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SQUASHMARTS NEWS
SquashSmarts
Seniors Going To College!
Five out of five seniors received admission into the
college, university or post-graduate program of their choice.

Amber Thomas. Delaware
State University,
Albany State University
Jasmin Wingate. Mt. Aloysius
College [also accepted: Coppin State
University & Eastern University]
Marcedes Kennedy. Bloomsburg University
Rachel Edmonds. Haverford College
[also accepted: American University, Howard University &
Lincoln University]
Tempest Bowden. Mercersburg
Academy,
post-graduate high school program
Please Join us Saturday June 21, 2008 from 11:00am-1:00pm as SquashSmarts
salutes Amber, Jasmine, Mercedes, Rachel and Tempest and all of its
students grades 6th-11th at our 2008
Year-End Celebration. This
year’s ceremony features keynote speaker Dr. Stephen Treat, CEO of
the Philadelphia-based Council on Relationships.
SquashSmarts
Hosts 2008 National Championship
04-11-2007

250 student-athletes from seven U.S. cities descended on SquashSmarts’
North Philadelphia program for The 2008
National Urban Squash & Education Team Championships. The competition
marked the first national championship held outside of Boston, MA,
the birthplace of urban squash and education. All matches took place at the
new Lenfest Center,
SquashSmarts multi-million dollar youth center located in North
Philadelphia's Hunting
Park. Students
ranging in age from 10 to 19 traveled from Boston,
Chicago, New Haven,
New York and San Diego to compete for national
age-group titles.

SquashSmarts gathers for a pre-match photo; SquashSmarts
honors patron Leo Pierce Sr.; NUSEA welcomes San Diego
and New Haven.
photos by Marvin
Greenbaum
SquashSmarts Team
Results
Girls Under 19 Team - 2nd place
Boys Under 19 Team - 3rd place
Boys Under 15 Team - 3rd place
Girls Under 13 Team - 3rd place
Boys Under 13 Team - 3rd place
- Philadelphia
Inquirer Covers the Action! -
“ USING SQUASH TO GET ON
THE BALL”
Children
from Struggling Districts Learn a Sport of
Movers
and Shakers, and a few Things About Life.
Text by Melissa
Dribben, Inquirer Staff Writer; Photo by April Saul, Inquirer Staff
Photographer; Posted on Sun, Apr. 13, 2008
This weekend, 260 kids from public schools in Harlem,
the Bronx, Boston, Chicago,
San Diego, New Haven,
and some of Philadelphia's diciest
neighborhoods descended on a state-of-the-art athletic center in Hunting Park. From 8 a.m. yesterday until
past 7 p.m., they streamed in, climbed to the second story, and dumped
their bags in a corner that began to look like the lost-baggage counter at
American Airlines. Then they put on their goggles, picked up their rackets,
and, two by two, entered through a glass wall to pitilessly bash a little
black ball in a bright-white court in a game of squash.
Yes. Squash.
A game of the English gentry, it was developed in the 1800s
at the elite Harrow School and long remained the nearly exclusive domain of
white men in white shorts who picked up the sport at prep school, practiced
it at an Ivy, and went on to play at private clubs with partners from the
firm.
Not surprising, then, that most
of the athletes at this weekend's National Urban Squash Tournament, who
come from low-income families in school districts with little or no
after-school athletics, never knew that squash was anything other than a
vegetable. That is, until recruiters from one of the seven new urban squash
programs showed up during gym with a video, a few rackets and balls, and a
sign-up sheet.
"It was like the best hurricane that ever came
through someone's life," says Quinetta Bowden, 16, a sophomore at the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She and her
older sister, Tempest, have played since 2002, when the nonprofit
SquashSmarts visited the city's Morton
McMichael School
to launch the program.
The program's energetic leaders, who introduced
themselves as Miss Julie and Chase Lenfest, appeared like emissaries from
Planet Happy-Ever-After, the sisters recall.
"They looked so different," Tempest, 18, says.
"She was wearing tights and shorts and a fleece. He was in bombed-out
sneaks."
"They made it seem so inviting," says
Quinetta. "Like if you joined, you had instant success."
Quinetta Bowden
(left), with Brittany Kennedy, wants to be a lawyer,
and SquashSmarts,
she said, showed her "what I want is not far-fetched."
The third program of its kind in the country,
SquashSmarts recruits sixth graders and commits to work with them for at
least three years, teaching and coaching squash, but also providing
academic tutoring, summer camps, Outward Bound experiences and travel, and
high school and college placement.
Ten to 14 children are chosen from each sixth-grade
class after tryouts, says Stephen Gregg, executive director, as he marks
the results of the first round of this tournament's matches on giant
easels. This is the first time the tournament is being held in Philadelphia.
Until last fall, SquashSmarts used courts at Drexel University. But in October, it
expanded its program into a new, two-story, 57,000-square-foot facility in Hunting Park. The $9 million center was
funded by Ana Maria and H. Chase Lenfest. The same Chase Lenfest who played
squash at Yale and showed up at the McMichael School
in the bombed-out sneaks.
SquashSmarts' objective is not to get its graduates into
Ivy League schools, but to open up their world and let them dream big.
"We don't take the best and brightest or the
athletically gifted," Gregg says. "What we're looking for is just
commitment. How hard you try. Success, similarly, has less to do with
winning matches than attendance, good conduct and teamwork."
Most of the students come from homes and neighborhoods
bruised by urban poverty.
"They tend to be older than their years,"
Gregg says. "This allows them to be kids."
One of yesterday's competitors, Maria Perez, says she has
been getting into a lot less trouble since she started playing squash in
January.
"People used to get on my nerves," she
explains, so she would get into fights. "I was kicked out of three
schools."
Maria, 13, lives in Hunting Park
with her mother, who is unemployed and disabled, and three siblings.
Through squash, she says, she is learning to deal with
frustration.
"They started encouraging me. . . . On the court,
it feels good. It's all right when you lose because winning isn't
everything. That's what they tell you."
Six years after holding a squash racket for the first
time, Quinetta Bowden has played on teams that twice came in second in
national urban tournaments. She's good, she says, but sister Tempest is
even better.
In 2006, while in 10th grade, Tempest qualified for the U.S. junior
nationals and became the nation's highest-ranked African American squash
player among girls under 17. (She's now ranked 42d in the under-19 group.)
"People call us the Venus and Serena Williams of squash," Quinetta
says.
At first, she says, "we played with used goggles
and rackets."
"But we didn't care," says Tempest.
"Because we didn't know what new looked like."
A year after they started playing, their parents went
through a difficult divorce.
"It was like a twilight zone. You were in this
whole bunch of mess," says Tempest. "But when you were in squash,
you could leave that. Hit the ball. Take out some of that anger."
Their father, Kenneth, accompanied them to the
tournament to help man the grill and serve several hundred hot dogs and
burgers to the athletes. A former cook at Champps and a Sheraton hotel, he
has been out of work since February 2006 and living on disability payments.
"You know you have great aspirations for your kids.
But growing up in this area, even though they have big dreams, you don't
know how they're going to get there."
With the help of SquashSmarts, Tempest will graduate
from Gratz High
School in June and attend Mercersburg Academy,
a postgraduate boarding school; she plans eventually to teach kindergarten.
Through the program, her sister spent her 16th birthday at a squash program
in London.
"I want so much," says Quinetta, who is
determined to become a lawyer. "And it showed me what I want is not
far-fetched."
Adds her sister, "Because you've seen the world
outside of Philly, you know there's so much more out there."
Yesterday, the sisters won their matches, both 3-0.
Today, they're in the finals.
Philly
Spring Clean Up
04-05-2007
Thousands of citizens, including
150 SquashSmarts students, staff and volunteers, joined together on
Saturday, April 5 to clean up Philadelphia’ Mayor Nutter and his
staff chose SquashSmarts and the Hunting Park neighborhood as one of 160
local community organizations.
New
Partner: St. Ignatius Nursing Home
01-31-2007
SquashSmarts and St. Ignatius
Nursing Home at 44th and Haverford forged a new relationship that will
bring both groups together each month. Regular activities will include
bingo, art classes, physical therapy and maybe even a little tai chi! To
get involved, please contact Jake at 215-895-4963 or jake@squashsmarts.org.
New 6th
Graders Join The Team!
01-31-2007
Twenty new 6th grade students
joined the team this month, including twelve boys and girls from Robert
Clemente Elementary and eight girls and boys from Drew Elementary.
SquashSmarts
Observes Veterans Day
11-12-2007
This Veterans Day, SquashSmarts reached out to the men and
women of our armed forces overseas during the 2nd annual “Letter's to Soldiers” writing
project. Students listened to board member Andre Stephano, former enlisted marine and current lieutenant
in the US Naval Reserve, then created beautiful heart-felt letters to our
soldiers. "I am honored you are
reading my letters and grateful for what you are doing for our
country”…… “I play and love to do things my way in
my free time but if it weren't for you I couldn't do that… so when
you sign that paper to fight for us I understand what you give up and I
appreciate it.”
Katie
Bicknese joins Academic Program Staff
11-12-2007
Katie Bicknese joins SquashSmarts after two years with
City Year Greater Philadelphia where she served as a corps member in West
Philadelphia’s Overbrook
High School as well
as in their Development Department.
Katie discovered her passion for community involvement at Penn State where she served hundreds of
hours with Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-educational service
fraternity. Of all the community
work she's done, Katie is most thrilled when she sees a student's face
light up after learning something challenging. "After-school programming is what
made me enjoy my childhood and find a place for myself. Nothing makes me happier than being able
to give such an incredible opportunity to today's youth."

Katie’s
complete bio
Jeff
Coursen joins Board of Directors
11-2007
Mr. Coursen joins SquashSmarts after serving as
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at ATX Communications,
where he held various executive management positions for thirteen
years. Mr. Coursen is currently
active in several professional boards and non-profit associations and was
appointed in March 2007 as Executive in Residence by the Drexel Lebow
College of Business where he will work closely with the Graduate School of
Business and Krall
Center for Corporate
Education as well as serve as Adjunct Professor. Mr. Coursen received his
B.A. from Ohio
Wesleyan University
1985, graduated from The Georgetown University Business School Professional
Development Program in 1992, the Drexel University Executive M.B.A. program
in 1999 and continues to participate in the Wharton School Executive
Management Development Program.
StreetSquash
Helps Christens New Facility
11-06-2007
Two rival programs met for an eagerly anticipated match
at the new SquashSmarts center in North Philadelphia.
The outing was a great success with hard fought matches, terrific
sportsmanship and an opportunity for students from the two cities to bond.
Our middle school team took down StreetSquash's 9th grade team
by a score of 6-2; Our High School Girls Team tied StreetSquash 3-3 with
wins by Tempest Bowden, Sakora Miller and Brittany Kennedy; our High School
Boys team fell to their NY rivals 5-3 with Demonte Harris, Devonte Harris
and Lamin Conteh earning victories.
Special thanks to Molly Pierce and Bob Bitterman for their support
and coaching!

SquashSmarts welcome StreetSquash to the Lenfest Center
SquashSmarts
Grand Opening a Grand Success
10-20-2007
On October 20th, SquashSmarts unveiled its
new 50,000 sq ft athletic-academic center in North Philadelphia with the
celebration of the Best Shot Ball,
a spectacular evening that drew 375
friends and patrons and raised over $81,000 in support the SquashSmarts
students. Special guests included Governor Edward Rendell, Fox
Sport’s Don Tollefson, Phillie Phanatic, Eagles Swoop and World Squash
Champions Jon Power and John White. Our thanks to all who attended this
wonderful night.

Governor Rendell and Phillie Phanatic rally around the
SquashSmarts kids.
Student Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqbMLSs-RDY
Grand Opening Photos here: http://www.squashsmarts.org/BestShotBall.html
SquashSmarts
Middle School Students Help Rebuild Homes
04-28-07
SquashSmarts students donned their hard hats
and joined forces with "The Other
Carpenter" to help
two West Philadelphia families refurbish
and repair their damaged homes. "The Other Carpenter" is
an organization that assists homeowners in the East Parkside community of West Philadelphia with maintenance and home
improvement. The students split into two groups. Team 1 painted and
provided support for structural repairs to a home occupied by a disabled
senior citizen and her son with Down's Syndrome that could
not perform repairs themselves. Students 7th graders Denise Roundtree and Shenae Walters were designated as
"team painters," and while they seemed to get as much paint on
their clothes and in their hair, the family was thrilled with the
transformation of the bedroom from dingy, peeling painted walls to
sparkling clean, bright walls. Teamates Nathaniel Smith and volunteer Andrew McGuinness served as
carpenters removing damaged walls, molding and window sills and replacing
them with new wood and dry wall.
Team 2 was dispatched a few blocks away to help a senior
citizen couple whose home also needed major structural repairs. Community
Service Coordinator Trevor
McGuinness led this group with the assistance from 12th grader Rachel
Edmonds who also doubled as the projct photographer.
Student workers included John
Batista, Joe Johnson, Dewon Flythe and Justin Roebuck who worked as
carpenters as they repaired damaged walls, ceilings and framing. The family was ecstatic with the
results and expressed their gratitude that an organized group of
students would spend a free Saturday helping strangers in need.
After handshakes and hugs, the cheery group asked in
unison "when can we do this again?!!" - a sign of a successful
day of service. Special thanks to Lisa Stokes, chair of the SquashSmarts Community Service Committee, who was
far more successful putting paint on the walls than on her clothes and to
Board Member Pete Prinsen
who introduced SquashSmarts to this worthy
organization.
SquashSmarts
Student Shares Foreign Perspective
04-19-07
Congratulations
to Lamin
Conteh, 9th
grader at National Constitution Center
who was chosen among his peers to speak at an official swearing-in ceremony
for recently approved U.S.
Citizens at the National
Constitution Center on Thursday, April 19,
2007. Lamin is an inspiration for everyone who strives to achieve
their dreams. Here is an excerpt from his speech:
"Hello
my name is Lamin Conteh. I was born in Sierra Leone. Being an immigrant myself, I can tell how
joyful you all are at this moment . Watching you now as you receive your
citizenship today makes me proud and hopeful that if I work hard,
some day I too will become a citizen."
On March 8th Lamin had the
further opportunity to meet with author Ishmael Beah at the WHYY
studio during a live broadcast of Radio Times with Marty Moss Cohen. Ishmael, a fellow native of Sierra Leon was in Philadelphia on a media tour for his
best-selling memoir A Long Way
Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. The author took time after the show
to speak with Lamin about school and squash and to reminisce about life in
their homeland. The two exchanged email addresses and continue to keep in
touch. The experience brought smiles to everyone in the studio. Special
thanks to Marty Moss-Cohen, Susan Greenbaum and the entire Radio Times
staff.
2007 National Urban Squash Team Championships
Sponsored by NUSEA
March 30-April 1, 2007
Boston, MA

Seven years ago, on May 13, 2000 to be exact, a team of eager junior squash players from New
York's StreetSquash traveled to Boston to face SquashBusters at the elite
and venerable Harvard University's Murr Center squash courts.
At that first urban squash match, the New
York team
captured the title over the then-four-year-old Boston-based SquashBusters.
Players and spectators alike described the play and atmosphere as
"unbelievable" and "incredible".
Seven years later, that same
exuberance still resounds at the National Urban
Squash Team Championships, held this year at Northeastern University's SquashBusters' facility
and sponsored by the newly formed National Urban
Squash & Education Association (NUSEA).
This year's tournament featured
240 students from all five NUSEA-member programs, including: Philadelphia's SquashSmarts, Chicago's
MetroSquash, New York's
City Squash and Harlem's StreetSquash and Boston's SquashBusters.
Tournament Director Chris Smith,
who coached last year's US Junior Men's team in New Zealand
commented on the talent, commitment and camaraderie of the players over the
weekend.
"The fact that this event in
its 4th year has 240 kids representing 4 cities and 5 programs shows just
how far Urban Squash has come."
The NUSEA Team Championships is in fact the 3rd biggest tournament in
the United States
(250 played at the US Jr Closed and 280 played at the US Jr Open) and even
with that many participants, the event went off without a hitch.
The expert scheduling and
tournament management by Smith and all the programs' staffers was evident
as the tournament proceeded over three flawless days.
In the Girls Under 13 Round
Robin, SquashBusters claimed a decisive victory, only losing one match out
of 15 played. New York's
City Squash, another juggernaut, claimed the Girls Under 15 draw, also
losing only one match on the road to victory.
Harlem's powerhouse, StreetSquash
flew through their draw, eagerly awaiting West
Philadelphia's SquashSmarts in a painfully tight Girls Under
17/19 title match, with StreetSquash edging out SquashSmarts 3-2.
David Kay's prior experience as a
teaching pro and coach at Rochester
University was
evident in the Boys U13 draw, as his enthusiastic MetroSquash team clinched the Boys U13 title in an intelligently fought
battle. City Squash ruled the Boys U15 Draw, defeating SquashBusters 4-1.
A standing room only crowd packed
Northeastern's facility to watch some of the best squash in the Boys U17/19
final. SquashBusters proved themselves to be the best, decisively picking
apart StreetSquash 4-1 in a creative display of squash competition that
left viewers in awe.
"It is unbeliveable how
quickly many of these students pick up the game and
develop," remarked SquashSmarts Steve Gregg. "They're tremendous
athletes but they are also tremendous people. Each child here is proud
to identify with his or her team. And we are
just very honored to be a part of the whole culture. It's a special
reunion - every year."
SquashSmarts Team Results
The weekend would not have been possible with
SquashSmats volunteers: Alison Hart, Mike Gale, parent Marylin Batista and
the ever smiling Jean-Elise. Special thanks to friends and supporters Helen
Bamber, Eric Tietz, Katie Greenbaum and Nicole Belanger. An extra thanks is
also due to Squash Director Jacob Greenbaum for orchestrating the entire
weekend.
Under 19 Girls: 2nd Place
Amber Thomas (captain)
Tempest Bowden
Jasmine Wingate
Sakora Miller
Quinetta Bowden
Brittany Kennefy
Under 19 Boys: 3rd Place
Lamin Conteh (captain)
Junaid Bin Mukhtar
Kalik Stanley
Mithun Das
Devonte Harris
Demonte Harris
Under 15 Girls: 3rd Place
Yawa Adjesson (captain)
Denise Roundtree
Shanae Waters
Under 13 Boys: 4th Place
Dewon Flythe (co-captain)
Justin Roebuck (co-captain)
Joe Johnson
John Batista
SquashSmarts Plants Trees
in University City
3-24-07
After a walk through the
beautiful Locust Walk at 9:30am on Saturday, March 24 the SquashSmarts
students were greeted by members from the UC Green organization. Not
leaving a minute to waste, the middle school students took action and began
digging. Their teamwork, camaraderie, and enthusiasm was certainly evident;
there were over 30 volunteers fighting to plant 14 trees, and SquashSmarts
planted four. While many groups struggled to work together, the
SquashSmarts students embraced the challenge and repeted their efforts
until the job was done. Their enthusiasm was so overwhelming that they had
a race down Locust Walk the whole way home. They were even so excited about
the project that they asked if they could do it again next weekend (even
though they have Urban Teams)!!
Raffle Rally's Squash Community
3-23-07
SquashSmarts would like to thank
the entire Philadelphia
squash community for its tremendous support of the 4rth Annual SquashSmarts Charity Raffle
and PSRA Awards Dinner! All told, more than 50
prizes were awarded and over $13,000 was raised during a night of
incredible squash and festivities.
Your support allows 22 students
from West Philadelphia to compete this weekend at the US National
Junior Bronze Championships in Berwyn, PA and also at the National Urban
Teams Championship in Boston,
MA .
SquashSmarts would like to
congratulate each of the Winners and Finalist who played brilliantly and
provided wonderful entertainment.
Special additinoal thanks to…
Molly Pierce & John Makransky, PSRA
Tournament Co-Chairs and SquashSmarts Board members
Lisa Stokes, Caleb Tindall & Joanne Jackson, Merion
Cricket Club Hosts
Jacob Greenbaum, Raffle
"MC" by night, SquashSmarts Squash Director by day
Demer Holleran & Jamie Heldring, Tournament
referees
Peter Prinsen, SquashSmarts raffle
ticket winner (for the third year in a row) with over $7,000 in sales!
Kalik Stanley , Andrew McGuinness, Clare Kuensell,
Rebecca Greenberg, Denise Roundtree, Brittany Kennedy, Yawa & Joe
Johnson, Student & Volunteer
The SquashSmarts & PSRA Board
of Directors for their continued support of our students
All of the wonderful fans, friends and raffle
sponsors who rallied to support SquashSmarts & the PSRA
Raffle prizes generously
donated by…
A GREEN THING, ANSILL RESTAURANT, BALA
EYE CARE, BRYAN PATTERSON, CHLOE RESTAURANT, DARA
BERGER, DREXEL CREW COACH TERAH SCHAMBERG, DREXEL UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, GAVIN JONES, HOWARD
ESKIN'S & 610 WIP, JEFFREY MILLER
CATERING, JIMMY ROLLINS, JOE RUSSELL, JOSEPH EAGLE
& EASE UP, THE PIERCE FAMILY, MARIGOLD KITCHEN RESTAURANT, MARY CROUSE, MERION
CRICKET CLUB, MIKE JEFFERYS, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, PHILADELPHIA
DOWNTOWN MARRIOTT, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES ,
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES BASKETBALL TEAM, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES YOUTH PARTNERSHIP CARNIVAL, PHILADELPHIA FLYERS, PHILADELPHIA
PHILLIES, PHILADELPHIA SOUL, PHILADLEPHIA EAGLES TRAINING CAMP, PIF RESTAURANT, PRINCE
SQUASH, STEVE VIRGONA, THE BELLWOOD CLUB, THE
CYNWYD CLUB, THE MANN CENTER FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS, TINA RICKS, TINDERBOX, UNIVERSITY OF
PENNSYLVANIA MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SQUASH TEAMS.. Thank You!!!
Hard Work Earns Local Victory
01-21-07
Congratulations to SquashSmarts 5-year veteran Tempest Bowden who drove, boasted
and dropped her way to the Girls Under 17 championship at “The Squash
Club at CHA Tournament” this past weekend in Chestnut Hill, PA.
Tempest, who finished last season ranked 34th in the country and earned a
coveted spot in U.S. Junior Nationals (Gold Level), became the first
SquashSmarts student-athlete ever to win a USSRA sanctioned competition!
Tempest defeated three very challenging opponents, including top-seeded
Stephanie Jewitt 9-1, 9-7, 9-4, en route to the GU17 title. For those
attending, it was tough to miss the calm yet ever-present smile on the
impressive young athlete's face.
Competing alongside Tempest were teammates Mithun Das (BU15), Devonte Harris (BU15), Kalik Stanley (BU17) and Junaid Bin Muhktar (BU17).
Junaid's heroic comeback from a two-game deficit turned many heads in the
crowd. Overall, the team proved to be class acts on and off the court,
showing sportsmanship, determination and fantastic teamwork in cheering on
each other and having a great time. Special thanks to Bryan Patterson, Joe
Russell and Mike Jefferys for running a fantastic event and Trevor
McGuinness, Henry Miller and Quinetta Bowden for their expert coaching and
support.
Kids
Giving Back
01-16-07
Martin Luther King
Day 2007: SquashSmarts
traveled to nearby Parkway
West High
School for a hectic yet rewarding day of
cleaning, painting and restoration. The kids split into groups and cleaned
closets, classrooms, storage areas and even two badly cluttered attics in
order to make room for new materials and supplies. Finally, the students
helped rearranged the school’s computer lab to allow Parkway students
a cleaner place to use their new computers. The team then board the bus
back to Drexel's Daskalaskis
Athletic Center
for an exciting afternoon of squash. Special thanks to volunteers
Anna Adler and Lara Stevenson; Parkway West organizer Paulette Christie;
members of the DuPont Corporation; and the local residents and high school
students who attend Parkway.
M.A.N.N.A.: Each Tuesday and Thursday
(5:30-8:00pm) SquashSmarts kids visit the MANNA soup kitchen on 20th and
Market Street to help prepare meals for nutritionally deficient
residents living right here in Philadelphia, including those with HIV and
terminal illnesses. If you ave a free evening and interested in lending a
hand, contact Trevor McGuinness at 215-895-4964 and spend a memorable and
meaningful evening with our students.
SquashSmarts wants YOUR ideas on meaningful
Community activities appropraite for Middle School students for our March,
April and May community projects. Please send your creative suggestions to
Trevor McGuinness at trevormcg@gmail.com or
call 215-895-4964.
Congratulations to New 6th
Grade Team Members
01-09-2007
The following students from Drew and McMichael Elementary
Schools have successfully completed the
rigorous fall tryout session and will join SquashSmarts as full team
members this January. Congratulations to John Batista, Joseph Johnson,
Denise Roundtree, Nathaniel Smith, Shenae Walters and their families
SquashSmarts Welcomes New Board
Members
10-23-2006
A
warm welcome to Mrs. Jocelyn Jones Arnold and Mr. Aaron Walters III as the
newest members of SquashSmarts Board of Directors. e are extremely grateful
for their commitment and service to our mission.
Julie Williams Retires
08-30-2006
After five wonderful years with
the SquashSmarts organization, Julie Williams has announced her retirement
as Director of Academics effective October 2006.
Julie's service to the students
began in 2001 and has been nothing short of remarkable. As Executive Director (2002-2004) she
shaped the mission and values of our young program at a critical phase in
its development. Julie quite literally “pounded the pavement”
and forged meaningful partnerships with Drew and McMichael school, with
coaches and administrators at Drexel
University, with principals,
teachers and civic leaders in West Philadelphia,
and with parents and families of our promising young students.
Most notably, Julie secured the
program’s future in June 2004 by orchestrating a joint venture with
Drexel that lead to our current headquarters in the Daskalakis Athletic
Center -- all done
while single-handedly administering the day-to-day planning, recruitment,
fund raising and programming.
Julie set an equally high
benchmark as our Academic Director (2004-2006) instilling the love of
learning in each of our students. She surrounded herself at every session
with a cadre of consistent and caring tutors, oversaw two successful 8th
grade graduations, and guided our middle school graduates on to bright and
promising high school careers.
Less tangible though equally
critical is the overwhelming presence and personality of "Miss
Julie". The energy and ethos that Julie brought to work each and every
day will be hard to emulate, let alone replace. She will be dearly missed
by the students and staff who leaned on her as a role-model and a friend.
Casino Night
10-03-06

On October
4th, 2006, close to 300 members of the Philadelphia squash community gathered at
the Racquet Club of Philadelphia for SquashSmarts’ first ever Casino
Night and Squash Challenge featuring PSA pro Jon White.
Multi-faceted celebrities such as Billy Cunningham of the 76ers, John Spagnola of the Eagles, Joe Giles of the Phillies and Mike French of the Wings
demonstrated their talent on the doubles court, while White dazzled
spectators with his impeccable skills on the singles court. White, a former
world #1 singles player competed with an eclectic group, including top
collegiate athletes and SquashSmarts students in five-point “lightning
round” matches. Paul Assaiante,
current Trinity coach, who holds the record for longest winning streak in
college squash history was the master of ceremonies.
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