This week I sat down with Robbie Maycock '13 from the men's squash team to discuss the team's prospects, his career memories and his future after Dartmouth squash.
How has the season been so far?
RM: We are kind of getting to the crux of the season, I guess. Until now, we have had matches where we've been a bit over our head, or ones where we felt that we've been pretty confident about, going in. There were a couple exceptions with the tough Franklin and Marshall [College] loss, and we swept by St. Lawrence [University]. But we have five matches in the next week that will really kind of define our season.
As a senior, how would you describe your four years on Dartmouth squash? What were the biggest highlights?
RM: Wow, it is crazy to think about my time on Dartmouth Squash. I guess it started on a really high note. My squash career at Dartmouth started with the infamous match against Harvard [University], which was probably my first home match here at Dartmouth. Even though it got a lot of bad press and a lot of bad things went on, it was the wildest atmosphere I've ever been in. I was on the main glass court as a freshman, and I was the first one on. Winning my match then will be my most vivid memory of Dartmouth squash.
Currently Dartmouth men's squash is ranked eighth in the country. What do the other teams out there look like?
RM: As of now, we're gunning for a top eight spot. When we get to nationals, it is bracketed by teams of eight, so we want to be in the top tier. During the nationals weekend, anything can really happen. But the other teams that are close are Columbia [University], which is our Sunday match, and Williams [College], who we face on Wednesday.
What would you say to encourage more people to watch squash? Do spectators help?
RM: You've got to try it it's a lot of fun. It might sound silly chasing a tiny ball around a glass room. But I can assure you, you will have a blast. We love having spectators, and we're always encouraging people to try the sport and come out to support the team.
So the men's and women's squash teams took a trip to the Cayman Islands over the break in December. What did you do there? Did you find that it was helpful in preparing you for the games you had in January and the final weeks that lie ahead?
RM: Basically we did a lot of grueling fitness on the beach and in the water, which I think will give us the edge in the upcoming weeks, and I definitely noticed an improvement in our January matches. So, I'm all for the team going back next year.
Where do you see the rest of the season going, looking at nationals but also the end of your Dartmouth squash career?
RM: I haven't really thought about post-nationals, but as I mentioned, at nationals anything can happen. Hopefully, we can beat some teams that we shouldn't. That is the goal anyway, and we're more than capable of doing that. After that, the individual portion of the national tournament begins, which is where some players will be invited from each team. That will be another final test, where we can get out there and play some really competitive squash. For me, I will not be pursuing squash after college, but I'll be fascinated to see how our number one player, Chris Hanson '13, does as he takes on the world.
We have a feature this week in Sports Weekly about pregame rituals for athletes. Do you have any?
RM: To be honest, the women's team probably has the most interesting, sometimes annoying, prematch ritual. Basically, all the women circle up, and, how do I describe this, they basically huddle up and scream and make bizarre noises. They just fill the squash courts with this pretty aggressive screech repetitively. I guess it works for them.
