Squash
found me when I was 17 and trying out all sorts of extra-curricular
activities at my college back in Delhi, India. I tried track and field
first week and lost my dorm room key – that was quite a turn-off. I
tried Tennis next but the time I spent collecting my precious four
balls from distant fields far exceeded the time I managed to keep them
with-in the court markings. Stuck in one corner of our recreation
center were these two Squash courts that caught my attention one
evening. Together with a couple of my dorm-mates we tried it a couple
of times and soon we were hooked. Biggest attractions – the small ball
mostly stayed on the court; it bounced better, harder we hit at it; we
could play anytime of the day (yes 2 am counts as ‘daytime’) and in any
season (including Monsoon!); I could play alone trying to perfect my
drives, drops, nicks or volleys; I could find a couple of players a bit
better than me who constantly challenged me to get better as they got
better too at it; and it didn’t break our small budget for a wooden
racket, shoes and a few balls that would last for entire season or
more. Love affair for this sport that began for me on those concrete
floor courts in South Delhi has now spanned nearly 3 decades, 9
countries and counting and given me a life and purpose that I am deeply
thankful for.
Squash has not been just a sport for me but a mentor for life changing
journey that began when I started college. Before getting there, I grew
up in a middle class working family in India, attended local government
school where-ever my dad’s job took him. I was a good student, did well
and got into this elite university in Delhi based on my scores but when
I got there, I encountered a completely new world – each of my fellow
student was from a private school, spoke English fluently (where as
coming from a Hindi medium school, my admission in the university was
subject to taking and clearing two remedial courses in English in first
two semesters!), knew every hit Pop song and Hollywood movie (whereas I
had never heard of either words!)… So fitting in, became my top
priority at all cost! Grades went as far south as they could – my first
six months were a complete crash course in all things Western, all vice
that were deemed hip on campus – cigarettes, liquor, … I badly wanted
to be accepted, to be one of them hip gang. But then Squash found me
and the change was immediate. Getting better, winning over these
players and making into college team became my priority. In the
process, I also found some real cool friends – top in the class, good
at sports and still had time to party! Soon I was hanging out with
them, studying regularly, playing Squash and still finding time to go
out – absorb the new culture with much more objective point of view.
Soon my grades improved and by the time I graduated four years later I
had a respectable top 20 standing, found a great career in Computer
Science, didn’t make the college Squash team but did manage a few other
cultural positions and made lifelong circle of friends who are the
business leaders around the globe today and have not only remained in
touch but also been first to offer to help in time of need be it
professional or social.
It is therefore perhaps not a simple chance invitation back in 2011
that led me to participate in one of the fund-raisers in San Diego for
a Squash Academy - Access Youth Academy (it was started up as Surf City
Squash by Chris Walker, whom I had met first during one of his clinics
together with Robert Graham in Santa Barbara, and then later during the
initial days of his club in San Diego where I happened to visiting for
a work conference.). There I learnt the story of some of these kids
coming from under privileged communities, and growing up in some of the
harshest possible environments. I got to meet them first hand – in fact
one of them, Reyna Pacceco played together in our team in the
fundraising tournament that we managed to win by a wide margin despite
Sarah Fitz-Gerald playing against us with another team (I’ll take any
bragging moments I get!). Granted, in contrast I had a very loving,
caring and supportive upbringing but I could relate to these kids at
least in some small measure given my own struggles to fit-in overcoming
language and culturally elite barriers.
Another year would go by though but a lot of events would lead to
something concrete to take shape. I would decide to hang-up my hat,
take leave from active 9-5 career and think about what I should be
doing in my life now that I am surely past midlife mark. My
fellow Squash enthusiast Wibe Wagemans happened to be in between his
startups and one of our discussions regarding how to promote and grow
Squash led to discovery of National Urban Squash and Education
Association (http://nationalurbansquash.org)
and Access Youth Academy being one of its chapters. Wibe and I quickly
started turning wheels and with-in a few weeks, we had a plan in place,
a non-profit organization to repurpose, preliminary discussions with
local squash facilities owner and nearby public schools with most needy
kids, completed. We got a group of early supporters - Ron McMahon (who
visited Access Youth Academy with me and later who also visited more
Urban Squash facilities on the east-coast and who being at the helm of
YMCA is deeply passionate about youth development), Spencer Jacobs, Dar
Khalighi, Ali Piyarali, Karan Khanna, Neal Raval, soon we had whole
Squash community behind us and Seattle Urban Squash (http://SeattleUrbanSquash.org)
was born. In less than one year, the program is now up and running with
8 kids from Northgate Elementary school learning to play Squash for an
hour, getting help with their school work, doing community service in
our neighborhoods with a fulltime program director who is totally
dedicate to the cause and loved by all kids, parents, school teachers
and dozens of volunteers. Kids are getting better at Squash (they had a
great time meeting all the pros at recently concluded 2014 Stratos
Seattle Open Squash tournament - https://www.facebook.com/SeattleUrbanSquash) and their reading/math scores are already up.
Today when I look back my association with this mental, physical and
philosophical sport – I have nothing back to thank it for finding me.
It surely gave me a direction, sense of purpose, a community to belong
to and much, much more. So, Thank you Squash, keep the ball in play! Naveenis
an amateur Squash enthusiast who picked it up during college in India
(as it was the only sport where he could keep the ball with-in the
court dimensions) and has carried it with him ever since through his
life as an IT professional in England, France, US (& Canada) and
Denmark. Naveen has played amateur tournaments and league in these
countries as well as participated in US Masters, European Masters and
World Masters Squash events. Recently Naveen started Seattle Urban
Squash with some of his likeminded Squash friends based on National
Urban Squash and Education Association charter of helping kids from
underprivileged communities to graduate from high-school through
regular and intense Squash training and tutoring. Naveen lives in
Seattle with his partner Anne-Marie Canis and their two dogs Daisy and
Lola.
What's On My Mind is a column by rotating writers. Contact DailySquashReport@gmail.com
