PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies will host a SquashSmarts Night at their game against the Washington Nationals on Sept. 16 and Haverford College squash head coach Niki Clement will be a part of the on-field recognition before the game.
SquashSmarts is non-profit organization aimed to improve the lives of underserved youth from Philadelphia public schools by providing intensive, long-term academic tutoring and squash instruction while imparting high standards of personal integrity, health and fitness, and service to the community.
The night is in partnership with US Squash, Drexel Athletics, the College Squash Association (CSA), the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association and the 2015 Delaware Investments US Open Squash Championships.
The Fords' coach will be on the field before the game along with the University of Pennsylvania's squash head coach Jack Wyant, Swarthmore College squash captain Arjun Vishwanath, and SquashSmarts Coach Mentors Tempest Bowden and Rabbi Awsan. John White, Drexel University squash head coach, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Clement led the Haverford College squash teams to new heights in 2014-15. The women's team set a program record with 10 wins last year and went to the Epps Cup at the CSA Team Championships for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The men's team won five of its final seven matches en route to 11 wins, the most since 2006-07. Seniors Nathan Vestrich-Shade, Bethany Simmonds, sophomore Isabelle Gotuaco and Alex Love '15 also participated in the CSA Individual Championships.
Haverford College squash gets the 2015-16 campaign with the men's team welcoming the Swarthmore Garnet to the GIAC Squash Courts on Halloween (Oct. 31) with the women's squad starting up on Nov. 7 at Navy.