The new Director of Squash, Mr. Robert McDavid, hits the Mayer Squash Center as the Sacred Heart Greenwich squash teams begin their winter season.  Coach McDavid looks forward to using his past experience as a coach and a player to create an atmosphere that promotes engaging training.

Prior to his arrival at Sacred Heart, Coach McDavid played squash at a competitive level.  He learned lessons from the relationships he formed with the players he met around the world.  Coach McDavid attended the University of Rochester and, afterward, went to coach at Vassar College and later at the Apawamis Club, where he worked with players to help develop their skills.  Coach McDavid commented on how his coaching and playing experiences will help him effectively train Sacred Heart’s squash team. 

“In my time playing and coaching I’ve had the privilege of being on both sides of playing squash as an individual and team sport,” Coach McDavid said.  “I’ve learned a lot about the sport from these experiences and what it takes to be a good competitor, teammate, mentor, and coach.”

With the change from player to coach, Coach McDavid has learned that squash extends beyond the competitive aspect.  Squash allows athletes to build team skills, such as collaboration, while also working on strengthening individual qualities of resilience and patience.  Coach McDavid believes that his opportunities on and off the court allowed him to understand the mindset of a squash player.

“In my time coaching, I’ve learned that not everyone is trying to be the best player in the country or the world and that sports are about more than competing,” Coach McDavid said.  “So I have also tried to approach squash as a fun way to develop other skills.  As a player, I wanted to be the best.  As a coach, I have to understand that everyone has different goals and my job is to help them realize their potential, reach their goals or have a fun experience.  And this allows everyone to enjoy the sport and growth rather than feel pressure to push too far beyond their limits.”  

With the lessons Coach McDavid learned from playing squash at different levels throughout his life, he believes that, as a coach, he can provide players with similar opportunities he received when playing earlier in his life.  He hopes to embrace the unique atmosphere Sacred Heart supplies for its athletes and expressed the importance of a balance between academics and athletics.

“After college, I had the privilege of meeting some amazing coaches who have been teaching for years, and they inspired me to think of being a coach as being a teacher for a sport and handling the challenges of life,” Coach McDavid said.  “I loved the idea of working at Sacred Heart because I loved the culture of the school and its goals to encourage students to reach their potential in academics and sports and be high achievers while balancing it with good sportsmanship and humility.”

Following Sacred Heart’s third-place overall ranking in Division I at the United States High School Team Squash Championships, the squash program looks towards an upcoming season filled with new goals of persistence, confidence, and enthusiasm.  Coach McDavid believes in the importance of teamwork, especially when it comes to squash, where the player is often isolated from the team when competing in a match.  Coach McDavid stressed his hopes for the team this year surrounding the goal of growth for a unified team environment.

“I hope to create a culture where kids enjoy squash, training, playing as a team, and the work and process of getting better,” Coach McDavid said.  “Squash has taught me the value of hard work, discipline, patience, and giving the best that you can regardless of how you feel on a given day.  My hope is for the team to also learn these values. Because squash may be an individual sport. But everyone’s individual efforts play a big role in the overall team result.  And these values are important in life as well as sports.” 

Featured Image by Zara Black ’23