By Andrew Holets
Photos courtesy of Access Youth Academy
The term ‘underdog’ is so often used in sports that we can sometimes fail to recognize a genuine example. Normally the term is associated with a sports team or athlete who has little chance of victory. In the case of the kids at Access Youth Academy, many would not give them a chance to even participate. Yet from February 11-13 at Yale University, Access Youth Academy became the first urban squash program to ever compete in the U.S. High School Team Squash Championships.
Access Youth Academy is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit urban youth squash program, embracing underprivileged and low-income students from around the city of San Diego (CA) and providing them the opportunity to learn and train in a racquet sport most commonly associated with prep schools and the well-to-do. All Access Youth Academy participants belong to ethnic minority groups and meet the federal school guidelines for economic support under Title One or Free or Reduced Lunch, with neither parent having graduated from a four-year college or university. With an innovative program combining academic support, the sport of squash and community service projects, their goal is to ensure that each student becomes the first in his or her family to attend and succeed in a four-year university.
In short, these are not your typical squash enthusiasts.
Thanks to generous support from numerous donors and countless hours of squash training, Access Youth Academy was able to send a nine-member girls’ team to compete in this top high school tournament, and they weren’t there simply to check out the scenery—U.S. Squash placed them in Division-1 play.
The list of participating teams included some of the top private preparatory schools in the nation: Greenwich Academy, Deerfield Academy, the Brearley School, St. Paul’s School and the Winsor School. Most of the competing squash players begin their training just after pre-school, and do so with the full attention of acclaimed squash coaches.
Access Youth Academy student-athletes are first introduced to the sport itself at age 12, entering at the start of 7th grade and receiving program support through high school graduation.
Overwhelmingly, the entire squash community has been supportive and receptive to a growing number of urban youth programs around the country. It means growth for the sport overall, and with a record 140 teams registered to compete in the 2011 U.S. High School Squash Team Championships, the game is on the rise. But there have been few times in the sports world when contrasts in class and background are so striking.
The 40 current Access Youth Academy students attend The Preuss School UCSD, a San Diego charter middle and high school dedicated to providing a rigorous college prep education for motivated low-income students. Students are shuttled everyday from The Preuss School UCSD by Access Youth Academy staff to their squash facility for afternoon programming. Access Youth Academy offers all of its after school services at no cost to students, thanks to community support and donations (When broken down per student, Access Youth Academy programming operates at only $12.36 per hour).
Executive Director and former Harvard coach, Renato Paiva, joins together with staff and community volunteers to provide squash training, academic tutoring and community service project supervision. A former junior squash champion from Brazil, he is the idealistic type who provides the patience needed to make sure that students reach their full potential on and off the squash court. After speaking with Paiva for a few minutes, one gets the impression that Access Youth Academy’s participation in this tournament serves as a brilliant embodiment of how squash can be utilized for positive youth development.
“There is no better way to close the achievement gap than by giving kids the opportunity to prove themselves,” observes Paiva. “The High School Championships are an exciting challenge for our kids to prove that they too can compete against the best.” The girls’ team at Access Youth Academy has enjoyed a strong string of success, having won four consecutive team titles in national urban squash competition. In regional tournaments, Access Youth Academy teams have not lost a match since 2008.
The positive academic results are clear and compelling as well: 3.62 GPA overall, 99 percent school attendance for the 2009-2010 school year and 63 The Preuss School UCSD academic awards. Nationally, urban squash programs boast a 95 percent college acceptance rate for graduating seniors.
The urban squash movement is led by the National Urban Squash and Education Association (NUSEA), the original idea established over 15 years ago in Boston by its founder, Greg Zaff, a Williams College graduate. NUSEA has 10 urban programs across the nation, of which Access Youth Academy has been a member since 2006.
“NUSEA’s ultimate aim is to oversee the creation and longevity of many urban squash programs so that thousands of young people across America benefit every day from our athletic, educational and community enrichment activities,” states Zaff. “Access Youth Academy’s team participation in the U.S. High School Championships is a step towards further realizing that goal.”
Another wrinkle to their story is location. While the majority of American squash talent is heavily concentrated along the East Coast, Access Youth Academy serves students from various parts of San Diego, a city associated with surfing, sunshine and sandy beaches more than the sport of squash. It is as if the beach volleyball champions trained in Alaska.
“Before the Access Youth Academy program, I thought squash was just a vegetable,” chuckles junior year player Sharon Vongvanith. “But now we’re perfecting rails, drop shots and other nuances of the game.”
The girls’ team has trained particularly hard, partaking in a weekly ritual called, “Elite Friday.” Squash players train for an intense two hours in the morning before school. What first served as an annoyance for the teenage team has become a source of pride and enthusiasm.
“Elite Fridays are usually more difficult than regular practices,” says sophomore Yan Liu. “And the tough practices help us come together as a stronger team.”
While a national team championship was not in order this first year, the nine-member Access Youth Academy girls’ team realizes they played for more than just themselves.
“We take great pride knowing that we play not only for our 40 teammates in San Diego, but for all the urban squash players around the country,” notes team captain and currently one of the top 30 squash players in the country, Reyna Pacheco.
Like her teammates, she is more concerned about working towards reaching her full potential in school and beyond rather than dwelling on her current station in life.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from once you’re in the game,” adds Pacheco.
From February 11-13 at Yale University, this increasingly accomplished group of student-athletes proved as much, winning two matches out of four. With that showing, U.S. Squash ranked the Access Youth Academy girls’ team at 11th best in the country—not too bad for an underdog. (Ed. Note: full coverage of the U.S. High School Team Championships will be in our next issue)”
For more information on the urban squash program in San Diego, visit www.accessyouthacademy.org.
