This July, SEA hosted 60 middle- and high-school students from 20 programs at its annual Summer Academy at Kent School. Held over two week-long sessions, the overnight experience blended high-level squash training and humanities-based academic enrichment.

The first session featured students from SEA’s High Performance Team (HPT), and was led by Simba Muhwati, SEA’s High Performance Team Director. Simba was assisted by coaches Tempest Bowden from SquashSmarts, Makyla Kelly from First State Squash, and Glen Wilson from Cincinnati Squash Academy and counselors Matthew Aldana from StreetSquash, Brianna Lucero from CitySquash, and Antoinette Ramsey from Racquet Up Detroit. Students trained daily and participated in a college showcase attended by college coaches from Bard, Bowdoin, Haverford, St. Lawrence, Connecticut College, Wesleyan, Hamilton, and Bates. Off court, students took a Humanities course centered on Wolfpack by U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team legend Abby Wambach, exploring themes of leadership, identity, and voice. Participants hailed from programs in Hartford, Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, Houston, Detroit, Boston, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

The second session welcomed students from a broader cross-section of SEA’s national network, including programs in Buffalo, Hartford, New York, Wilmington (DE), Charleston, Chicago, Houston, Detroit, Boston, Lawrence (MA), Providence, New Haven, Oakland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. The second session was led by David Morish from St Lawrence University and Tempest Bowden from SquashSmarts. They were assisted by Sarahi Lopez from Bowdoin College and Franki Velasquez from Squash Haven.

Led by an experienced team of coaches and educators, the Summer Academy provided students with the opportunity to build new friendships, and sharpen their athletic and academic skills.

It’s always a pleasure to work with SEA students from across the country, and their enthusiasm to learn and grow made this year’s Summer Academy a meaningful experience for everyone involved,” said Jack Smith, SEA’s Summer Academy Director. “Thanks to their dedication and effort, we achieved tremendous growth both on and off the court.”