Squash is a racket-and-ball sport with origins in the historic game of rackets, created in England more than 150 years ago. It is played in a four-walled court and can accommodate two to four players competing in either a singles or doubles format.
The Squash Club was established at Clark during the 1980s. It was later popularized by then-sophomore Ravi Rao in 2018. According to Clark Engage, the club was founded “to make possible an experience for squash enthusiasts and Clarkies who were interested in learning the rules and the experience of playing squash.”
Clark Senior Ryan Hovey said of Rao, “Ravi is a lifelong squash player, and he wanted to bring the gift of squash to the Clark student body.”
Hovey went on to say, ‘Ravi has always been a great leader and coach, and he has continued to offer guidance and support to the club even after graduating. This semester, he is helping out by coaching our competitive team.”
Clark University Squash began professionally competing in the fall of 2019 and is an active College Squash Association competitive league member. The club has competed in numerous New England tournaments and looks forward to competing in the 2024-25 school year.
Hovey said of competing, “We are planning to qualify for the Club Squash National Championships, which take place in Philadelphia in February. Our club has never qualified for the championships, as it is required to play eight matches throughout the winter squash season, so we are super excited to try to make it happen this year!”
More recently, the club held its bi-annual in-house tournament, celebrating the spirit of friendly competition. The tournament, which took place from October 24-26, was open to players of all ages and experiences in the Clark community. Hovey, who took first place in the tournament, stated, “We are really proud that the tournament was one of Clark’s most attended events of October!”
Hovey said of the logistics of preparing for a tournament, “Running the semesterly tournament takes quite a bit of work, the brunt of which is scheduling and creating the draw. We do our best to accommodate for any time conflicts that our competitors might have over the three-day event, and with this year’s registration count of 41 players, it was definitely a task to fit everything together.”
“I’ve met so many people that I love through squash. It was the foundation to my social life,” Clark Freshman Ray Loera said of the Clark University Squash Club.
Though he did not participate in the tournament, Loera, who is from Texas, said that being at a university far from home was not easy and that squash has become an outlet for him to meet new people.
He said, “I met Jesús [Arriaga], an advanced squash player, who talked me into playing squash with him. Best decision ever.”
Loera continued, “The reason I stayed was because no matter what skill or feelings you brought to the court, the E-Board team is always there for you. They are the best team to ever exist…Your skill is irrelevant to enjoying squash club! Squash club [was] the first sports club I’ve ever joined, no one is judging your skill or ability to play.”
On a similar note, Hovey stated, “The main goal of the squash club is community! Our weekly practices are intended to be social events, and we do our best to make our practices accessible and inclusive to anyone.”
If you are interested in squash, practices take place every Monday-Thursday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Kneller squash courts and are open to all Clark students. Anyone interested in Club Squash should follow the club’s Instagram page @clark_squash or visit the club’s page on Clark Engage to learn more.
