Head Coach John Roberts and Assistant Coach William Yu Work as One Coaching Unit
Jan 17, 2020
Lee started playing squash at age 10 in a local club in San Fransisco.
After being one of only two Juniors to make the team his first year at Andover, Boys Squash Captain Jack Lee ’20 joined the team as seventh seed and has moved up in the ranks to play first seed in his final year at Andover.
According to Lee, he uses the experience he gained as a member of the team over the past four years to maximize the quality of his leadership as captain.
“I’ve been on the team for four years so I really know the squash courts and squash team at Andover… I’ve matured a lot over the four years. I’ve seen what squash captains have done at Andover so I’m trying to emulate that,” said Lee.
According to Head Coach John Roberts, who has coached Lee for three years, Lee works alongside the other older members of the team to set a good example for others.
“Jack’s been an excellent captain this year. He’s managed to learn skills from his two predecessors and bring his own fresh approach to the role. He’s a great role model for our younger players and along with our two other Seniors, Steve [Nam ’20] and Will [Yun ’20], they set a great example for the team to follow,” said Roberts.
Lee leads the team by showing a superlative level of sportsmanship while still staying aggressive during matches, according to Siddhant Sinha ’21.
Sinha said, “He’s as competitive as any other person but his sportsmanship is definitely there. He always talks to us about how to be good to the opponent. He talks about coming in what you should expect and how you should play with your opponent and interact with them.”
Competing as the first seed, Lee also sets a strong example through his physical abilities and tough play.
“On court, his biggest strength would be his attacking skills. He’s worked [on it] a lot and uses deception well against his opponents,” said Roberts.
Amongst his teammates, Lee’s work ethic is unmatched, encouraging the other players to work even harder, especially those who are relatively new to the team.
“He’s always one of the last kids to leave the court—he’s always looking to play some squash. He never seems to be tired and I think in squash that’s a really nice trait. That motivates the rest of us to keep playing,” said Sinha.
“The younger guys like myself look up to Jack since he is not only a great squash player, but also a kind and supportive person,” said Andy Weissman ’23.
In order to be the best captain possible, Lee encourages his teammates to shape the direction of their practices, demonstrating his easy going mentality.
“I think I try to hear what my teammates have to say no matter what and really just be open-minded, changing things in our practices or what we do as a team depending on what my teammates believe in. I [also] think cheering on my teammates and always being there is important,” said Lee.
Roberts said, “Jack very much leads by example on and off the court. He’s understated yet very encouraging to others on the team… Even if Jack has finished his workout, he will often do the exercises again with the younger guys purely to help with their motivation.”
Beyond Andover, Lee will continue his squash career in college.
“I’d say that I’m probably at the courts every day and at practice every day. I’m really devoted to squash since I’m going to be playing it in college… [My goal is to play] my best and [have] a really good Senior year since it’s my last year at Andover and [at] the Snyder Center,” said Lee.
Editor’s Note: Steve Nam is a News Editor for The Phillipian.
