Sean-Winston Luo ’24 has worked his way up the team since Junior year.
Co-Captain Sean Winston Luo ’24 played his first match Lower year, after losing the first season of his time at Andover due to Covid-19. The year gave Luo a chance to play and improve under the guidance of upperclassmen, whom Luo expressed gratitude for and hopes to mirror when leading the team now that he has become a captain.
“A lot of the older guys were really good mentors and kept me going and motivated me, and I sort of want to reciprocate that to the younger guys now. Step into the shoes, be the person who’s guiding the team, making sure everyone thinks on pace and making sure there’s a fun culture on the team and that everyone has a good team chemistry,” said Luo.
Regardless of the outcome of each match, Luo encourages a supportive team environment, believing in each player to make the best decision in the moment and play to the highest standards.
“One of the main values is trusting each other. I think all of us are very capable as squash players, but making sure that we hit the right shots on court, trusting that we make the right decisions when we’re playing and trusting that we might not always win the match. But, we’re always very motivated to keep playing and do a good job,” said Luo.
The team strives for excellence, reflected in the team’s 13-1 record. Luo commended the players’ ambitious nature, which helps them motivate one another and continually push for improvement.
“They want to get better. There isn’t just a ‘let’s stop now, let’s barely get this win,’ but there’s a big, ‘we want to do the best we can’ culture, and I think my teammates have been great. There’s a drive to play at a higher seeding, which has been a little annoying, but has been something I really appreciate, [it] pushes me to work harder,” said Luo.
Luo continued, expanding on his experience as a Co-Captain, “It’s honestly been such a great experience. I’ve had a great four years here. It’s been great seeing the team develop over time and evolve. We’ve had a lot of guys cycle in and out. It’s been a really good squad and really energetic, really good, best team chemistry I could ask for. It’s been a really rewarding experience and I really enjoyed it.”
Alexander Wang ’26 commented on Luo’s technical skill and strategy as a player. Wang went on to highlight his sportsmanship on the court.
“He’s very smart with his shot selection and is a master of deception. Also, he’s just a great guy on court to play with as he has very good sportsmanship,” said Wang
With this being Luo’s last year, he holds high hope for the team, with the goal of making history by placing in the top eight in Nationals. Luo shared his aspirations for the upcoming matches.
“We have Nationals coming up, so that’s really big. I think we’re hoping for top eight, which would be the top, probably the highest finish we ever had in team history. So that’s definitely our top priority right now. Trying to bring it home, bring[ing] us a good result, [to] have a good Senior day, chop up [Phillips] Exeter [Academy], it should be fun,” said Luo.
Despite participating in Nationals for the last three seasons, this year has been the most impactful on Luo. He reflected on his time during the team and on playing his final squash match at Andover.
“It’s been a long run. I’ve played, this is my third Nationals, so I’ve played plenty of these, but having it been my last one, it’s a little bittersweet, but also very exciting. We have the opportunity to make history here, and I want to be part of the team and guide that team to getting that result,” said Luo.
