Brothers John and James fell in love with the game of squash quickly. John, a high school junior in Providence, saw SquashBusters play when he was in sixth grade and asked his mom if he could join. Growing up with allergies and asthma made it challenging for him to play outdoor sports, and squash seemed like the perfect solution. He quickly discovered his passion for the game. Younger brother James, now in seventh grade, grew up watching his brother play and couldn’t wait for his opportunity to try out.
John and James are both proud of each other and their accomplishments. They always cheer each other on at tournaments. John loves to watch James play and see his progress. “James is a lot more confident now. He’s not so nervous with his squash game. He is happy to go into a tournament. He gets into his own mind and is not focused on the crowd.” And James likes it when John is at squash. He learns from him and enjoys knowing he is around.
They have learned so much in their journey, and new doors are continuously opening for them along the way. John found his passion for leading and helping others and helps younger students on his off days. He enjoys mentoring them and seeing them improve. “Just recently, I was able to coach a whole squash camp by myself. I did have backup help, but I was able to help a lot of the younger kids who were around the same age as James, and I was able to help them learn what I had already learned. It felt good, being able to teach them what I know.”
James, too, has had doors open for him in the year he has been in the program. Over the last year, he discovered how instrumental the academic help is to his learning and is grateful for the support. “They help you with your homework. I can do it faster now. I never knew I could do math or science. Ever since my academic coordinator, Christian, explained it to me better, I realized I was good at it, and I like it.” And because of this newfound appreciation for science, James wants to be a biologist when he gets older.
SquashBusters has also been instrumental to John when it comes to schoolwork. John recalls struggling as he transitioned to high school . He spoke to his academic advisors, and everyone jumped into action. “That’s when I had all hands on deck. Every day, whenever I had practice, I went straight to academics. I rarely played squash. I was focused on getting my grades back up. I would go into a separate classroom so I wouldn’t be distracted by my peers. I would sit down for hours and the staff would come and help when I needed support.” His grades have improved tremendously, and he hopes to attend college to become an auto mechanic. “SquashBusters has opened my eyes to a new perspective. With hard work comes reward,” he says.
James’ long-term goal is to be in the top 5 on the Providence squash ladder, and he knows it will take hard work. He also knows he can lean on his advisors and coaches at SquashBusters when he needs support. “I never used to ask for help. Now I feel more comfortable asking, and I’ve learned to go to people at SquashBusters when I need help.”