Newport This Week, 1/6/12

News & Features
RhodySquash Finds Its Stride in Newport
January 6, 2012
By Meg O’Neil

Since the first tryouts of roughly 50 kids at Thompson Middle School back in early October, RhodySquash, part of the National Urban Squash Education Association, has found its stride in Newport over the last few months.

The NUSEA is a movement that brings squash to inner-city area, and invites students to dedicate themselves to a vigorous afterschool program that incorporates squash instruction, academic tutoring, mentoring, as well as community service and cultural outings – for free.
After holding two tryout sessions that narrowed the team down to 13 future Squash players, RhodySquash is the only program of its kind in the state, and co-founder Ross Freiman-Mendel recently revealed just how successful the inaugural team has become.

Due to the popular demand of the program, there is a long waiting of middle school students who are eager to eventually join the team.

Freiman-Mendel also says that the team’s retention rate has remained 100 percent; a feat in itself considering the team meets at the Freebody St. courts three times a week for two hour sessions.

The weeks of learning the rules of the game and afterschool practices paid off as the entire team competed in their first tournament, the RhodySquash RI Open last month at St. George’s in Middletown. TMS sixth grader Jayda Rios played in the adult draw, receiving a US Squash ranking – a first for the team.

According to Freiman-Mendel, “”The RhodySquash Open was an opportunity for all of the kids to play in a US Squash sanctioned event and to see professional squash at its finest.”

While the team performance on the court is important, it’s just as important in the classroom. During their practices, the team divides up, with half spending the first hour on the courts, learning techniques and drills while the other half is in the program’s tutoring center, where they can work on homework and study. When the hour is over, the two groups switch for the remainder of practice.

The program has volunteers and tutors to help with homework and practices, and believes in reaching out into the community as well.

Community participation has been a vital part to the success of RhodySquash, according to Freiman-Mendel. He says that they have recruited volunteers to provide a 2:1 student-to-teacher ratio both in the classroom and on the courts.

“Support and excitement from the community continues to grow as we expand our network of volunteers and donors,” he said. “We’ve reached beyond the squash community in identifying locals who are committed to the improvement of Newport youth.”

An impressive showing for a program in its first year, the results have garnered attention other squash groups in the area.

“The program has exceeded all of our expectations. With a working knowledge of the game, the team will play in more competitive matches in the new year. The end of January will witness our first ‘inter urban squash match,’ when we travel to play SquashBusters, our sister organization in Boston,” said Freiman-Mendel.

Besides the upcoming event in Boston, RhodySquash has also slated other matches at schools in the area including Portsmouth Abbey and St. George’s.