A chance meeting with former SQB Board Chair, John Blasberg, after a squash game turned into what Jack Winston hopes will be a lifetime commitment to volunteering and supporting SquashBusters. Over the years Jack has seen SQB’s impact on so many students he has volunteered with and gotten to know, and he loves giving back. “My goal is to get that next generation involved in SquashBusters.”
Jack describes his own experiences playing squash as life-changing. A family friend introduced him to the sport; he could never have imagined how picking up a racquet would impact his life. “I started playing squash in middle school. I tried it once, and it changed my life entirely – I got involved by volunteering at SquashBusters; I met all of my closest friends; I now play in college. It’s hard to imagine where I would be if I hadn’t picked up a racquet.”
Jack, who plays squash for Bowdoin College, started participating in SQB’s annual fund-raiser, the Derby, when he was about 12. Playing in his first Derby was all it took to get Jack hooked on SquashBusters. “I felt this great sense of community and realized I wanted to get more kids involved.” For the last two years, he has been captaining Team Salubrious, and seeing what SquashBusters has done for students, he is excited to make a larger impact.
Jack has already made a difference. He and his mother founded the Junior Stakes after recognizing there was a huge opportunity to get younger people involved in the Derby. “We added a junior component to the Derby, which was a great way to get more kids involved and create that next generation of supporters for SquashBusters and also gives players from different worlds a chance to interact.” And they have. Junior Stakes is an extremely popular part of the Derby, where SquashBusters students and other young players team up to to drill with squash pros and compete in a mini-tournament.
What’s so important to Jack and why it matters so much to him is that he has seen how beneficial the program is for the students. “SquashBusters stands out from other programs because it gives help to all aspects of students’ lives, whether that be school, getting in shape, making friends, or providing a new support group. All kids growing up need that.”
He’s spoken to alums about its impact on them, believing that the career and college support SquashBusters provides helps the kids plan for their future and believe in themselves. “I think that the college prep is so key because I’ve talked to alums who have said that they wouldn’t be at their college if it weren’t for SquashBusters, and once they are there, they thrive.”