By Brian Li (V)
With a surge of COVID-19 cases recently, winter sports are in a state of uncertainty, as all sports must follow a timeline issued by the NJSIAA. These regulations allow the boys’ squash team to hold practices in December and begin competing on January 11th. Head Coach Ramsay Vehslage discussed the difficulties of the season’s late start: “The biggest impact [coronavirus] has had is on the timing of the season. We normally would have started the season a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving [break].” The team is “also required to be finished by February 17th,” significantly shortening the season.
US Squash mandated that only two players can be on a court together and masks must be worn at all times “on the court or off-court,” Mr. Vehslage noted. Furthermore, interstate travel restrictions have limited the other schools the team can compete with; these schools include Delbarton, Princeton Day School, and Millburn High School.
After losing three seniors to graduation and the impact of the pandemic of their season, the team has had to adjust to many obstacles; when asked what he hopes to achieve this year, Mr. Vehslage said he hopes to focus on giving “everybody a chance to play and building a strong team camaraderie.”