Co-Captain Alexander Yang ’26 commands Andover Boys Squash with an air of unspoken leadership. The team rallies around Yang, leaning on his guidance during practice and his amicable personality to thrive.
In Shanghai, Yang first picked up the sport in elementary school. But it was playing in middle school where he cultivated his love for the game and all of its inner workings. Being a part of a team then, he enjoyed forming close relationships with his teammates.
“I was in fifth grade, and I just heard about the sport. I was playing tennis back then. I thought [squash] was pretty cool, because back in Shanghai [it] wasn’t that popular, but I just wanted to try it out. I thought it was fun. It’s just a really cool sport because it’s such close quarters, and it’s really fast and intense. I also played team squash during middle school, and it made me realize how cool and beautiful it is to have a team, because they’re like your family. Being able to meet that team at Andover right now is definitely a dream,” said Yang.
As a leader, Yang maintains team morale by ensuring that even when he performs poorly on the court, he does not let that personal frustration affect his commitment to lifting up his teammates.
“I try not to let my performance, like how I’m feeling on a specific day, affect how much I try to help others. If I’m having a bad day, I don’t want to make others also feel like they’re having a bad day, so I still try to push myself to help others,” said Yang.
Teammate Philip Meng ’26, a close friend of Yang, highlighted the Co-Captain’s focused mentality both on and off the court. According to Meng, hours of studious work have sharpened Yang’s mind and elevated his game sense.
“I would describe Alex with two words: academic weapon. As someone who lives with him, I see how hard he works every single night working on his physics homework. I really see how determined and hard-working of a student he is. When it comes to squash, he’s always prepared and ready, and that comes from the amount of physics that he does each night. His mental strength has become so solidified and ironed,” said Meng.
Fellow teammate Jonathan Xu ’28 praised Yang’s poised demeanor, mentioning the grit and strong work ethic that Yang has developed over the years. Xu also described the Co-Captain’s understanding qualities as a leader.
“Alex is a very calm and collected individual on the team… I’m really impressed at how he’s able to balance his academic life along with his squash. He’s a really hard worker. He knows what he wants and always finds a way to get it. You can always rely on him to be understanding, and he’s aware of his role on the team. He does his job supporting other teammates like a friend,” said Xu ’28.
Before competition, it is tradition for the team’s Co-Captains to list the team’s members. Having seen his previous Co-Captains do the same, he explained that he enjoys finally having the opportunity to perform that tradition himself.
“Before matches begin, we always do intros and are able to call out everybody’s names with my fellow [Co-]Captains. It’s really nice because I was part of the team since freshman year, and being able to see my past [Co-]Captains do that, I’ve always wanted to try that out,” said Yang.
Looking forward, Yang hopes to continue playing squash in college at the club level.
“I hope [to play at] the club [level], [because] it’s the sport I’ve spent so much time on already. I don’t want to give that up. Obviously, in college, I’m going to do that just as a hobby, [but] I definitely want to keep doing it,” said Yang.
Editor’s Note: Philip Meng is a Business Manager for The Phillipian, Vol. CXLVIII.
