SCH has recently partnered with the Philadelphia Cricket Club (PCC) to bring in their elite team of coaches and return to the top of the national squash stage. The Cricket Club, a historic breeding ground for top-level squash talent, has produced many of the school’s standout players throughout the program’s history.

Once known as a squash powerhouse, the SCH squash team dominated the national stage in the 1980s, ‘90s, and early 2000s. Once formerly competing for the high school national championship, SCH has produced top squash players who have gone on to win national titles at the collegiate and professional levels. 

In the past couple of years, however, the team has struggled to match that level of success. Changes in coaching and a rise of competition within the Inter-Ac contributed to this decline. But now, with a new partnership with PCC, there is renewed hope and optimism within the program.

Rich Wade, the director of the PCC squash program, started his coaching journey 5 years ago and has gone on to create one the top groups of squash coaches in the world. Rich was formerly the director of the Junior U.S. Squash program where he learned how to create a hugely successful program. What he has done at PCC, he hopes to do now at SCH.

“We want to help create the most successful program as possible from a results standpoint, and also create good character in the athletes who come through the program. We have a rich history of producing good players, but also have a history of producing good people who have remained closely involved with the sport. The program itself is only a 4-8 year window of playing for the school, but this idea of feeling that actually they feel like they belong here for their entire lives is something really important to us.”

When asked about SCH’s history of competing for the national championship, Rich expressed confidence in the school’s ability to return to its competitive heights, stating, “I don’t know that it is actually that far away from us getting back to that point, and to lean on some of the successes that they had some 15 years ago, with the likes of Gilly Lane and many other top players who have come through the program makes us realize that it is possible to do that, and to champion some of those classes that had success.”

Stuart George, who joined the coaching staff a few months ago, also brings a wealth of experience to SCH. A former member of the Scottish national team, Stuart competed in the European Team Championship. His coaching career in the U.S. began as the Amherst assistant coach before becoming the head coach of the team. He then came to Philadelphia and coached the GFS team to some of the best seasons in its history. As head coach of the SCH Varsity team, Stuart is prioritizing building a strong community and a shift in the team culture. When asked about his goals for his first season as head coach, he said, “This season, the top priority is to come in and make an impact and change on the culture, to ultimately lay the foundation for what’s to come in the future.”

Omar Allaudin, who joined PCC six years ago, will also play a key role in coaching at SCH. Omar was a standout player at Trinity College, helping them win the national championship in three out of his four years. He is one of the winningest players in collegiate squash history with a career record of 54 wins to 6 losses. His experience both as a player and a coach will be a valuable asset to the program.

The rest of the coaching staff consists of Noel Heaton and Mena Nasser, two top former players. Noel is a class of 23’ Drexel graduates and helped lead the Drexel team to their highest finish in the history of the program. Mena, formerly ranked 49th in the world also recently joined the coaching staff. Both of them are looking forward to working with the team.

With this experienced and diverse coaching staff, the future of the SCH squash program looks bright. Their goal is not only to bring the team back to national greatness but also to instill a lasting sense of community and achievement among the players.