RHS Squash
A League of Their Own; Rye Squash Club Succeeds in New Association

Moving from side to side with long, fluid strides, Rye High School sophomore Karim Amir met the small, rubber ball each time with a lightning-quick flick of the wrist. His compact swings allowed him to crank up the velocity in a rapid march towards a 3-0 victory against his Darien High School opponent.

Amir’s success January 10 on the squash court at White Plains’ New York Sports Club is a microcosm of the achievements reached by the Rye Squash Club and the newly formed Fairwest Public School Squash Association (FPSSA) it belongs to. With 45 active middle and high school students and both a girls’ and boys’ team, Rye’s club is experiencing unprecedented participation.

The FPSSA – sanctioned by U.S. Squash, the sport’s national governing body – kicked off in December, and includes seven local public schools in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. The league has students play in round-robin jamborees, like the one Rye’s teams competed in at the New York Sports Club.

While the boys’ portion of the Garnets’ club has been in existence since 2004, the girls did not have a team until earlier this year. That all changed when Susan Whelan, a Rye High mother, put up a notice that a team was being formed.
“We had a great response when we announced the girls’ club a month before the season began,” said Whelan. “There was much interest, because the girls just wanted to play. They’re all learning and doing well thanks in part to some extraordinary athleticism they possess.”

In addition to the jamborees, the girls – like the boys – have competed against local private schools. They defeated Holy Child in December, an exciting feat for a first-year program. At the recent jamboree, the girls dropped a 4-3 decision to Greenwich High School – a team comprised of both boys and girls. Rye’s Squash Club is the only public school with an all-girls portion.

“I think the whole team has had a great experience learning squash, playing matches, and really getting to know each other,” said freshman Caroline Whelan, the team’s No. 1 player.

Whelan is one of 18 girls on the team, ranging from seniors to eighth graders. Rounding out the top seven of the ladder are seniors Casey MacGuire, Stephanie McGowan, Katie Murtagh, and Courtney Burke, junior Angie Cho, and freshman Annie Van Wagenen.

On the boys’ side, Amir headlines a cast including juniors Erik Morque and Chris Murphy, sophomores Forrest Henderson and Garrett Esler, and freshman Thornton Ellis. The boys’ team defeated Darien at the jamboree 5-2, exacting revenge for a previous 5-2 loss to the school. The ultimate goal for both the girls’ and boys’ teams is however, to succeed at the coming U.S. Squash National High School Championships, held at Yale the first week in February.

“I want to keep playing better and stay at No. 1 in the ladder as the season goes on,” said Amir. “But if I can finish in the top 10 at Yale I’ll be very happy with what I have accomplished.”

Regardless of the outcome at the championships, the Rye Squash Club has already accomplished so much in so little time.