Teddies. It is played in an exceptionally good spirit: pupils clearly enjoy the sport and the friendships they make playing it, and it is not uncommon for many of them to stay far longer than their allotted hour on court on practice days. This term marks the first time that juniors are able to take squash as their main sport, and this is surely a great first step to developing a pool of committed players from across the School, and deepening the talent and strength of the Club for the longer term.

Below: Simon Palferman with Harry Trowbridge, Bianca Rizzini-Bisinelli, Gathoni Nesbitt, Amour Jung, William Newson, Matthew Whittaker, Noah Roussel, Xan Lytle, Rasmus Nesselhut, Chimdi Okonkwo and Charlie Spencer