The Carleton University squash team will not play in the Jesters University League (JUL) this year as campus courts are expected to be closed until early 2022 and enrolment in the club is down as a result.
The five courts in Carleton’s Alumni Hall are closed due to COVID-19 safety precautions, forcing the squash team to look for off-campus facilities.
“Usually recruitment happens at the courts,” said Helen Kennedy, captain of the three-year-old team. “We’re hanging around there, we’re seeing students who are playing [and] talking to them about the program, which is how we got most of our members in the first year.”
This year has been a different story.
“With nothing on campus and no squash to find players, it’s been really hard to reach the squash community at Carleton,” she said.
The club, which plays against other competitive teams in Ontario and Quebec in the JUL, couldn’t field the required seven players each on the men’s and women’s squads by the Oct. 22 deadline.
In their first full season in 2019-20, the men’s side won gold in the Division 2 championship. The Ravens were looking to continue their positive momentum before the setback.
The team will instead act as a training squad and play against each other. But this can only happen once they find an off-campus court to rent, requiring extra payment for a membership at another club.
“As a student, it’s tough because I’m paying Athletics fees at Carleton and now also at a club in town,” Kennedy said.
Undergraduate and graduate students pay $103.73 per semester in fees for Athletics. Now, members of the squash club have to pay more than that to play their sport.
Kennedy plays in two leagues at the RA Centre near Billings Bridge in Ottawa. A membership there is $175 for three months or $585 per year, although Kennedy said they are in discussions with the centre about a potential student rate.
Air ventilation is the culprit squashing hopes for open courts at Carleton. COVID-19 protocols regarding indoor air quality and ventilation meant the space is a risk, said Patrick Hansen, facilities manager of Carleton Athletics.
“We are working on a solution to improve the air quality within this space,” Hansen said in an email. “However, this can take some time due to the procurement process and the current market conditions within the construction and maintenance industry.”
An Ottawa Public Health spokesperson said in an email that good ventilation complements but cannot replace basic protective measures and being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
A well-maintained ventilation system may help reduce virus transmission by filtering indoor air that people have exhaled or exchanging it with fresh outdoor air. The more exchanges the better.
Despite the closure, Kennedy said she has no animosity towards Athletics.
“They’ve been really good at keeping us updated as much as they can and are keen to work with us to figure out ways that we can make squash a reality at Carleton,” she said.
Part of Kennedy’s love for squash comes from the community developed in the courts.
“It’s fun to play squash and it’s fun to be around squash players,” said Kennedy, who moved to Ottawa from B.C. in 2018 to pursue a PhD in history. “My second day here, I went to a couple clubs in the city to meet people and play.”
Kennedy said she’s met numerous people by playing squash, including one on her first day of playing in Ottawa who went to Carleton and played for the squash team until she graduated.
“Most of my friends in town are either from Carleton or from squash,” Kennedy said. “It eases transitions to every place I’ve been. Squash helps me find community everywhere.”
There’s still space to join the training squad, even for those who have never touched a squash racquet. Interested players can find the team’s information online, Kennedy said.
“We’re willing to have you join the team and train with us and get you ready for a future season,” she said.
Featured image provided by Patrick Lyons/Ravens squash team.
