Squash coach opens doors (and courts) to community
Are you a “power player” or a “shot maker?” Do you prefer a “drop shot” but wish you could pull off a “Mizuki?”
No clue what these things mean? Don’t worry: Guillermo Moronta is here to help teach the high-speed, racquet-using sport of squash. Using the squash courts at Tabor Academy, Moronta is hosting Sunday and weekday clinics through March to get the community involved.
Squash puts two (sometimes four) players into a glass-enclosed court, hitting a squishy ball off the walls to score points. In many ways, it is like tennis: A serve must hit above a line on the front wall, and the ball cannot bounce more than twice. But there are differences: All of the walls can be used.
Game play is quick and sometimes confusing, with ball speeds of nearly 200 mph.
But Moronta, a Tabor Academy alumnus and former Drexel University squash coach, says people don’t need to worry about that last tidbit.
Moronta started playing squash in sixth grade through an after-school enrichment program in Boston called SquashBusters, which involves not only learning the sport but also getting academic tutoring along the way. Moronta says the program shaped his love of squash.
“It’s a lifetime sport,” he says. “You can play at any age. And it’s very sociable. You can meet some great people and get a good workout too.”
An Orleans resident, Moronta coached on the pro level and is also the Tabor girls’ squash coach. His Sunday clinics started this month, with the next being January 8. Kids and adults are all welcome to take part in the $15-per-session clinics.
“Having something like this will strengthen the relationship between Tabor and the community,” Moronta says. “And it promotes squash across the South Coast. This is really a chance to provide public access to a sport formerly just for country clubs.”
He says a 20 percent increase in squash participation over the past four years is a good reason to set up the clinics. Moronta says the response to the clinics has been positive.
Moronta uses a number of tools for squash newcomers, including birthday balloons: Players practice movement and technique as they try to keep the balloon in the air as long as possible.
“The movements are tough,” Moronta says. “Squash is a game of angles, so your eye-hand coordination is the most important thing.”
Ollie Sughrue, an Old Rochester freshman and Marion resident, has been practicing with Moronta for a few sessions.
“I play tennis, so I’m sort of used to the game play,” Sughrue says. “It’s fun, though. And fast. I like it.”
Moronta did have winter break youth camps planned, but those have been postponed until further notice.
“My reward is seeing the progression,” Moronta says. “Taking someone new and watching them grow and play for many years is great. Anyone can play, and I’d love to have more people involved.”
Contact Guillermo at guillermo@ sippicansquash.com or call (617) 417- 3756 to register for all squash instructional programs.