This past winter, the Westminster community was introduced to a unique sport that it had never seen before: squash.

Squash, a popular sport internationally, is played within a four-walled court and involves teams of one or two, each holding a narrow racquet, taking turns hitting a small, hollow rubber ball against the front wall until a player fails to return it.

When two squash coaches from Missouri Athletic Club (MAC), Alex Ingham and Tim Engelmeyer, came to the school to promote the new club, many students were very intrigued.

“Our team was spread out between like five different schools and ranged from eighth grade to seniors. I would have never even met some of these people without squash,” said Ashley Gordon, senior.

When Gordon attended this meeting, there was no doubt that she would join the team, as she had been surrounded by the sport for many years and was already familiar with the coaches.

“Brendan, my brother, played squash very competitively for years when I was younger. He was out there winning state championships and stuff as I just watched,” said Gordon.

As soon as practices started, which were held at the MAC and consisted of mini matches and tournaments, many of the players fell in love with the sport.

“There aren’t many sports you can play for six hours straight without actually dying or passing out, but squash is so enjoyable, especially with good friends,” said Gordon.

As for the real matches, the Westminster squash team had to face off against tough competitors from MICDS and John Burroughs. Because only three or four of these matches would go on at the same time, the rest of the players had to stand around and watch, anxiously waiting for their turn.

Even though the Cats did not always come out on top, it was a formative season that got the ball rolling on a new program and spread interest about the sport.